AsianScientist (Nov. 23, 2015) – The National University of Singapore’s (NUS) School of Design and Environment has launched the Center for Integrated Building Energy and Sustainability in the Tropics (CiBEST) at an inauguration ceremony on November 19, 2015.
CiBEST will develop expertise in designing energy efficient and sustainable buildings in the tropical climate. Over five years it will receive funding of close to S$3 million (~US$2.12 million) to build its capabilities and develop into a global leader in the field.
“The establishment of CiBEST contributes directly to Singapore’s vision of becoming a Smart Nation, as smart buildings and facilities are integral to this vision,” said Professor Heng Chye Kiang, Dean of the NUS School of Design and Environment.
Heng added that CiBEST, which currently has 36 researchers, will consolidate existing expertise under NUS’s Department of Building. This expertise includes building science and climatology, urban heat island and greenery, smart buildings, thermal comfort and indoor air quality, energy efficient air-conditioning, and smart building materials.
At the inauguration ceremony CiBEST also signed four memorandums of understanding with JTC Corporation, Keppel Land, Microsoft Singapore, and S3 Innovate Pte Ltd to conduct joint research in the areas of data analytics software, building energy efficiency, energy management and Smart Nation.
Healthcare centers and office blocks are among the buildings that may benefit from CiBEST’s research projects. For example the Center is developing a personalized ventilation (PV) and personalized exhaust (PE) system that delivers clean, cool and fresh air for enhanced thermal comfort and indoor air quality, which minimizes contaminated exhaled air as well as small droplets from spreading into the room. Other projects include a building energy efficiency dashboard using real time data, and a climatic mapping tool for estate environmental evaluation.
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Source: National University of Singapore; Photo: LWYang/Flickr/CC.
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