The International Facility Management Association is pleased to announce its newest credential, the Sustainability Facility Professional™. More than a building certification and rating system, the SFP™ will help facility professionals play a key leadership role in creating, managing and operating sustainable facilities by giving them the skills they need to impact their organizations’ economic, environmental and social bottom lines. Read more on IFMA Unveils Sustainability Facility Professional Credential…

Clean energy solutions like smart grid and LED technologies are emerging trends that provide a glimmer of hope for the efficient use energy in the near future.

A In the morning, a building manager encourages office workers or tenants driving electric cars to “donate” their cars’ energy by plugging it into the building, so as to store up energy during costly periods.

He then proceeds to take hourly real time electricity pricing tariff readings and then email his tenants to reduce electricity consumption during the afternoons and instead make use of the stored energy.{jcomments off}

In return, electric car owners will be given cash rebates and other incentives while tenants can manage their energy bills more efficiently.

Sounds like a scene straight out from a sci-fi movie?

Not really.

Speaking at the Clean Energy Expo Asia in Singapore recently, experts say using smart grid technology would be the norm, as buildings in the near future would incorporate such technology for electrical power distribution resulting in higher energy efficiency and greater intelligence.

Smart grid technology
But what exactly is smart grid technology? A smart grid is one that delivers electricity from power generation companies to consumers using a two-way digital technology to control appliances in homes. Such grid also combines electricity distribution grid with an information grid using advanced metering systems.

Experts say future buildings will be installed with dual AC and DC electrical networks to optimise energy efficiency and to provide greater flexibility. However, some inherent challenges remain.

“The AC grid’s standard, which was drawn up 100 years ago, is not meant for today’s modern form of lighting and electronic volts,” says Dr Tseng King Jet, head of division, division of power engineering, Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

Singapore currently uses a 230 volt AC network while modern equipment requires about 5 volts. Dr Tseng said power distribution in the form of a low voltage DC grid, using say a 24 volt DC grid as the standard, would be very compatible with modern electronic equipment, appliances and lighting.

In the current AC system converting such high voltage potential into something much lower “incurs a lot of losses in the conversion process. If we have [the DC] power distribution, the losses will be much lower with energy savings of up to 10 to 30 percent,” says Dr Tseng.

Wait and see approach
So is Singapore ready for such technology? According to Dr Tseng, Singapore is still in its testing phase and watching for developments in other parts of the world before adopting a standard. “We do not want to be too ambitious and try to say we are going overnight to convert everything to DC. Then you will find your computer adaptors will not be able to be plugged in as they are meant to be plugged to the AC grid,” says Dr Tseng.

Currently, the Energy Research Team at NTU and members of the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC) are working hand-in-hand to test this technology by trying out the DC grid in the ceiling for light-emitting diode (LED) lighting at NTU’s campus and members’ buildings.

“We think that LED is inherently DC so we can work hand in hand with LED lighting manufacturers like Osram, Philips and get them to provide LED lamps that have the AC to DC staged conversion bypassed. It is good for them to bypass as it lowers the manufacturing costs,” says Dr Tseng.

LED technology
Speaking of LED, experts have cited it as another promising clean energy for the future. According to experts, the adoption rate in the real estate and construction industries are very high despite a lack of regional standards in terms of performance. “LED is such a hot technology right now. It’s like the iPod. There hasn’t been a standard of how we use iPod but yet the adoption standard is very high. People are very excited about this new technology,” says My K Ton, International Resource Group’s regional energy efficient lighting expert.

LED is a semi-conductor light source that is increasingly being used in new green buildings in Singapore. Singapore’s first eco-friendly mall, City Square Mall by City Developments Limited (CDL), for instance, features a supermarket that uses energy-efficient LED lighting in chillers and freezers. When used correctly, LED technology can result in energy efficient lightings as it emits more light per watt than incandescent bulbs. This translates to up to 90 percent savings on a building’s energy bill.

Ton additionally emphasizes the need to for professionals working on zero energy buildings or low carbon buildings to work with “some good lighting experts” so that the application meets expected standards.

Limitations
However, developers looking to incorporate LED technology in their existing buildings may be sorely disappointed. Experts say its application in existing buildings may be currently limited to outdoor areas like street, public, park and garage lighting.

This is because unlike fluorescent lighting, most current LED technology only shines light in one direction, which makes it much more challenging to light up a building’s interior. “To find the right replacement for something like that is much more challenging. Designers have to come up with a better design,” says Ton. He says designers are currently trying to create an LED tube that can replace the fluorescent lamp.

However, he feels such solution may not be the best way to optimise LED technology. “The opportunity here is that designer can come up with better looking fixtures, better performing LED fixtures so we are not limited to taking one technology and replacing it with another using the same format,” says Ton.

A ray of light
Although the regional standard for new lighting technology and its use in interiors may still be light years away, developers can still incorporate guidelines formulated by organizations an governments in the United States and Europe. Whether discussing LED or Smart Grid initiatives the debate over standards and directions is unlikely to ever outstrip the development in product innovation.

Some say paint them white, some say create public space but two of the ‘greenest’ uses for a roof top are still competing for space.

SOLAR PANELS
Holly Wu, Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.

Why Solar? It’s Time to Look Up
Think about it. Almost all of the energy that humans consume is really just some form or byproduct of solar energy – from plants, to animals, to fossil fuels. The sun ultimately powers everything we do and everything we make. Everyday, houses and buildings around the world are bathed in nature’s original source of energy and life. In just one hour, the sun provides earth with enough energy to meet our annual electricity demands.

Today, anyone can look up and directly harness the sun’s energy. We no longer need to hazardously dig miles under the ocean to extract and combust fossilized remains of solar energy. With advanced photovoltaic technology, you can elegantly turn abundant solar energy directly into electricity – without noise or emissions – that will power you home, your business, or your community. Read more on The Debate: Solar Panels vs Green Roofs…

Some say paint them white, some say create public space but two of the ‘greenest’ uses for a roof top are still competing for space.{jcomments off}

SOLAR PANELS
Holly Wu, Director of Marketing for Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, Suntech Power Holdings Co., Ltd.

Why Solar? It’s Time to Look Up
Think about it. Almost all of the energy that humans consume is really just some form or byproduct of solar energy – from plants, to animals, to fossil fuels. The sun ultimately powers everything we do and everything we make. Everyday, houses and buildings around the world are bathed in nature’s original source of energy and life. In just one hour, the sun provides earth with enough energy to meet our annual electricity demands.

Today, anyone can look up and directly harness the sun’s energy. We no longer need to hazardously dig miles under the ocean to extract and combust fossilized remains of solar energy. With advanced photovoltaic technology, you can elegantly turn abundant solar energy directly into electricity – without noise or emissions – that will power you home, your business, or your community.

Healthy Returns on Investment
A solar installation is a one-time investment. Solar panels can be guaranteed for at least 25 years, and will probably last for several decades longer. So once you make the initial investment, a solar installation will continue to produce clean electricity as sure as the sun shines. The levelised cost of electricity (measured in $/kWh) produced over the lifetime of the solar system will likely become cheaper than the price of retail electricity from the grid. This milestone is called grid parity, which we have already achieved in several markets with high electricity prices and lots of sunlight, such as Hawaii and Italy. Solar panels will keep your electric bill low for decades despite the rising costs of fossil fuels. In some places, it is not uncommon for individuals to recoup their initial investment after eight or ten years, after which they benefit from decades of free and clean electricity. At the same time, a rooftop solar installation will typically absorb between 15 percent and 20 percent of the sun’s energy, which otherwise would become heat, thereby reducing a building’s air conditioning demands.

From 50W to 5,000,000W
Solar technology represents the world’s most scalable method of electricity generation. In other words, anyone can directly harness the sun’s energy; from 50Wp installations for basic lighting, to 500,000Wp rooftop installations for factories or theatres, to 5,000,000Wp installations for powering entire communities. Some Building Integrated Photovoltaic (BIPV) products replace traditional construction materials (such as a shingled roof or a concrete wall) with structural materials that generate electricity. Rooftops can become a solar array, with no additional or exterior mounting materials required and windows can become electricity-generating by applying a thin film coating on the glass surface. If you have the rights to just a bit of land or rooftop space, then you can use solar panels to directly harness nature’s original source of energy and life.

According to the World Health Organization, more than two million premature deaths occur each year due to air pollutants, such as sulfur dioxide, with fossil fuel combustion cited as the primary cause. In 2008, Greenpeace estimated that the external social and environmental damages from coal, which accounts for 40% of the world’s electricity production, are more than €360 billion each year.

It’s Your Future
The environmental and social costs of carbon-based energy production are staggering. Solar power not only reduces heat and energy consumption but replaces the source of energy to one that emits nothing. Additionally it provides energy security where carbon resources alone cannot provide this.

In conclusion. The world needs more individuals and communities to show leadership, take responsibility, and demand a better way of energy production. Where better to start than your own rooftop? It is not a question of if we can. It is a question of if we will. The sun shines on us all, rich and poor alike – but we must decide how we will use that energy.

GREEN ROOFS
Bruce Rowse, in CarbonetiX, Australia

From an energy consuming perspective having solar panels on one’s roof is always an excellent approach as it is possible to generate at least the electricity on site and perhaps even put some of it back into the grid. It also looks great as it promotes one’s environmental credentials, which is why lots of government organisations and businesses prefer them to energy reduction strategies. They are more high visibility. Very importantly PV panels are much more affordable and easier to retrofit than transforming a hitherto normal roof into a green roof – despite the high cost of the panels and inverters.

Realistically though for larger energy consumers the solar panels will make little more impact aside from their visibility. A small PV system in most cases covers only 2-5% of a site’s electricity usage, There are few sites that have either the budget or the roof space to fit a large enough system to substantially reduce power usage.

A better strategy for financial and/or environmental gains is to make a building as energy efficient as possible through means involving changes to the HVAC and lighting systems as well as improvements to the building envelope. Insulation, draft stopping and shading are some of these other improvements. So does ‘green roofing’ qualify as one of these measures? Yes, absolutely! If it can be done; the benefits are numerous.

Green roofs provide extra protection against summer heat and winter cold as they act as insulators and even help in reducing noise. Green roofs conserve energy required for heating and cooling therefore reducing the dependency on energy hungry air conditioning systems.

Previously unused ‘waste of space’ can be turned into useful space as green roofs are usually designed to be enjoyed by building occupants. A roof garden can provide a relaxing environment to employees, who potentially could grow flowers or even fruit and vegies to eat. In addition it could provide a habitat for animals. Some people even use them for beekeeping.

Obviously a green roof reduces greenhouse emissions by absorbing CO2.  So from a pro-environmental viewpoint green roofs offer many advantages over PV systems.

However, constructing a green roof can be quite costly and the long-term energy and maintenance savings should be considered. As always it is much more affordable to design and construct a new building than converting one.

What are the economic benefits?
According to computer generated building information models, a building with a green roof could expect to reduce its summer cooling energy by 25 percent and reduced heat losses in winter could show a similar saving on heating costs.  Therefore, the potential for such a building to reduce its HVAC equipment rating is considerable. As can be seen above, solar panels alone wouldn’t offer similar savings, unless they are super-sized to match the buildings electricity consumption – meanwhile other benefits of a green roof would not be attained.

In conclusion more environmental benefits are presented from green roof as compared to solar panels, however obviously ease of installation and cost are a major factor. It could be argued that the best benefits are provided by solar panels combined with a green roof as these can greatly improve their efficiency – but that’s another story….

References:
‘Greenery to cool PVs’ in Solar Progress (Renewable Energy for Australasia) issue August-September 2010
http://www.greenroofs.org/index.php/about-green-roofs/2577-aboutgrnroofs
http://www.greenroofs.com/Greenroofs101/economic.htm
http://solar.calfinder.com/blog/going/can-you-combine-a-green-roof-with-solar-panels/
http://www.calfinder.com/blog/green-remodeling/the-grass-is-always-greener%E2%80%A6on-the-roof/
http://www.totalsolarenergy.co.uk/solar-panel.html

Recent PMI surveys suggest a modest slowdown in the Chinese economy; the HSBC/ Markit manufacturing survey eased from 54.5 in January to 51.7 in February, representing a 7 month low (where any reading above 50 marks expansion). This reading suggests that growth may have peaked, and RICS now expect a continuing slowing trend in the sector from Q2 onwards.

UK construction industry not yet out of trouble

Data on construction output for January is due to be released on Friday 11th. The fourth quarter number, in aggregate, showed a drop in output of 2.5% compared with the previous three month period; the December figure was particularly depressed by the unusually poor weather experienced during the final weeks of last year.

European housing recovery to continue, but risks remain

Looking forward, RICS’s central forecast is for the recovery in prices to continue across the bulk of European housing markets, albeit unevenly. However, the risks to their central forecast are increasingly skewed towards the downside. Read more on Chinese Tightening Shows Some Effects in PMI Surveys…

最近的內地採購經理指數調查顯示中國經濟增長出現溫和放緩。匯豐/Markit 二月份的製造業指數由一月的54.5下滑至51.7，為過去七個月的新低( 該指數於50以上反映經濟活動持續擴張)。這表示，內地經濟增長有可能已經見頂，而我們現在預期內地經濟增長於第二季起將持續放緩。 Read more on RICS特許測量師學會每週房地產市場更新: 中國採購經理指數調查顯示內地宏調措施初見成效…

The Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA is to co-host the first ever IFMA World Workplace held outside the USA on 21st and 22nd June 2011. The event will be held at the Cyberport Conference and Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong, China. Read more on The Hong Kong Chapter of IFMA is to co-host the first ever IFMA World Workplace held in Hong Kong…

The FM Market in China is just getting hotter, with international companies vying to claim their share, the real size and sophistication of the market is being called into question.

These topics will be discussed in detail at the Greater China FM Conference to be held 13 April, Harbour Grand Hotel, Hong Kong. Visit www.greaterchinafm.com to reserve your seat.

A few weeks ago we at RFP posted the question online: just how big is the China FM Market? We asked the question in terms of square feel under management. Based on a poll of different service providers stated areas we extimated anywhere between 100 mil sqm to 10 times that amount. It brought up a raft of other questions – perennial FM questions. Questions that people have been asking since the term FM was first coined. On a basic level people are asking what FM is. {jcomments off}

Deja vu. Roll back almost six years when Expo Real was trying its luck in the China Market. I was Chairing a panel of experts to discuss FM. The experts were all English speakers, and the session was simultaneously translated.  We were warned by organisers that as a first time they didn’t know what to expect of the session.  

It was well attended, and after 30 minutes of panel discussion that covered the basics of FM, its development in Asia and China and what could be expected in the future, the first question coming from the audience through the translator to us was: “So what is FM?”

Now with increasing local and international companies offering “FM” and with still more queuing round the block to get access to the market, has the situation changed? To assess this we need a definition of FM and how it differs, if at all from property management.  For some companies the former is just a sophisticated version of the latter, it may involve more software.  For others FM is seen as a strategic offering covering not just hard-services that make the building work on a technical level but also the soft-services that cater more to the human side of the machine.

At a more sophisticated level, some view FM as a strategic offering, an operational function that forms part of an overall business vision and shares the same goals in terms of revenue, branding and positioning as every other core-or non core department. This definition of FM lends itself more to commercial properties than residential and overlaps heavily with corporate real estate and asset management. This last definition is probably that by which many offering FM in greater China right now aspire to accross their portfolio.

It is not, however, how most people in the market define what they or their competitors offer. Even the top players are reduced to the pigeon holes of their companies’ origins. Some are “cleaning companies with a few additional services” while others are technical providers whose “FM” comes as a result of service contracts on hardware they have supplied, and then there are the real estate companies often maligned for offering FM as a means to retain clients between deals or as a more expensive version of property management.

Local vs international
Joshua Zheng Xin Wei, Vice General Manager at Beijing Austouch Investment Co., Ltd. says local companies that have even heard of FM tend to class it as “equipment management” and so “there may not be a competition to the international service providers from the local firms in China.” He puts forward only one local company – JFS – who he recognises as offering professional level FM services in China.

Zheng is not alone in seeing the problem as a question of market maturity, where customer demand and profitability proscribe companies ability to deliver the full suite of services. “Even when I talk with the international service providers, some messages are not very positive. Some of them only provide soft services and treat it as a method to tie them to the client for other business.” However he says the market offers plenty of opportunities for FM services, “if the true integrated FM can be provided.”

Who’s to blame companies wanting to stick with safe markets that provide revenue while  the full service FM market comes of age? China is notoriously difficult to manage even for the big players. However it is a market whose size is hugely appealing so that whether companies are offering the services now or whether they are working up to it over the longer term no one wants to miss out. Though agreeing that the definition of what is “under management” is difficult to determine, Dr. Madhu Aman Sharma of Regus believes the market size is a very attractive “30 times” the 100 mil figure estimated above.  

In some instances there is a difference between large international companies’ offerings compared to the locally grown competition. In terms of perception, says Michael Cole, Head of Research for Colliers in Shanghai, having an international property or facility management company managing a commercial building will be a “big plus” when it comes to securing the ideal tenants.

Talent war
What differentiates international companies and what they fight for are the people who are able to deliver the international level of service. Zheng says ”I don’t see technical problems as being unresolvable but the technical communications” provides a challenge. He continues that companies need the “right person to lead with the multiple skill sets” and this includes not only technical knowledge but English language ability and financial understanding. It could be said that skills are limiting the size of the market.

Bruno Lhopiteau who heads up maintenance firm Siveco in China agrees that the size of the market question comes down to how you define “under management” and specifically do you include properties maintained by a subsidiary of the owner or developer? He sees the FM market as highly fragmented and most players only view parts of it. For example international players mostly know and thus believe they are competing with each other. He says “Frankly I have met major players who have no clue about who they are competing with.”

He says that the 100 millions sqm may account for multinational FM companies business but that one of his local clients alone – the ChangCheng Property Group (CCPG) head quartered out of Shenzhen  has over 30 millions sqm of property, mostly residential, under management. As such he puts the total figure “certainly closer” to one bil sqm.

Jay Brand of the Ideation group keynoted at an IFMA event in Beijing in 2006 attended by 200-odd people. He recognised the potential size of the market to be huge and the challenges in the growth market to be “absolutely amazing”.  He too was struck by the immaturity not just of the market but of the people involved in the field, with many of the facilities and real estate managers present in their 20’s and 30’s – young by international standards and this was reflected in “several less-than-technical questions” from participants.

So what will happen when we bring together top international firms such as DTZ, JLL, CBRE, Savills, Colliers, C&W plus the FM businesses in ISS, Aramark, Aden and Johnson Controls at the Greater China FM Conference in Hong Kong on 13 April? What happens when we invite large local companies to have their say? We expect to see lively debate covering what FM is, who is doing it and that 44,000 question: How big is the market? Visit www.greaterchinafm.com for more information.

Contemporary innovative re-use projects with a sustainable ROI are the new trend amongst Asian-developers taking a more grown up approach to property development.
Annette Albutt explains.

Each re-use project comes with its own inherent cultural and structural challenges but rather than limiting a project they can become a catalyst for dynamic contemporary design whilst creating a magnet of interest and fiscal support for the community -  and a profitable ROI for their valued investors.

Most developers articulate that a ‘clean page’ is preferred when designing their vision of a future that sweeps away the old to make way for the new. However, now many local government urban planning departments are pressing developers to research other profitable alternatives. Some are refusing redevelopment approvals on buildings less than 10 years old (and sometimes older) due to community disruption, wastage in materials and energy, and in order to address the impact on the environment within the framework of today’s acute climate change. Read more on Architecture Coming of Age…

Mr Mah Bow Tan, Minister for National Development, announced in Parliament on 3 Mar 2011 that the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) will be enhancing the Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act (HDCLA) and the Housing Developers Rules (HDR) to give home-buyers better access to accurate and timely information about the market and units that they are buying. Read more on Public consultation on proposed changes to the Housing Developers (Control & Licensing) Act & Housing Developers Rules…