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Philips’ New APAC Headquarters to Address Healthcare Needs

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The new Philips APAC Centre.

The new Philips APAC Centre.

Royal Philips has strengthened its commitment to improving the lives of people in Asia Pacific with its new state-of-the-art Philips APAC Centre in Singapore. Guests of Honour Mr. S. Iswaran, Minister of Trade and Industry (Industry), and H.E. Jacques Werner, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Singapore attended the opening ceremony. Housed in Toa Payoh, the new 38,000-square-metre office building brings together Philips’ innovation and design expertise and business-creation capabilities to better serve the company’s business growth and address healthcare needs in the region.

Globally and in Asia, people are increasingly looking for ways to be healthy, to live well and to care for themselves and their families at home. To address these needs, collaborations and partnerships between healthcare professionals and corporate enterprises are imperative to delivering innovative solutions across the health continuum.

“Our new Philips APAC Centre – that will house our APAC headquarters and innovation activities – serves as a gateway to the region. Singapore, with its strong pool of skilled talent, is critical to us as we are increasing our focus into health technology. Our business is going through a transformation – from a supplier of individual medical and consumer products to a provider of integrated health technology solutions and services. This means that our facilities and ways of working need to transform as well,” said Fabian Wong, Chief Executive Officer, Philips ASEAN Pacific.

The Centre was built and designed with Workplace Innovation (WPI) in mind.

The Centre was built and designed with Workplace Innovation (WPI) in mind.

“We are confident that the new Philips APAC Center will be a critical node in Philips’ global innovation network, serving as a platform for Philips and its partners to co-create new digital healthcare solutions for Asia, from Singapore,” said Ms. Thien Kwee Eng, Assistant Managing Director of the Singapore Economic Development Board. “Its establishment will reinforce Singapore’s capabilities in design, digital innovation and healthcare, as we build a future economy based on innovation and value-creation.”

 

 

 

The new Philips Toa Payoh campus is set to deliver innovative solutions across the health continuum through the following world-class facilities:

  • The Philips Continuous Care Monitoring Room is where healthcare professionals remotely monitor the health of home-based patients with advanced cloud-based healthcare equipment and solutions. Philips’ solutions leverage data that enables predictive and timely interventions, delivering accurate answers at the time of need, and detecting issues before they become critical. These pioneering technologies are able to optimise the utilisation of public health resources by reducing the need for hospitalization and empowering healthcare professionals with new ways of delivering care for their patients.
  • The Health Continuum Space has the capability to simulate multiple health-medical scenarios at the same time – from a mock hospital all the way to a patient’s home. The space enables prototyping of new solutions that help make a meaningful difference in the future of patient care. Through the simulation of these different environments, Philips is able to demonstrate and test new workflows that can then be used to build future healthcare models.
  • The Philips Learning Centre is fully equipped with state-of-the-art medical equipment such as MRI and X-Ray machines, laboratories and classrooms. Here is where healthcare technicians and practitioners can enrich their knowledge and have first-hand experience handling and operating Philips medical equipment.
  • The Consumer Care centre comes equipped with a user-friendly digital platform where visitors can conveniently access Philips product information, ratings, and reviews in real-time. Purchases can also be made in the center through the online store. The centre will host cooking classes, new product launches, product demonstrations and more, allowing visitors to fully experience the Philips suite of products that promote health and well-being.

    The building is equipped with Philips' own LED lighting systems.

    The building is equipped with Philips’ own LED lighting systems.

In addition, the building is equipped with the company’s own LED lighting systems. Beyond sustainable features like energy-savings and a lowered carbon footprint, connected lighting with Philips PoE (Power-over-Ethernet) is built into areas where higher interaction levels are expected. Facilities management efficiency is improved with less mains wiring since the same cable can serve as the phone line, Internet cable and power cable simultaneously. Remote management of these lighting systems also means increased productivity and personalised control.

The Centre was built and designed with Workplace Innovation (WPI) in mind, a new way of working that encourages collaboration. With the aim to reduce carbon footprint, the new building now houses employees who used to occupy four buildings, with facilities that foster an activity-based collaborative work culture – a vivid manifestation of Philips’ business goals and role as the regional headquarters. The open-concept design of workplaces and the use of collaborative digital technologies enable employees to be more flexible and agile, in turn enabling them to be more productive, inspired and creative.

Ecobuild Southeast Asia 2016 Focuses On New Tech and Methodology

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There were a total of 66 paid conferences, forums, free seminars and technology symposiums, among other events.

There were a total of 66 paid conferences, forums, free seminars and technology symposiums, among other events.

Ecobuild Southeast Asia 2016 and International Construction Week 2016 (ICW2016), the region’s biggest trade event for the construction industry, was launched at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre by Dato’ Sri Haji Fadillah Bin Haji Yusof, Minister of Works Malaysia, on behalf of Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd NajibTun Razak.

 

Held under the theme “Driving Productivity in Construction” and organised by UBM Malaysia, Ecobuild SEA 2016 focused the spotlight on cutting-edge technologies and methodologies, to improve productivity and sustainability in construction, particularly Industrialised Building System (IBS),as showcased in the Industrialised Building Systems Housing Expo.

 

“The theme of this year’s show is driving productivity further by increasing technology adoption and modernising construction methods,” said Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Mohd NajibTun Razak. “This is an important aspect of our national economy, for it is through increased productivity that we can properly target becoming a high-income nation by 2020.”

 

Co-located with Ecobuild SEA are the IBS Housing Expo and the CIDB-IEM Construction Career Fair 2016, all under one roof. IBS showcases quality, safe and energy-efficient methods of construction,and will help to modernise the local building industry. The Construction Career Fair is the only career fair for the professionals in the industry, also providing job opportunities to fresh graduates.

As the leading platform for the construction industry in Southeast Asia, Ecobuild SEA consists of 127 exhibitors from eight countries and regions. The participating countries are Malaysia, Singapore, China, Canada, Hong Kong, Germany, France and Australia. The show had successfully drawn 12,073 visitors from 63 countries, a 15% increase from 2015. 10.3% of the visitors are international.

There were a total of 66 paid conferences, forums, free seminars and technology symposiums,as well as five competitions alongside Ecobuild SEA. Several competitions had their finale during ICW 2016: My City 2050, Rebuild It Green, Open Ideas ­­­­­­­­Competition, International Highest Early Strength Self-Consolidating Concrete Cube Competition and IEM Mechanical Design Competition.

The next edition, Ecobuild SEA 2017, will be held on April 12-14, 2017 at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The theme will be “Quality, Safety and Professionalism” –  one of the four strategic thrusts of the Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP). It will co-locate with Greenbuild 2017, Energy Efficiency Malaysia, Construction Showcase and Construction Career Fair, including International Pavilion, Industrialised Building System Pavilion, Malaysia Timber Industry Board (MTIB) Pavilion and Contractor and Entrepreneur Development Division (BPKU) Pavilion.

For more information, call 603-21768788, email ecobuildsea@ubm.com or visit www.ecobuildsea.com.

BEI Asia Awards Held Successfully for Third Consecutive Year

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Winners of the BEI Asia Awards 2015/16. Image courtesy of www.facebook.com/BEIasiaAwards

Winners of the BEI Asia Awards 2015/16. Image courtesy of www.facebook.com/BEIasiaAwards

The prestigious Built Environment Industry (BEI) Asia Awards 2015/16 Awards Ceremony and Gala dinner took place on May 19 2016 at ONE°15 Marina Club, a premier marina and lifestyle club nestled within Sentosa Cove.

Organised by PTL Group, the BEI Asia Awards was first launched in 2013 to recognise, reward, and honour the achievements of leading enterprises across Singapore’s Built Environment Industry. The event was graced by  Guest of Honour, Mr. Lui Tuck Yew, Former Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Defence, and was attended by over 300 guests – some of whom had flown in from overseas to witness and celebrate the triumphs of the well-deserving winners.

BEI Asia Award 2016 now spans across the globe with 25 award winners from Australia, Japan, the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore. A combined turnover in excess of SGD$16 billion were honoured for the enterprises’ proactive contributions to the Built Environment Industry with a focus on Green initiatives, innovation and sustainability.

BEI Asia Award 2016 also saw the introduction of the “The Environmental Conservation Award”, which recognises the corporation’s efforts to create a voice for the conservation and preservation of our habitat and natural resources. Moreover, the rebranding of the Asia Green Building Award to Asia Green Business Award highlights the outstanding achievements of the local and regional companies within this sector who are at the forefront of promoting sustainability efforts in their businesses.

id212 Pte Ltd has won at the BEI Asia Awards three consecutive years in a row. Image courtesy of www.facebook.com/BEIasiaAwards

id212 Pte Ltd has won at the BEI Asia Awards three consecutive years in a row. Image courtesy of www.facebook.com/BEIasiaAwards

Mr. Fong Kwok Shiung, Chairman of the Awards Organising Committee, stated in his welcoming speech, “They have successfully turned their green initiatives into innovative product and service offerings, which provide environmentally friendly and sustainable methods or solutions to help reduce our carbon footprint, recycle and recover from material scrapes and reusing them so as to minimise the waste they emit on a per project basis.”

Nominees of the BEI Asia awards were required to submit a comprehensive submission kit and undergo a face-to-face interview with an independent panel of judges. Looking beyond the impressive financial growth and business model of each entry, the judges looked for organisations that have been adopting best business practices when conducting their businesses.

Led by Chief Judge, Professor Willie Tan, Head of the Department of Building at the National University of Singapore, said, “For us (judges), we not only look at their business model, strategy and vision, but also how the company looks after its own internal stakeholders and how they contribute back to society and care for the environment.”

For a full list of winners, visit the BEI Asia Awards page.

Liberty Place achieves more than 20 percent energy savings with solutions from Johnson Controls

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Liberty Place is a new premium grade office complex in the heart of Sydney’s central business district

Liberty Place is a new premium grade office complex in the heart of Sydney’s central business district

Liberty Place is a new premium grade office complex in the heart of Sydney’s central business district by leading developer Grocon. Spanning five separate sites, including Legion House, a heritage building dating back to 1902, Liberty Place has a total of 58,316 square meters of office space and 2,800 square meters of retail space.

In recognition of the complex’s sustainable design and enhanced operational efficiency, it was conferred the 6- Star Green Star Rating by the Green Building Council of Australia and 5.0 Star NABERS (National Australian Built Environment Rating System) by the Office of Environment and Heritage.

Johnson Controls’ integrated building solution, comprising a fully automated tri-generation system, enabled Liberty Place to achieve energy savings of 20 percent, moving it closer to its zero carbon emissions goal.

At the heart of the solution by Johnson Controls lies a fully automated tri-generation plant that is integrated into the daily operations of the building. The system allows for the simultaneous generation of electricity and useful heat and cooling in a single process. The comprehensive solution from Johnson Controls includes:

 

 

  • Energy-efficient YORK® YK centrifugal chillers and YORK YIA absorption chillers optimally configured in the chilled water system
  • Re-engineering of existing plant room to reduce footprint by a third
  • Re-engineering of pumping systems to reduce chiller pump power
  • Sabroe® SABlight air-cooled chiller to provide option of generating power via synthetic gas produced by gasifier or natural gas
  • Central Plant Optimisation 10 (CPO10) software powered by Metasys® to optimise the performance of the chiller plant
  • Metasys Energy Dashboard software to track savings from each perimeter and provide a holistic analysis of the building’s energy efficiency

“We have achieved a major milestone at Liberty place by managing a fully automated tri-generation system that is truly integrated into daily building operations. The fact that the entire system is running smoothly demonstrates the value of the integrated solution from Johnson Controls,” said Dru Spork, Grocon’s Sustainability and Services Manager.

To learn more, please visit http://bit.ly/libertyplace.

REC invests S$200 million to automate and upgrade technology over the next three years

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Minister Iswaran on a tour of REC’s global HQ and manufacturing facility in Tuas, Singapore.

Minister Iswaran on a tour of REC’s global HQ and manufacturing facility in Tuas, Singapore.

As escalating climate change remains the biggest challenge today and the nascent renewable energy sector picks up speed, REC, a global provider of solar energy solutions, has announced a total investment of S$ 250 million in automation, technology upgrade and research and development (R&D) efforts to unleash the full potential of solar as a source of renewable energy.

At its manufacturing facility in Tuas and in the presence of Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), S Iswaran, this morning, REC unveiled plans to invest S$200 million in Singapore that will further increase its productivity and efficiency through automation and technology upgrading.

This will fully convert all 1.3 GW of REC’s solar modules capacity in Singapore to TwinPeak production. These panels yield the highest energy efficiencies as compared to any other multi-crystalline panels that are mass-produced today. Committed to its vision that every person benefits from electricity generated directly from the sun, REC’s move to expand its capacity and technology with sustainable, reliable and high performing products is closely aligned with the Singapore government’s plans to grow the cleantech sector.

The Singapore government has recently announced about S$900 million of R&D budget in Urban Solutions and Sustainability, one of four key technology domains to be funded under the national Research, Innovation and Enterprise (RIE) 2020 Plan. This RIE initiative, amounting to S$19 billion, maps out the focus for Singapore’s R&D efforts for the next five years.

Said Steve O’Neil, CEO, REC, “With such a strong commitment to cleantech innovation, Singapore is the ideal location for REC to channel new innovations and push the boundaries for solar solutions. We are very excited to share our roadmap for advancements in solar energy production as we dedicate resources for research and development into our game-changing TwinPeak solar panels.”

Minister Iswaran speaking with a REC employee.

Minister Iswaran speaking with a REC employee.

Lauded for its high performance, the high power 120-cell module, Twin Peak, was launched by REC last year. Developed based on Passivated Emitter Rear Cell (PERC) technology and half-cut cells, TwinPeak solar panels convert more sunlight into electricity as compared to standard modules, effectively allowing customers to derive the most energy and value out of their installations.

For commercial, industrial and residential entities in Singapore, this is of extreme importance, given the limited rooftop space. Putting it into context, REC’s recent 2.2MW TwinPeak installation in Singapore is able to generate an additional 157MWh of clean energy annually as compared to standard panels.

The additional clean energy produced by TwinPeak panels can power up to 38 HDB 5-room flats yearly or the equivalent of 1,088 light bulbs. Similarly, it is also able to mitigate an additional 80 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually – the amount that takes the planting of 3,200 new trees to offset.

REC also announced today, an investment of S$50 million in the development of a novel solar panel with 350 watt power, over the next five years. In partnership with the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS) at the National University of Singapore (NUS), Singapore’s flagship solar energy laboratory, this technological breakthrough will generate 1.35 times more energy, at a comparable cost and size to standard multi-crystalline modules.

Said Prof. Armin Aberle, CEO, SERIS, “Collaborations between university institutes and industry are very beneficial for growing the solar sector, especially when it comes to developing and commercialising new technologies. With REC on board to further the green agenda in Singapore and the region, we believe this will stimulate other companies to follow suit and enhance their R&D investments to address the issues of climate change and dwindling resources.”

The Minister visited the Cells and Modules production.

The Minister visited the Cells and Modules production.

Added O’Neil, “REC constantly strengthens its position as a leader in terms of solar panel reliability, performance and cost. With SERIS’ support, we’re in a good position to ride on market opportunities where growth prospects remain positive.”

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was also signed between REC and SERIS.

“We warmly welcome REC’s S$200 million solar manufacturing expansion, which will further strengthen Singapore’s cleantech industry ecosystem. The investment is testament to the competitiveness of Singapore’s advanced manufacturing sector in terms of engineering talent, automation expertise and supplier base,” said Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director, Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). “REC’s S$50 million R&D collaboration with SERIS will accelerate the commercialisation of innovative solar technologies in Singapore,” he added.

Complete low-voltage solution cuts engineering costs and project delivery time for Bangkok’s new EmQuartier mall

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Bangkok's new EmQuartier Mall.

Bangkok’s new EmQuartier Mall.

ABB, the leading power and automation group, has installed a smart low-voltage network in a cutting-edge shopping mall in Bangkok, the EmQuartier. The project is the first retail development to use ABB’s Emax 2 circuit breakers and Ekip control and connectivity features for remote management of its power grid. ABB’s complete low-voltage solution improved the project’s delivery time by 35 percent and reduced engineering costs by around 60 percent, due to its integrated SCADA functionality.

Giampiero Frisio, managing director of ABB’s Protection and Connection business, said, “The solution developed for EmQuartier demonstrates why ABB is the technology leader in low-voltage energy. Building operators need solutions that make energy management easier and that help reduce total operating costs – ABB’s complete solutions simplify the whole process for everybody: panel builders and system integrators save time and money while making the end-user’s operations simpler to manage, safer, more reliable and energy efficient. By pioneering the introduction of more integrated, intuitive and connected low-voltage solutions, ABB is taking power and productivity to the next level.”

The EmQuartier is a 250,000-square-metre luxury shopping and entertainment venue and a key part of the Mall Group’s multibillion Baht transformation of Bangkok’s business district. ABB developed the centre’s low-voltage network in partnership with local panel builder PMK Group. Emax 2 circuit breakers’ built-in sensors and connectivity, configured with Ekip View supervision software enable remote monitoring, management and control of the low-voltage network at the shopping mall.

Emax 2’s connectivity features enable it to integrate into a wide array of automated systems.

Emax 2’s connectivity features enable it to integrate into a wide array of automated systems.

With each node in the electrical distribution network connected, everything from energy consumption to trend analysis and testing can be managed remotely. The air circuit breakers’ intuitive touchscreen user interface supports ten different languages, including Thai, helping make the network simpler to manage.

Chanapatt Pattaramaetakul, chief marketing officer of PMK Group, said: “The EmQuartier is a landmark in Bangkok’s economic development – and the development of its low-voltage network demanded a different level of innovation and quality. Working closely with ABB from the outset enabled PMK to offer a smarter solution in considerably less time.”

The solution for EmQuartier uses Emax2 circuit breakers, which can monitor, manage and even limit power consumption. Emax 2’s connectivity features enable it to integrate into a wide array of automated systems so that facility managers can receive alerts and communicate remotely via a tablet. ABB’s Ekip View supervision software connects more than 100+ Emax2 air circuit breakers with all the molded case circuit breakers (MCCBs) and other devices, like miniature circuit breakers (MCBs) and multimeters, as well as the mall’s central monitoring system.

With each node in the electrical distribution network connected, everything from energy consumption to trend analysis and testing can be managed remotely.

With each node in the electrical distribution network connected, everything from energy consumption to trend analysis and testing can be managed remotely.

ABB is partnering with panel builders and system integrators worldwide to support the introduction of smarter low-voltage power grids that make site management more effective and cost-efficient. Such systems can be deployed at a single site or multiple sites and supervised at a central location. Collecting detailed data from each device at a site enables operators to compare different time windows, or similar time windows at different plants. Monitoring the status of assets for issues such as contact wear, life expectancy, alarms or circuit breaker position, with notifications sent to mobile devices, can ensure more timely interventions.

MIPIM Asia announces top winners of 9th annual awards

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MIPIM Asia, the property leaders’ summit in Asia Pacific, recently announced the final ranking of the 36 finalists in the 9th edition of the annual MIPIM Asia Awards.

The winners of the MIPIM Asia Awards, which recognise excellence and innovation in real estate development in the Asia Pacific Region, were announced during a gala dinner on December 1 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Hong Kong with Mrs Carrie Lam, Chief Secretary for Administration of the HKSAR government as the Guest of Honour. The final Gold, Silver and Bronze rankings were awarded to the 36 projects previously announced, which had been selected by an international jury of 16 industry experts.

JTC's Fusionopolis 2 won an award in the "Best Mixed-Use Development” category.

JTC’s Fusionopolis 2 won an award in the “Best Mixed-Use Development” category.

 

The jury can, in total independence, base its selection upon various and unlimited criteria such as infrastructure and transport access, integration into the environment, originality of the concept, technical and architectural quality, and services offered. Nicholas J. Loup, President of the Jury said, “It was a very competitive process this year with a number of high-quality and interesting projects among the finalists. I am delighted to announce the final rankings of the 9th edition of the MIPIM Asia Awards and we are excited to see how several of these projects are changing the urban landscape in Asia Pacific.”

The winners spanned across 12 distinct categories such as Best Mixed Use Development, Best Innovative Green Building, Best Refurbished Building and more and a complete list of the 2015 winners can be found at www.mipim-asia.com/en/the-programme/awards/

APB paves way for clean energy adoption in Singapore

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Leading the charge for sustainable business practices here, Asia Pacific Breweries Singapore (APBS) and Renewable Energy Corporation (REC) have announced recently, a landmark partnership that will see the home-grown brewery make the leap towards solar energy.

In a pioneering Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) inked with REC, the leading global provider of solar energy solutions, clean energy will be provided for APBS’ facilities. This agreement will see REC’s award-winning, high-performance TwinPeak panels mounted across three rooftops at APBS, making it the largest rooftop solar installation for HEINEKEN globally. APBS is a HEINEKEN operating company.

At 2.196 megawatt peak (MWp), this solar installation is approximately four times the size of typical. This collaboration represents HEINEKEN’s first solar installation project in the Asia Pacific region and also its largest rooftop installation worldwide. It is also one of REC’s biggest carbon-saving initiatives to date.

Scheduled to run for the next 25 years, this PPA will see APBS generate approximately 2.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of clean energy annually, enough power to meet the annual power consumption of 600 four-room HDB households here. Generated through 8,038 REC solar panels that are made in Singapore and spanning an area equivalent to three FIFA football fields in size, the resulting renewable energy helps APBS mitigate 1,500 tonnes of carbon emissions annually, reducing its carbon footprint by approximately 20 percent.

As a socially-responsible business, reducing carbon emissions, protecting water resources and advocating the responsible consumption of alcohol form key pillars that drive APBS’ corporate sustainability strategy towards Brewing a Better World – its long term approach to create shared and sustainable value for its stakeholders and community that it operates in.

“At APBS, sustainability is very much a business imperative. This launch is a milestone in our journey towards Brewing a Better World, and through our PPA with REC, places us at the forefront of for the future adoption of clean energy initiatives within the various commercial industries,” said Kenneth Choo, Managing Director, HEINEKEN Asia Pacific.

A ‘Brewed by the Sun’ icon (left) will be introduced to Tiger Beer’s packaging in due time.

A ‘Brewed by the Sun’ icon (left) will be introduced to Tiger Beer’s packaging in due time.

Set at the home of the iconic Tiger Beer, this initiative will also mean that every Tiger Beer consumed in Singapore will be ‘Brewed by the ‘Sun’. A ‘Brewed by the Sun’ icon (left) will be introduced to Tiger Beer’s packaging in due time. The renewable energy generated through this initiative dovetails APBS’ sustainability efforts with our nation’s newly outlined environmental targets announced in July, ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference set for end November.

“The PPA model will change the way businesses view renewable energy. Through this model, REC absorbs the investment and maintenance costs of installing solar systems on rooftops. Building owners need only pay for the consumed solar energy generated from their roofs at an agreed rate, which is fixed for the next 25 years,” said Steve O’Neil, Chief Executive Officer, REC.

Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia and MostraConvegnoExpocomfort (MCE) Asia 2015 culminates with over US$125 million expected in business transactions

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SINGAPORE –Build Eco Xpo (BEX) Asia 2015, Southeast Asia’s premier business event for the exchange of global expertise and technologies for sustainable building, has culminated with 11,060 visitors. This year, BEX Asia saw the addition of the first Mostra Convegno Expo comfort (MCE) exhibition in Asia – MCE Asia 2015.

Green View speaking sessions see expert exchanging insights

Green View speaking sessions see expert exchanging insights

Held for the eighth year running, BEX Asia 2015welcomedthe Italy-based MCE to Singapore, an inaugural launch outside of Europe in Asia. Together, the exhibitions showcased technologies from more than 500 exhibiting companies from over 35 countries and regions across the world, including Australia, China, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Turkey, and the United States as well as hosted delegates from Asia, Europe and South America.

Themed “Building Today, Sustaining Tomorrow,” BEX and MCE Asia 2015 were held from 2 to4 September 2015 at Marina Bay Sands Expo & Convention Centre.Set against a backdrop of rising energy demands and need for cost-effective technologies, both exhibitions concluded with more than US$125 million expected in green building business transactions. The three-day event also facilitated partnerships between visitors and exhibitors with over 332one to one business meetings.

The level of interaction at both BEX and MCE Asia 2015 has once again proven to be of benefit to both visitors and exhibitors too.

VIP Tour to BEX Asia at the BCA Booth

VIP Tour to BEX Asia at the BCA Booth

Mr. Michael Koo, Business Development Manager of Belka, said, “Exhibiting at BEX Asia this year has shown us that people are responding very positively to green ideas. It is encouraging to see that companies are embracing the implementation of green technology in commercial and residential areas. BEX has not only provided us with a valuable platform to network with businesses in the green industry, but also a chance to engage with visitors and showcase our solutions.”

Also viewing BEX Asia as the platform to foster strong conversations about green building and sustainability is Ms. Jen Tan, REC’s Vice President for Sales and Marketing in Asia Pacific. “This is our first time participating at BEX Asia and we have received positive feedback from customers and prospects. Our solar panels serve the need for eco-friendly rooftop in Singapore’s limited space. Since REC commenced production in Singapore in 2010, we have reduced our own carbon footprint by more than 25%. As REC strives towards greater innovation for the solar industry, we have also found the Green View and MostraXchange seminar sessions at BEX Asia 2015 to be a great platform to educate, engage and more importantly establish our brand with buyers.”

A special highlight this year was the addition of MCE Asia 2015. Held for the first time outside of Milan, Italy, the first edition of MCE Asia emphasizes the importance of integrating multiple disciplines and fields when considering a comprehensive set of green building solutions, including that of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) industry.

“MCE Asia came to Singapore during the tenth year anniversary of Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) Green Mark scheme, which reinforcesSingapore’s commitment towards creating a sustainable urban environment.” said Mr.Winston Chow, Senior Sales Engineer of Smardt Chillers Pte Ltd. “Through MCE Asia 2015, the key takeaway for companies like us is that we are able to showcase our latest technologies to end users that can help them achieve the Green Mark award, and eventually, help Singapore to become a truly green city.”

The ninth edition of BEX Asia 2015 is expected to be held from 7 to 9 September 2016. It will continue to see a greater introduction of cutting-edge green building technology, as well as a more diversified pool of exhibitors.

“In order for green technology to be widely adopted in both homes and companies, more still needs to be done. We will strive to ensure that events such as BEX and MCE Asia continue to provide a strong support base for exhibiting companies, so that they may continue to have a platform to share their solutions and link up with other solution providers,” said Ms. Louise Chua, Project Director and Business Development Director of Reed Exhibitions, the organizer for BEX Asia 2015.

BEX Asia and MCE Asia are the anchor events of the Singapore Green Building Week, alongside the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) organized by the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA).

Phoenix Solar to build 1.96 MWp of rooftop PV for Land Transport Authority Singapore

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Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd (Phoenix Solar) has been awarded the construction of 1.96 MWp of rooftop PV systems at the Tuas and Gali Batu train depots in Singapore.

The Land Transport Authority (LTA) is responsible for planning and development of Singapore’s land of transport infrastructure. Achieving cleaner and greener transport is one of its priorities, as well as reducing the environmental impact of its business activities. Generating clean electricity for train depot operations is a significant step in the right direction.

In August 2014 LTA called for a competitive tender to design, supply and install 1.96MWp of grid-tie PV capacity on two new train depots – Tuas and Gali Batu. Train depots offer several advantages when installing PV, as they are typically located in areas with no surrounding tall buildings. The roofs at depot workshop/stabling building are large and usually clear of equipment, so solar panels need not compete for space against other facilities such as water tanks.

The project was awarded to Phoenix Solar after evaluating tenderers according to their quality proposals as well as pricing.

Upon completion, the PV systems, comprising 7’536 REC solar modules and 4 central inverters from SMA, are expected to generate over 2.2 million kWh of solar electricity annually. This is enough to mitigate over 1’100 metric tonnes per year of CO2 from gas fired power plants1. Phoenix Solar will also maintain and monitor the performance of the PV systems over an initial period of one year.

This project dovetails nicely with the Singapore Government’s plans to expand its promotion of renewable energy using solar PV energy for public sector projects.

Singapore has enough space to accommodate 6GWp2 of solar PV, which can generate 7.5TWh of electricity each year, or approximately 17% of Singapore’s current electricity demand. “Looking ahead, we expect PV to cover more industrial factories, depots, warehouses, schools and government facilities” said Christophe Inglin, Managing Director of Phoenix Solar Pte Ltd. “The installations will not only provide environmental benefits but also commercial returns, as PV today is a commercially viable complement to conventional energy in Singapore” continued Inglin.

With the addition of LTA PV systems, Phoenix Solar boasts 8 rooftop installations in the MW range, bringing its rooftop portfolio to over 19MWp, including many award-winning projects.