The Greening of Putrajaya
March 4, 2010 by admin
Filed under News Bites
Selangor’s No Plastic Bag Day is just one of the many new efforts at going green in Malaysia. There are now plans underway to turn Putrajaya, Malaysia’s administrative capital, into an eco-friendly city. According to a news report, the first initiative will be turning the Prime Minister’s Office Complex into a green building this year, while Putrajaya’s first commercial energy-efficient building is expected to be completed by 2012.
Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd (PjH) project management division general manager, Hassan Ramadi, was quoted as having said:
We will have to do some retrofitting to change or modify its mechanical and electrical system, that is, the air-conditioning and lighting, to make it more energy efficient.
Hassan wad reported to have said that retrofitting would take about six months as it will not involve heavy renovation works or extra-sun-shading devices because the complex was already designed to meet this need.
Together this move is the building of another energy efficient structure, both in design and material, in Putrajaya – the Energy Commission’s (EC) Diamond Building, which is now under construction.
PjH planned to lease the commercial green building, when completed, to both government agencies as well as local and multinational companies (MNC).
The 2010 Budget targeted Putrajaya and Cyberjaya to be developed as pioneer townships in green technology. Building owners or developers who obtain Green Building Index (GBI) certification between 24 Oct 2009 and 31 Dec 2014 will be given tax exemption equivalent to the additional capital expenditure in obtaining the certificate.
Another green rating tool for the tropics is Singapore’s BCA Green Mark scheme, which was made mandatory in 2005 for all new buildings in the republic as part of submission to get certification.
