Alternative cooling technologies could help Singapore reach 80% building energy efficiency improvement target

Singapore’s path towards 80% energy efficiency improvement

 

Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has released initial findings from its Design Prototyping for Decarbonisation (DPfD) study ^[1], which investigated decarbonisation pathways for new and existing office buildings, hotels and mixed-development buildings. While the complete outcomes of the study will be made available as a public report by the end of 2026, the initial findings released indicate that the country’s target of achieving an 80% improvement in energy efficiency compared with 2005 levels is technically feasible for new and existing office buildings, as well as new hotels and mixed developments.

 

The study comes as Singapore progresses towards the “80-80-80 in 2030” targets established under its Green Building Masterplan:

• 80% of buildings (by Gross Floor Area) to achieve Green Mark Certification by 2030;
• 80% of new buildings to achieve Super Low Energy (SLE) standard by 2030;
• 80% energy efficiency improvement compared to 2005 levels by 2030 for best-in-class buildings.

Regarding the last goal, as of July 2026, the country’s best-performing buildings have achieved a 72% improvement in energy efficiency compared with 2005.

 

The DPfD study identifies plug-load management and alternative cooling technologies (ACTs) as two important levers for closing this gap. Cooling is particularly relevant in Singapore’s climate, as it accounts for an estimated 40-60% of building energy consumption. ACTs could reduce building cooling energy consumption by 30-50% while maintaining thermal comfort.

 

Alternative approaches to conventional air conditioning

 

Alternative cooling technologies aim to maintain comfortable indoor conditions while reducing reliance on conventional air-conditioning. Solutions utilised in Singapore’s best performing buildings include ^[2]:

• Hybrid cooling, which combines air conditioning operated at higher temperature setpoints with increased air movement from fans;
• Radiant cooling, where chilled surfaces absorb heat from the indoor environment;
• Passive displacement cooling, which uses natural convection to create a continuous cooling cycle: air warmed by indoor heat sources rises towards ceiling-level cooling coils, where it is cooled and becomes denser before sinking back into the occupied space;
• Active chilled beams, which provide both cooling and ventilation through ceiling-mounted units, where pre-cooled primary air induces room air to flow through chilled-water cooling coils before being recirculated into the indoor space.

Deployment of these solutions is already moving beyond demonstration projects. As of July 2026, BCA reports that 33 public and 14 private buildings in Singapore had adopted alternative cooling technologies. In individual applications, substantial reductions in cooling-related energy use have been reported. The study therefore suggests that further improvements in building energy performance may increasingly depend not only on making conventional air-conditioning systems more efficient, but also on reconsidering how cooling and thermal comfort are provided within buildings.

 

For more information, the media release is available on the Building and Construction Authority website.

 

 

Sources:

[1] Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore Green Building Council (2026). Media release. New BCA study confirms 80% Energy Efficiency target is within reach for Singapore’s Built Environment sector. https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/338/14c08b80-a6ce-49bf-bc75-a51ef8067f2d/Media%20Release%20-%20SGBC%20Gala%20Dinner%202026.pdf

[2] Building and Construction Authority (BCA), Singapore Green Building Council (2026). Factsheets. https://isomer-user-content.by.gov.sg/338/2c37e038-568c-44f3-9047-e2c074ee6a77/Factsheets%20-%20SGBC%20Gala%20Dinner%202026-1.pdf