$8.3 million given out to create greener technologies for buildings

SINGAPORE - For their work on energy-efficient air-con technology and smart systems to better manage buildings, researchers here have scored $8.3 million worth of grants from the Building and Construction Authority.

The national building authority announced the grants on Wednesday morning.

Its grant call is part of the Building Energy Efficiency Grant Call launched by Singapore's Energy Innovation Programme Office. It aims to develop energy-efficient, cost-effective solutions for tropical buildings - in particular, building retrofits that can be adopted in the next five years.

For example, National University of Singapore mechanical engineering Assistant Professor Lee Poh Seng received funding to create and test an oblique-fin air-con system that transfers heat up to 40 per cent more efficiently than conventional ones.

He will work with local firms to develop prototypes, collect data from test sites, verify performance and commercialise the product.

In all, eight projects received funding.

A second grant call will be launched in September, the BCA said.

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