Singapore’s path to net-zero runs through our buildings, and cooling, which consumes 40-60 percent of building energy, is the single biggest lever we can pull.
The Built Environment Decarbonisation Technology Roadmap published earlier this year identifies nearly 70 technologies. Among them, ACTs (Alternative Cooling Technologies) are highlighted as a key strategy for operational carbon reduction.
The Building and Construction Authority’s (BCA) new ACTs e-publication shows exactly how to cool smarter. By deploying hybrid cooling, passive displacement, radiant cooling, active chilled beams, or mixed-mode ventilation, buildings can slash cooling energy by up to 48 percent while keeping comfort intact.
🏢 CDL Office @ Republic Plaza → hybrid cooling fans + 25°C setpoint → 85 percent of staff comfortable
🏢 PSA Tuas → passive displacement cooling → 46 percent energy savings
🏢 BCA Braddell Campus → mixed-mode ventilation → 48 percent savings
The Go 25 national movement provides the behavioural anchor: set thermostats to 25°C. Raising from 23°C to 25°C cuts cooling energy by ~12 percent per degree – about $6,400/year for a typical 3,000 sqm office.
The Roadmap also indicates that ACTs are TRL 7-9 (market-ready) with “Significantly High” impact potential (>30 percent energy reduction). They are not experimental. They are ready for deployment today.
Check out the e-publication on ACTs here.
Find out more about Go 25 here.
Read the Built Environment Decarbonisation Technology Roadmap here.