BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

ALL government buildings will be required to adopt green practices following the launch of building guidelines that aim to reduce energy consumption for new buildings by up to 50 per cent.

Development Minister Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman yesterday said the Energy Efficiency and Conservation (EEC) Building Guidelines 2015 for Non-Residential Buildings will be made mandatory for government buildings.

The building guidelines will also be legislated into the Building Control (Environmental Sustainability) Regulation under the Building Control Order 2014.

“It takes into account the methods and concepts in terms of green design, construction, operation and maintenance of new and existing buildings. It is not only limited to the concept of energy saving and water conservation,” said the minister during the launch.

He added that the EEC guidelines will also outline various aspects such as best practices and proper installation techniques in addition to cost-effective and sustainable usage.

“All future construction projects (public and private), and the infrastructure sector will certainly benefit in terms of better architectural quality, energy saving as well as reduction of costs and operation expenses,” he said at Public Works Department (PWD) Headquarters.

With the introduction of build-ing guidelines, the minister estimated the energy consumption of new buildings to drop between 30 to 50 per cent. “Green buildings reduce green house effects, use less energy, conserve water and offer a healthier environment compared to existing buildings. A green economy ensures sustainable development and infrastructure,” he said.

Although government buildings will be obligated to comply with the EEC guidelines, it will be voluntary for the private sector for an indefinite period of time.

In his speech, the minister also revealed that the PWD planned to roll out a green rating system called Brunei Accredited Green Unified Seal (BAGUS) to assess existing buildings in terms of sustainability, durability and greenness.

He noted that the implementation of the BAGUS tool will take into account the country’s culture and climate.

The minister urged all industry players to support the building guidelines, “enabling first introductions to be made to proposed programmes, besides establishing close cooperation among industry players to facilitate implementation and compliance of implemen-tation rules”.

PWD Acting Director-General Chua Pheng Keong said the EEC guidelines was among the latest green building initiatives carried out under the Green Road Map.

He explained that the main aim was to encourage green building designs and best practices in the local construction industry to tackle climate change issues. The building guidelines also promote renewable energy and reduce dependence on non-renewable energy.

Chua added that the building guidelines would also result in less pollution and energy consumption in the country.

The Brunei Times