Marsiling Secondary School emerged as the winner of the inaugural BCA Greenovate Challenge - a competition created by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to encourage students to think about green solutions for their schools.

The 14 participating schools focused on energy and water usage. To promote water usage efficiency, students at Marsiling Secondary joined ten one-cubic metre recycled plastic containers with PVC pipes to harvest 1,371 cubic metres of rainwater for gardening and the washing of toilets.

Minister for National Development, Khaw Boon Wan in a blog post on Tuesday also wrote about the school's solar leasing project. By using rented photovoltaic panels to harness the sun's energy, the school was able to offset part of its electricity needs and save money. Students at the school also experimented with pre-cooling ambient air to reduce energy usage by over 30 per cent - saving $60,000 each year.

BCA plans to make the Greenovate Challenge an annual programme.