• Annual energy savings of 6,500,000 kilowatt hours, a huge 30 per cent reduction compared to a normal building, with a cost savings of $1.3 million a year
  • Annual water savings of 12,000 cubic metres, a big cut of 55 per cent, equivalent of 5 Olympic-sized pools
  • Annual carbon dioxide emission reduction of 3,000 tonnes, equivalent of 525 cars’ annual carbon dioxide emission
The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) new building has been awarded the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) Green Mark Platinum Award 2012 for integrating various energy efficient and environment-friendly features and practices in the new building. The BCA Green Mark Platinum Award is the highest accolade for green building certification in Singapore. The award ceremony will be held on 24 May 2012.

Energy savings through sustainable architecture and engineering

To cut down on the amount of air-conditioning needed, the new building has been carefully positioned to have no direct West facing façade. This reduces significant solar heat from getting into the building, thus reducing the air-conditioning consumption. The same benefit is also achieved through the use of extensive natural ventilation in the concourse area with a North-South orientation and the installation of an energy-efficient air-conditioning plant which
runs at less than 0.65 kilowatt per refrigeration ton (kW/RT).

Other green features include regenerative lifts which generate energy when moving, saving 27 per cent of lift energy; energy-efficient lights fitted with sensors to switch them off when not in use; and automatic demand-controlled ventilation for the carparks, activated only when it detects a preset carbon dioxide level.

All these features contribute to the new building’s annual estimated energy savings of 6,500,000 kWh, a 30 per cent reduction compared to a normal building, with a cost savings of $1.3 million a year. 

Water savings through low water fittings and rain harvesting

Each year, the NHCS new building will be able to save about 12,000 cubic metres of water – almost enough to fill five Olympic-sized swimming pools. This will be achieved through the installation of low water fittings which helps to reduce water consumption by about 55 per cent, about $26,000 in annual savings. Another contributing feature includes rain-harvesting fixtures where collected rainwater and condensation from the air handling units will be used to water the plants and foliage placed strategically around the building.

Reducing carbon footprint

Patients will be able to heal in a therapeutic environment with the introduction of open spaces, verdant terraces and even a green façade at the drop-off point in the new building. Aside from lowering building interior temperature and improving air quality, the wide presence of greenery of almost 2,200 square metres, also helps to bring down the emission of carbon dioxide. The new building also provides a car park guidance system which gives a clear indication of the available parking lots, thus reducing unwanted engine exhaust emissions.

NHCS will be going a step further in the drive for environmental sustainability through the provision of charging stations for electric vehicles. Together, these features will slash the hospital’s carbon emission by an estimated 3,000 tonnes a year, equivalent to that of 525 cars’ annual carbon dioxide emission.

“The BCA Green Mark Platinum Award demonstrates our strong commitment in incorporating internationally recognised best practices in environmental design and performance in our new building design. As a socially responsible healthcare organisation, NHCS is proud to play our part in promoting a greener and healthier environment for the community,” said Associate Professor Koh Tian Hai, Medical Director, NHCS.

Located opposite Block 4 of Singapore General Hospital, the NHCS new building will have three additional storeys, making it a 12-storey building with three basements of 48,000 square metres. The additional storeys are catered for future expansion. The new building will be operational in end 2013. 

About the National Heart Centre Singapore
The National Heart Centre Singapore (新加坡国家心脏中心) is a 185-bed national and regional referral centre for cardiovascular diseases. It provides one-stop comprehensive preventive, diagnostic, therapeutic and rehabilitative cardiac services for heart patients.

Each year, NHCS handles over 100,000 outpatient consultations, 7,000 interventional and surgical procedures and 10,000 inpatients. Its outcomes for heart attack treatment, balloon angioplasty with stenting and coronary bypass surgery have been shown to be equivalent to international standards.

NHCS is the first heart centre outside USA and in Asia to receive the prestigious Joint Commission International (JCI) since 2005, which is an assurance for safe and quality patient care for the patients.