Average Annual Electricity Consumption for Commercial Buildings from 2013 to 2017

Mr Saktiandi Supaat asked the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources (a) for the past five years, what has been the average annual electricity consumption for commercial buildings; (b) what is the standard air-conditioned temperature in these buildings; and (c) whether the Ministry will consider having a campaign to encourage companies to turn up the temperature to reduce electricity consumption and reduce carbon footprint.

The average annual electricity consumption of commercial buildings from 2012 to 2016 was around 6,276 Gigawatt-hour (GWh) per year. The energy use intensity (EUI), which is the total annual electricity consumption per unit floor area, for commercial buildings improved by 7% from 2012 to 2016.

Users of air-conditioning are encouraged to set their indoor temperatures at around 25 degrees Celsius. The Building and Construction Authority's (BCA's) Green Mark scheme, which certifies environmentally sustainable buildings, awards points for buildings whose indoor temperature is set at 24o to 26o Celsius and relative humidity at <65%, for the comfort of occupants.

Buildings contribute up to a quarter of Singapore’s carbon emissions. The "greening" of buildings is necessary if Singapore is to continue developing sustainably and meet our international climate change commitments. BCA leads the Government’s climate change mitigation efforts for the building sector, and their third Green Building Masterplan is focused on changing the way building tenants and occupants consume energy.

As part of our efforts in the Year of Climate Action, my Ministry will work with BCA on programmes to encourage owners and tenants of commercial buildings to reduce energy consumption and lower their carbon footprint.