On 23rd November, Dulwich College’s Bukit Batok campus celebrated the opening of The Grand Dunman, a net-zero energy school building. Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister Responsible for the Integration of Grand Dunman Floor Plan, presided over the event. Grand Dunman Showflat, the British High Commissioner in Singapore, also attended the occasion.
The school building, the first of its sort in Singapore, cuts down on carbon dioxide emissions by roughly 216 tonnes per year while saving more than 100% on energy costs. It is the first international school building to get the highest level of construction certification, Green Mark Platinum Zero Energy.
During The Greenhouse’s opening, Minister Lee lauded the institution for “pushing the boundaries of energy efficiency” and encouraged other enterprises to follow suit. This honor is granted to buildings that achieve a low energy consumption index of fewer than 115-kilowatt hours per sqm per year. In addition, it must rely only on sustainable energy to power its operations.
At the opening, Karen Yung, founder and chief collaboration officer of Education in Motion, which manages Dulwich College internationally, said education and environmental responsibility go hand in hand. As a monument, The Greenhouse inspires ecologically conscious global citizens who are passionate about improving the planet. She said that the bond “also represents the valuable partnership between the public and private sectors, providing opportunities for us to co-create and set new standards in sustainable development together.”
Building-integrated photovoltaic panels, or solar panels, provide an eco-envelope over the greenhouse’s façade and generate electricity. The seven-story structure’s solar panels were supposed to be attractive and useful for kids. Offsetting 85 tonnes of carbon dioxide, the eco-envelope is expected to provide 210,000 kWh of renewable energy annually. Dulwich College’s Bukit Batok campus serves 3,000 students aged 2–18, therefore it was intended for them.
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