COVER STORY
Sustainability Experience Centre set up to introduce green solutions at workplaces The centre will help local companies implement energy-efficient initiatives and reduce overhead costs. Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) and Schneider Electric have launched a one-stop Sustainability Experience Centre to help Singapore’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) implement green technologies at the workplace. This can help Singapore achieve its goal of having at least 80% of buildings to be green by 2030. A key showcase at the centre focuses on sustainable facilities management. Augmented Reality is tapped for instant diagnosis, and when coupled with contactless and predictive maintenance, the overall power efficiency of a venue is significantly improved. This helps SMEs operate more sustainably and enhances the productivity of maintenance crew, as repairs and rectifications can be reliably predicted, and preventive maintenance carried out.
Dr Kan Ee May, Specialist (Sustainability Engineering) and Lecturer, School of Engineering, Nanyang Polytechnic (far right), and Mr Jackson Seng, Sustainability Business Development Director, Schneider Electric (second from left), at the launch of Nanyang Polytechnic’s Sustainability Experience Centre. Image: Nanyang Polytechnic.
At the centre, students from NYP’s School of Engineering will be able to gain valuable hands-on experience in cutting-edge solutions used by the industry to meet sustainability goals. For example, students from NYP’s Diploma in Electronic & Computer Engineering course will learn how to integrate multiple systems and devices to collect and analyse relevant data. The first-hand experience would provide gainful insights to these students, thereby preparing a steady pipeline of talents to meet the demands for sustainability solutions in future industries. Ms Jeanne Liew, Principal & Chief Executive Officer, NYP, said, “We are excited to partner Schneider Electric, one of the world’s leaders in energy solutions, to launch NYP’s Sustainability Experience Centre. With NYP’s expertise in engineering systems and data analytics, alongside Schneider Electric’s technology 16
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER February 2022
Demonstrating the use of Augmented Reality. Image: Nanyang Polytechnic.
and solutions, SMEs will now have easy access to kickstart their green journey. This is also a great opportunity to strengthen and inculcate a sustainability-conscious mindset among our youth and empower them to play a role in bringing about a greener future”. Another key showcase at the centre helps SMEs identify solutions to optimise power usage and reduce
energy consumption. With deft application of automation and sensors, lights would be activated only in areas where needed, and data usage patterns can also be analysed in real-time. Schneider Electric’s EcoStruxure Building Operation 3.0 makes this possible by pulling in data from a wide range of sensors, running an analysis, and providing users with
