BCA wins international award for its green building movement

This landmark building in Braddell Road employs ground-breaking design features while also harnessing the sun’s energy to replenish the energy it uses for air-conditioning and other uses. The "green" building boasts solar panels to provide energy f
This landmark building in Braddell Road employs ground-breaking design features while also harnessing the sun’s energy to replenish the energy it uses for air-conditioning and other uses. The "green" building boasts solar panels to provide energy for office equipment and air conditioning, as well as light collectors to help to illuminate classrooms. The building was an existing structure that was retrofitted in an $11 million project in the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Academy grounds opposite ComfortDelGro. The BCA has received an international award for its achievements and commitment to push for most buildings in Singapore to be environmentally-friendly. -- ST FILE PHOTO : BRYAN VAN DER BEEK 

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore has received an international award for its achievements and commitment to push for most buildings in Singapore to be environmentally-friendly.

It is the first government agency outside of America and Europe to be honoured with International Star (I-Star) for Energy Efficiency award given out by a non-profit US-based energy efficiency coalition, the Alliance to Save Energy (ASE).

One of the seven awards conferred by the ASE, the I-Star Award recognises outstanding contributions to energy efficiency achieved through special projects or activities overseas.

The agency received the award on Thursday morning from US Senator Mark Warner at an award ceremony dinner held at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington.

"BCA is our first award recipient hailing from Asia and we are proud to recognise the important transformation of Singapore's built environment which serves as a strong, energy efficiency model not only for cities in their region but around the world," said ASE's president Kateri Callahan.

The BCA plans to increase energy efficiency, water conservation, and environmental quality and protection for at least 80 percent of all buildings in Singapore by 2030.

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