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Kaer Pte Ltd Reveals how Circular Economy Thinking is Impacting the Air Conditioning Sector

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Kaer Pte Ltd, the Singapore-based Air Conditioning as a Service (ACaaS) provider, has released a paper documenting the fundamentals and benefits of the different business models that are available in the air conditioning sector.

With the current interest and move towards the ‘circular economy,’ and how it impacts the formerly conservative air conditioning sector, the paper discusses the strengths and weaknesses of the different air con provision models that are available, as well as the rise of the circular economy business model known as Air Conditioning as a Service (ACaaS).

Commenting on the impact of circular economy thinking on the air conditioning sector, Justin Taylor, CEO of Kaer, said: “ACaaS allows building owners, developers and users to outsource responsibility for their air con climate. Today we all subscribe to services like music, TV shows, entertainment and transport, and pay only for what we use. Why should air conditioning be any different? Our customers buy air conditioning from us by paying a fixed single rate for how much they have consumed. They do not have to pay for the capital cost of the plant, monitoring, repairs, maintenance, electricity and all other costs associated with the chiller plant system. We take the responsibility of buying and operating the plant, and reducing energy consumption from building owners. We take on all future costs related to operations and maintenance.”

 ACaaS is becoming the norm with more than 10 such sites in Singapore. Under this model, developers and building owners outsource the ownership and operations of their air con system. Kaer designs, installs, finances, owns, monitors and operates the system within the building. Users only need to pay a single rate applied to the consumption of chilled water on a monthly basis. They do not have to pay for repairs, maintenance, electricity and all other costs associated with the system.

 ACaaS was first seen in 2013 and is an example of the familiar concept of servitisation. Rolls Royce famously no longer supplies jet engines but provides airline operators with ‘power by the hour’ – a phrase it coined over 50 years ago. This is a win-win business model. Building owners can reduce their electricity costs and concentrate on their core business activities.

 Besides helping building owners reduce capital expenditure and recurring maintenance costs, Kaer also undertake the responsibility of monitoring and controlling the indoor climate to maximise energy efficiency of the buildings, thus ensuring that the air con system is green and environmentally sustainable.

 The paper is available to download at: www.kaer.com/news.

JLL Introduces Virtual Reality Tool for Real Estate Design and Build

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The virtual reality tool captures 360-degree spherical images through a series of cameras at the project site.

The virtual reality tool captures 360-degree spherical images through a series of cameras at the project site.

Real estate consultant JLL has launched VR360 Services, a new technology application that allows clients to watch their real estate projects take shape from anywhere in the world.

The virtual reality tool captures 360-degree spherical images through a series of cameras at the project site. By logging into an online application, clients can explore their building projects and look around in all directions, mimicking a real life site visit. Providing transparency from the start to finish of a project, VR360 Services enables clients to track the progress of their build closely, identify any problems, and highlight potential issues that may impact the future fit-out or design.

“VR360 Services lets our clients stay on top of their projects by bridging geographical barriers and bringing them closer to their sites. They can log in from a computer, tablet or mobile device and have a virtual walk through the spaces in their own time,” explains Martin Hinge, Managing Director, Project & Development Services, Asia Pacific, JLL.

“Another advantage that VR360 Services provides is the recording of wall, floor and ceiling construction, including electrical and mechanical plumbing systems. This will transform the way clients manage their facilities in future as they can better plan refurbishments and repairs like building in additional power points or repairing blocked pipes.”

One of the early adopters of the application, a multinational technology company with significant Asia Pacific presence, has successfully implemented VR360 Services in its latest construction projects in China and Singapore, allowing stakeholders to watch their sites at every stage of development from Malaysia, India, Singapore, Vietnam and the U.S. By creating an interactive environment where clients have first-hand insights, VR360 Services acts as a substitute for conventional site photo records.

“This exciting development demonstrates how we are making a difference to our clients’ experience. Besides offering them greater connectivity to their projects, VR360 Services also provides seamless communication so we can resolve on-site issues together,” says Ian Chadsey, Solutions Development Director, Asia Pacific, JLL. “New technology is having a profound impact on the real estate industry. VR360 Services is just one example of how, as a firm, we’re applying innovative thinking to help our clients maximise efficiency and improve processes.”

Click HERE to sign up for your free VR360 tour.

T.Y. Lin International Wins Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore Design Excellence Awards 2015

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T.Y. Lin International (TYLI), a globally recognized full-service infrastructure consulting firm, announces that its Singapore office, T.Y. Lin International Pte. Ltd., has received the Association of Consulting Engineers Singapore (ACES) Design Excellence Award 2015 (Civil and Structural Category) for the National University Hospital (NUH) Medical Centre project.  Er. Ng Swee Tong, Qualified Person and Project Manager for the project, accepted the award at the ACES 44th Anniversary Gala on March 18th, 2015 at Resorts World Convention Centre, Sentosa.

“We are honored to have received this prestigious Award from ACES for the NUH Medical Centre. The project was structurally complex and challenging, and demanded extensive civil and structural engineering skill and expertise,” said Dr. Tan Guan, Director of Building Structures at T.Y. Lin International Pte. Ltd and Project Director for the project. “It is very rewarding to have our efforts recognized.”

NUH Medical Centre Photo Credit: T.Y. Lin

NUH Medical Centre
Photo Credit: T.Y. Lin

The NUH Medical Centre, adjoins NUH and is located directly above Kent Ridge Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) underground station and tunnels. The site itself presented a range of engineering challenges including managing risk to highly sensitive receptors due to its proximity to NUH and the MRT system as well as varying terrain and geological profile.  Further, the Kent Ridge MRT station was originally designed and built with provision for a future building that would house seven levels of medical units. The TYLI structural design team was initially tasked with carrying out the feasibility study and subsequently was appointed as the C&S Consultant for the 72,000m2 gross floor area, 19 storey Medical Centre, inclusive of 7 nos. of bunker structures for  the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore in the development.

The awards recognise engineering design excellence from ACES members. Structural safety, buildability and sustainability were at the core of TYLI’s design considerations. The design and successful delivery of the development, demanded extensive project planning and stakeholder engagement, consideration of multiple structural options with safe construction methodology in mind, and comprehensive design coordination to ensure timely project completion. As well as ensuring compliance with the Codes of Practice for Constructability and Railway Protection, to safeguard the MRT structures.

The latest and one of three buildings serving hospital patients within the NUH campus, the Medical Centre houses 190 consultation rooms, more than 200 treatment and procedure rooms, 10 surgery operating theatres, as well as dedicated space for teaching and clinical trials.

 

About the Project

NUH Medical Centre

Completed in 2013, the NUH Medical Centre is part of redevelopment plans for the National University Health System campus. The project was delivered within an ambitious, 28 month program, overcoming and managing a number of significant challenges associated with the site. As Structural Designer, and drawing on the firm’s expertise with healthcare structures and complex building design, the TYLI team worked closely with the NUH Medical Centre team and contractors in order to develop the site directly over the operating Kent Ridge Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and tunnels and adjacent to an existing hospital, with minimum impact and inconvenience to the MRT or the hospital.

Challenges faced by TYLI included developing a site that featured both undulating terrain (ranging from 127.5m to 141.95m) and a varying geological profile, with the rock formation ranging from fully weathered to highly weathered rock. TYLI also had to develop the optimum structural system in order to support the operation of a state-of-the-art healthcare facility that houses highly-sensitive medical equipment.

Located directly above Kent Ridge MRT station on Singapore’s Circle Line, the new NUH Medical Centre has a gross floor area of 72,000m2 and accommodates six linear accelerator bunkers, operating theaters, a diagnostic imaging facility, four floors of medical suites, the National University Cancer Institute of Singapore, and four decks of integrated parking.

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