Measures to Reduce Amount of Light Emitted by Public and Commercial Buildings at Night
Ministry of Sustainability and the EnvironmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns Dr Lim Wee Kiak’s inquiry regarding reducing light emissions from public and commercial buildings and replacing existing lights with ambient sensors to lower energy consumption. Minister Grace Fu Hai Yien stated that lighting efficiency is regulated through the Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme and performance standards, with public buildings adopting efficient solutions via green procurement. Smart lighting that adjusts to ambient light and motion has been standard in all new public housing since 2018 and is being extended to older estates under the HDB Green Towns Programme. The Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Scheme also promotes smart lighting and facilities management among commercial building owners to optimize energy performance without compromising public safety. Minister Grace Fu Hai Yien emphasized that while technology like sensors is vital, individual responsibility in switching off unnecessary lights remains an essential component of Singapore’s energy conservation strategy.
Transcript
102 Dr Lim Wee Kiak asked the Minister for Sustainability and the Environment (a) whether the Ministry will consider reducing the amount of light emitted by public and commercial buildings at night; and (b) whether there are plans to gradually replace the lights in the public areas with ambient light sensors to reduce unnecessary energy consumption.
Ms Grace Fu Hai Yien: Lighting accounts for about 15% of the energy consumption of the built environment. The energy efficiency of lighting products is currently regulated through NEA’s Mandatory Energy Labelling Scheme (MELS) and the Mandatory Energy Performance Standards (MEPS). MELS enables consumers to make an informed decision on the purchase of lighting products based on energy efficiency considerations, while MEPS raises the average energy efficiency of lighting products by removing the least energy-efficient models from the market. Through the public sector’s green procurement policy, most public sector buildings have already switched to energy-efficient lighting solutions.
Lighting is important in public areas like HDB estates and parks for reasons of public safety. To provide good visibility when needed, smart lighting solutions have been progressively adopted. These can automatically adjust to ambient lighting and detected motion in the area, and have been implemented in all new public housing developments since 2018. HDB is also working with Town Councils to extend smart lighting to existing public housing estates under HDB’s Green Towns Programme.
Building owners and facility managers are encouraged to adopt smart lighting solutions that dim or turn off the lights when no one is present. BCA’s Green Mark Scheme promotes the use of smart lighting and other smart facilities management solutions to optimise energy performance. Nevertheless, we cannot rely solely on technology. Everyone plays an important role in conserving energy, by switching off the lights when they are not needed, at the workplace and at home.