• Air Conditioning
• Lighting
• Water
• Waste
• Energy
• Interior Fit Out
  
  

Air Conditioning

• Raising the target room temperature to 24^oC or above will significantly reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioning; this will also increase thermal comfort of the office space.
  
  
• Zoning of the air conditioning system will allow for spaces of variable occupancy (meeting rooms, pantry etc) to be switched off when not required, saving both energy and money.
  
  
• Use CO₂ sensors to allow for the correct provision of fresh air to maintain the indoor environmental quality. Recycling exhaust air for redistribution requires less cooling as its temperature is lower than outdoor air further reducing operational costs.
  
  
• Conducting regular maintenance, cleaning and optimisation checks to ensure the air conditioning system is running at its maximum efficiency is important to manage energy consumption. 
  
  
  

• Where possible maximise the use of free daylighting, use ceiling lighting purely for ambient lighting (lower light level), and supply desk lamp for task specific lighting. Desk lamps can be turned off when the user is away from their desk saving energy. By doing this the lighting requirement matches the occupancy of the office rather than assuming 100% occupation at all times.
  
  
• One can use motion sensors as a part of the lighting strategy. Here the sensor is used to switch lights off when no-one is present.
  
  
• Another energy saving strategy is to reduce the lighting level during lunch hours to save energy as most employees will be out.
  
  
• Change lights to higher efficiency energy saving fluorescent fittings with electronic ballasts, or for spot lighting use Light-Emitting Diode’s (LED) which use one twentieth of the energy and have a far longer lifespan.
  
  
  

• Water fittings based upon the water efficiency labelling scheme Water Efficiency Labelling Scheme (WELS) can be incorporated at taps for basins and sinks, Water Closet’s (WC), and showers, for ultimate water savings invest in 3 tick systems.
  
  
• If possible encourage the use of grey water for irrigation of plants and shrubs both inside and out.
  
  
  
  
  

• Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! Re-use scrap paper, unwanted prints and copies etc for notes or draft prints of other documents, then recycle these and all other waste paper.
  
  
• Recycle printer and toner cartridges
  
  
• Have a recycling point for other wastes including glass and metals.
  
  
  

Energy

• Use energy star and / or energy rated computer systems, printers, photocopiers and electrical appliances.
  
  
• Duplex print and copy to save paper.
  
  
• Audit equipment to see if all equipment is required to be used at all times.
  
  
• Use of power management for office equipment, such as sleep and standby modes when not active. Ensure equipment is turned off during non-operational hours.
  
  
  

• Use lightweight demountable ‘dry’ construction for the interior, allowing for easy future changes, this also reduces onsite waste and can be recycled or re-used in the future.
  
  
• Products used should be certified under the Singapore Green Labelling Scheme (SGLS) or contain a proportion of recycled content, paints and other fit out materials should also be selected so not to produce Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), improving the interior environmental quality.