Monday 9 December 2013

Lighting up London for Less - Industry Info

LED Industry News:


The largest single investment to modernize main road street lighting in the Capital’s history has been unveiled by the Mayor and Transport for London (TfL).


A new energy-efficient lighting programme will lead to a 40 per cent reduction in energy use by 2016 and will help reduce the cost of lighting on our road network. A Central Management System (CMS) will be introduced to remotely monitor and control London’s illuminations, while 35,000 street lamps will be fitted with Light Emitting Diodes (LED), as reported by Local Government UK.


Mayor Boris Johnson said: ‘With tens of thousands of lights marking the way on our road network it makes complete sense to focus energy and resources on bringing them up to 21st century standards.


‘This will not only cut carbon emissions and save money but it will also lead to even better and safer roads for Londoners.’

Across the Capital, TfL has around 52,000 street lights. As part of the Mayor’s pledge to cut CO2 emissions, the energy saving plan will be implemented over the next three years.


By 2016, the programme aims to reduce associated CO2 by around 9,700 tonnes a year and contribute towards approximately £1.85million of savings annually.


Dana Skelley, Director of Asset Management at TfL, said: ‘The performance and cost effectiveness of energy-efficient lighting has improved considerably over the last few years.


‘Our aim is to provide assets fit for the future and this programme to upgrade lighting on the Capital’s busiest roads is a simple, yet hugely effective way to not only reduce carbon emissions but to also reduce costs whilst providing better lighting of our road network.’

These improvements form part of the wider work that we are carrying out to tackle the challenges facing streets and roads.


During the next 10 years, we will be investing around £4billion into the Capital’s road network.


Article: http://www.ledinside.com



Lighting up London for Less - Industry Info

Wednesday 13 November 2013

Heriot-Watt at Putrajaya: Malaysia"s first purpose-built green campus

Malaysia’s first purpose-built green campus will open its doors in Malaysia’s administrative capital Putrajaya in September 2014, setting the stage for more such eco-friendly education institutions in the country in years to come.


Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd (PjH) is the landowner, project owner and master developer for the development of the Malaysian flagship campus of Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University. Located on 2.49 hectares at the Putrajaya lakefront, the property is on a 25-year lease to the university, offering an exceptional learning environment.


CEO and vice-principal Professor Robert Craik says the purpose-built campus costing 35 million Pound Sterling (about US$53 million), is expected to host 4,000 undergraduate, postgraduate and research students in various disciplines.


Due to its location on the waterfront commercial district of Precinct 5, the campus offers a diverse and mild intensity mixed commercial development with an integrated environment.  With Heriot-Watt’s reputation as a research-led university and ranking in the top 4% globally, Professor Craik says the university hopes to establish research links regionally.


Arfizan Arshad, the project architect from Hijjas Kasturi Associates, says the project is being developed in two phases, with the first having already started and scheduled to be completed in May 2014 for operations to start by September that year. 


The green building index (GBI) consultant is PCR Sdn Bhd’s David Wang. In his submission for GBI rating, Phase 1 of the project consists of five-storey institutional and commercial blocks and one level sub-basement car park. The 253,899 sq ft development plan on a 1.83ha site will include a prime retail centre which has eateries facing the lakeside, while the ground floor and above will be dedicated to facilities like laboratories, classrooms and administration.


Work on Phase 1 is now at the basement up to the second floor. Phase 2 is on a 0.27ha site that will include a tower for commercial use as office block or campus expansion, with a maximum height of 77 metres. It has yet to be decided when work on this phase will start.


Optimising passive design

The project site predominantly faces north and south, making it ideal to optimise the passive design aspect, the first approach to take in designing for sustainability.


Says Arfan: “Everything from orientation to overhangs to thermal properties, everything that could create a better building envelope for you to work effectively in the passive manner, plus the cross ventilation is really what you want to do. Furthermore the project is being developed on a plot ratio of 1:2, which makes it ideally, a low density development.”


Hijjas Kasturi had won the tender for the project based on a competition hosted by PjH. The requirement was that the design must incorporate elements of nature and technology in the city campus.


“At that time, we didn’t know it was for the Heriot Watt University. We were just given the brief that it was a university. The key concept was to converge nature and technology. That was a big driver for us: we are going to need as much nature as we need technology,’” says Hijjas Kasturi director Serina Hijjas. 


They then set out to design a campus with 80% landscape and 20% building footprint. “Today, when we design in the city, 10% is landscape and 90% is building. Tomorrow’s future is going to move more into a scenario where you should be getting a much higher percentage of landscape than you do in terms of the building footprint,” she says, adding that this is the concept of ecological urbanism that is being adopted. 


Capitalising on the waterfront view in the master plan, the campus building has been designed so that building blocks behind the campus, higher than five storeys, will still get a great view of the lake. These upcoming developments include hotels, apartments and commercial properties. 


The pedagogy of emerging learning environments was another drive for this campus project.  Professor Dr Kenn Fisher, an Australian who specialises in spatial learning environment, helped Hijjas Kasturi during the competition for the project tender, bringing to the table the latest in teaching methodologies in new schools in Australia and England. 
These include more versatile use of space, where aside from designated lecture halls, regular classrooms can be turned into function rooms for workshops, group discussions and meetings.


“We also want to bring in more daylight, more natural ventilation. This is an open campus so there is a lot more daylight and cross ventilation in the classrooms,” says Serina, adding that while the design plans were robust they were well-researched too. 


Green roof 

The most outstanding green feature of this new campus is its unique and arching green roof that curves from the ground to the third floor. It is expected to be a landmark feature in Putrajaya.


According to Wang, the green roof provides a large expanse of outdoor common space for students and the public. “The top of the roof will act as an observation deck accessible from the glass lift from the ground floor,” he says. 


Serina adds that the concept of this green roof is that it holds within it hidden treasures. “The inspiration for that is that you find a space you occupy that is hidden underground and connectivity is important for a university campus, from bridges to internal walkways.”


With the green continuum, the ground is raised over four floors, tucking the buildings underneath (the hidden treasures, so to speak). 


While this stands out as the most prominent feature of the campus, it also poses the greatest challenge and can potentially incur the largest expenses – taking into the account the maintenance cost. 


The 300 metre long, 30 metre wide green roof, the first of its kind in Malaysia, requires the use of particular soil at various parts, waterproofing, irrigation system and suitable grass. “Because of the 30 degree curvature on the green roof, the soil density on the roof will vary,” Arfizan points out, adding that the combination of varied types of soil, grass and irrigation is important to avoid erosion. The proposed properties for the green roof will also be subject to hydraulics tests. 


While it was hard to convince Heriot-Watt University to retain the green roof concept, the team successfully did so following careful research of the most economical and viable options. “Everyone likes building a green roof, but we had to find how to maintain it and at a nominal cost,” says Arfan.


The green roof will feature prominently as properties over five storeys high located behind the campus will be able to enjoy the scenic view of the green roof as well as overlook the waterfront. 


Other green features

Mechanical and engineering firm Perunding Wangsa Sdn Bhd‘s electrical engineer Rajendran Muthiah says the campus will include a built-in control system driven by overall thermal transfer value which essentially measures the energy consumption of air conditioners. 


The campus lighting, he says, will be ‘powered’ by the maximum use of natural daylight through passive design such as natural glass glazing with no blinds installed, while T5 lights will power the darker areas. T5 lights and some LED lights will be used to light the compound at night. Also to be integrated is a rainwater harvesting system. 


Arfizan adds that the air-conditioning system used for the campus will be a combination of variable refrigerant volume (VRV) and gas district cooling (GDC) system which is a cooling strategy that optimises the usage of air-conditioning in a building. 


He says that while a building management system (BMS) will be put in place, there is no indication whether the campus will install an energy management system (EMS).


On whether the campus will tap solar energy, Arfizan says while such an opportunity exists, the campus will not be embarking on this to generate electricity. 

See more at: http://www.greenprospectsasia.com/content/heriot-watt-putrajaya-malaysias-first-purpose-built-green-campus



Heriot-Watt at Putrajaya: Malaysia"s first purpose-built green campus

Tuesday 12 November 2013

LED streetlights by 2014

Kota Kinabalu: Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights will come into use by 2014 in the country, enabling the Government to save RM300 million every year on energy expenses for streetlights.


The move is also part of the government’s plan to achieve a sustainable development through the adoption of green technology, said Assistant Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister, Datuk Bolkiah Hj Ismail.


He also said the Government is looking into more development plans that are environmentally friendly and the prioritisation of such methods by industrial developers so as not to hurt the environment.


“Under the Ministry welcome such effort and the government could save up to 75 per cent through the use of green technology via LED lights.


This is compared to conventional lights,” Bolkiah said on Monday.


He said these during the pre-qualification registration and consulting service on the use of LED lights to contractors organised by Realkey Solutions Sdn Bhd (RSSB).


He said the adoption of green technology would also benefit the next generation and was one way companies could expand their business internationally.


RSSB Chief Executive Officer, Dato’ Norazmi Abas, meanwhile, said: “The Federal government will roll out the budget on the installation of LED lights nationwide.”


“Soon state governments, agencies and departments may also receive a huge allocation to phase out conventional lights.”


He said the installation of LED lights will also involve the Public Works Department street lights and lighting in the Ministry of Health.


“LED lights would be one of the first steps that the State Government will take towards the adoption of green technology. Such adoption would also help the nation reduce carbon emission,” he said.


He said, meanwhile the replacement of conventional lights into LED lights by 2014 will involves long-term jobs for contractors.


“To date we have enough qualified contractors in the peninsula.


About 500 contractors. However, we are short of qualified contractors here.


“We are looking for vendors (contractors) here to do the job here.


This is a long-term job and also an opportunity for local contractors to learn about the technology,” he said.


Light Emitting Diode (LED) is a semiconductor light source.


LED is used in indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other types of lighting.


Reference: http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=81885



LED streetlights by 2014

Friday 8 November 2013

Budget 2014: Strengthen the development of green technology

One of the highlight about Budget 2014.


KUALA LUMPUR:


 



43.  To strengthen the development of green technology, the Government will  provide investment tax allowance for the purchase of green technology equipment and income tax exemption on the use of green technology services and system.


44.  To encourage a green lifestyle, the Malaysian Green Foundation will be  established to promote and enhance use of green technology by the corporate sector and the general public. For this, a launching grant of RM15mil will be provided to the Foundation.



Full Article: http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2013/10/25/budget-2014-highlights-PM-speech.aspx



Budget 2014: Strengthen the development of green technology