By CHIN MUI YOON | May 4, 2010
Reconditioning existing buildings
THINKING of renovating your building? How about upgrading it to become environmentally friendly? By retrofitting an old building to become a certified “green” building, its value is enhanced; it draws investors, and offers a better environment for its inhabitants.
The Green Building Index (GBI) for Non- Residential Existing Buildings (NREB) rating system launched last Monday will give old buildings a new lease of life. “Green retro-fitting or retro-greening can transform existing buildings, giving them a new lifespan and fresh appeal,” explains Boon Che Wee, the GBI Accreditation Panel chairman and current Malaysian Institute of Architects president.
“The benefits to be reaped are immense. There will be a healthier indoor environment, increased productivity, and lower operational and maintenance costs, which will all lead to better appreciation in rental and asset value. “Coupled with tax incentives offered by the Government under the 10th Malaysian Plan, retro-greening will be the new stimulus of our green economy.”
The new rating tool for the NREB is an essential guide for property owners to recondition existing buildings to meet environmental standards, Boon adds.
The GBI, which was launched in May last year for new commercial buildings, sees a bigger challenge in getting existing buildings to become environmentally friendly, as they form some 85% of all office space in the country. Elsewhere around the world, countries have already embarked on initiatives to convert their existing buildings into green buildings.
Singapore is targeting for 80% of all new and existing buildings to achieve its Building Construction Authority Green Mark Certified rating by 2030. Its government has also allocated S$100mil (RM233mil) for an incentive scheme for existing buildings, and is organising a Green Sparks Competition 2010 to harness new ideas for this purpose. Thailand and Indonesia, too, are currently preparing their own national green rating systems.
While the benefits of transforming existing buildings are evident for owners and tenants, a more pressing issue lies in the fact that buildings guzzle resources – consuming up to 40% of energy and 12% of water. And at least 50% of a building’s energy needs are for cooling its interiors through air-conditioning systems. So it makes sense to ensure that a building is wired to utilise its energy efficiently.
“The building industry is one of the biggest culprits of carbon dioxide emissions, and the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change has identified buildings as being responsible for one-third of energy-related greenhouse gases,” says Von Kok Leong, the Malaysian Green Building Council president and member of the GBI Accreditation Panel.
“A structure built before 1980 requires an average of 300kWh per sqm of energy annually, whereas a modern structure built in compliance to energy efficient guidelines utilises around 90kWh per sqm. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) has estimated that over 70% of an average city’s greenhouse gas emissions come from existing and old buildings.”
New tools
The GBI certification scheme for existing buildings still covers the six core criteria that is used for new structures – energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, sustainable site planning and management, material and resources, water efficiency, and innovation, with some differences in emphasis. Points are also given for a building which demonstrates energy savings over the last three years.
“It’s imperative that a building’s energy is optimised intelligently,” explains engineer Chen Thiam Leong, also on the GBI Accreditation Panel.
“We have all entered buildings that are so chilly we practically need winter coats, while some corners by the windows suffer such intense glare, you’d find umbrellas shielding the unfortunate occupants. All these spaces seriously need to be re-commissioned. Every time you walk into an overly cold or warm room, the building is throwing energy away.” And green retro-fitting does not have to contribute significantly to renovation costs, says Chen.
“Many buildings have reached their 30-year lifecycle. These buildings are very old and when they are being renovated, you may as well incorporate green features into them.
“A majority of old buildings were not designed to cater for our present or future needs and neither are they sustainable. For example, in the 1980s, there wasn’t such a need for electricity to power personal computers.”
The new GBI scheme is not just for offices. It is also applicable to buildings like warehouses and heritage buildings. Adds Von: “Sustainable buildings are not just energy-efficient, they form part of a city’s positive infrastructure, and contribute positively to the community and environment. It’s time we started giving new life to our old buildings.”
For information, visit greenbuildingindex.org
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