The Singapore Engineer November 2016 by The Singapore Engineer

The Magazine Of The Institution Of Engineers, Singapore November 2016 MCI (P) 002/03/2016

Celebrating 50 Years of Engineering Excellence

www.ies.org.sg

THE

SINGAPORE ENGINEER COVER STORY: SUSTAINABILITY

Creating sustainable and smart industrial work spaces

FEATURES: • Utilities Engineering • Information Technology • Electronics Engineering

CONTENTS Celebrating 50 Years of Engineering Excellence

Founded in 1966

FEATURES 22 SUSTAINABILITY: COVER STORY: Creating sustainable and smart industrial work spaces JTC provides the necessary facilities for the generation and test-bedding of new technologies, whilst also developing solutions for the optimal management of the buildings and properties.

28 SUSTAINABILITY: BCA revises Green Mark scheme for residential buildings The new criteria will be put on pilot for a year.

30 SUSTAINABILITY: BCA awards grants to eight research projects on smart and sustainable building technology The aim is to develop solutions for achieving a greener, smarter and healthier built environment.

32 UTILITIES ENGINEERING: Compressed air - a necessary input with wide-ranging uses It is also called ‘the fourth utility’.

36 SMART CITIES: Moving towards efficient and liveable urban environments Cities require collaborative efforts and new technologies.

Chief Editor T Bhaskaran t_b_n8@yahoo.com CEO Angie Ng angie@iesnet.org.sg Publications Manager Desmond Teo desmond@iesnet.org.sg Publications Executive Queek Jiayu jiayu@iesnet.org.sg Media Consultant Roland Ang roland@iesnet.org.sg Published by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore 70 Bukit Tinggi Road Singapore 289758 Tel: 6469 5000 Fax: 6467 1108 Cover designed by Irin Kuah

40 INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY:

Cover images by JTC

Cyber security awareness rises Whilst IT security is improving, there are also breaches due to non-adoption of best practices.

42 ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING: Applied Materials and IME to extend research collaboration It will contribute to the development of better chips and end-user devices.

44 ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING: Infineon chip helps to solve the Rubik’s Cube puzzle in record time The company’s powerful microcontroller proved its capabilities.

REGULAR SECTIONS 02 MESSAGE 08 INDUSTRY NEWS 20 EVENTS 46 IES UPDATE

The Singapore Engineer is published monthly by The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES). The publication is distributed free-of-charge to IES members and affiliates. Views expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or IES. All rights reserved. No part of this magazine shall be reproduced, mechanically or electronically, without the prior consent of IES. Whilst every care is taken to ensure accuracy of the content at press time, IES will not be liable for any discrepancies. Unsolicited contributions are welcome but their inclusion in the magazine is at the discretion of the Editor.

Design & layout by 2EZ Asia Pte Ltd Printed in Singapore

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

MESSAGE

Great news for Chemical Engineers! Chemical Engineering will be included as a prescribed branch of engineering under Singapore’s Professional Engineers (PE) Act. Accordingly, the Professional Engineers Board (PEB) will accept applications from Chemical Engineers for registration as Professional Engineers in Chemical Engineering [PE (Chemical)], with effect from 1 January 2017. An applicant who applies for registration would be required to have obtained an approved qualification, sit for and pass examinations, and meet practical experience requirements. In this connection, exemption provisions have been introduced, as a result of which, the requirement to sit for and pass examinations will not apply to an applicant who fulfils the following conditions: • The applicant submits an application for registration as a Professional Engineer in the branch of Chemical Engineering, no later than 6 months after 1 January 2017. • The applicant has a degree or qualification approved under section 15(1) (a) of the Professional Engineers Act in respect of the branch of Chemical Engineering. • The applicant has, after obtaining the degree or qualification mentioned above, acquired at least 5 years of such practical experience (whether in Singapore or elsewhere) in the branch of Chemical Engineering, as may be acceptable to PEB. Chemical Engineers familiar with Safety Case Regimes and Process Safety Designs will have an advantage when applying to become PEs. The inclusion of Chemical Engineering as a ‘prescribed branch of engineering’ is indeed a recognition by the government of its importance and the role played by Chemical Engineers in the economic growth of the country, against a background of rapid technological changes. Today, Chemical Engineering encompasses not just the traditional petroleum refining, petrochemical and chemical industries, but also the creation of products and processes that impact all industries including alternative energy, electronics, pharmaceuticals, food & drink, as well as water & waste water, to name just a few. I encourage all Chemical Engineers who qualify and would like to continue to help the industry improve on its process safety and at the same time to become the world’s safest petrochemical and process hub, to apply within 6 months starting 1st January 2017. After this special waiver period, you will need to abide and follow the entry terms of the PEB. Er. Edwin TF Khew, PBM IES President

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IES Council Members 2016 / 2017 President Er. Edwin Khew Vice Presidents Er. Chan Ewe Jin Mr Mervyn Sirisena Er. Ng Say Cheong Er. Ong See Ho Er. Seow Kang Seng Dr Yeoh Lean Weng Honorary Secretary Dr Boh Jaw Woei Honorary Treasurer Er. Joseph Goh Immediate Past President Er. Chong Kee Sen Past Presidents Prof Chou Siaw Kiang Er. Ho Siong Hin Assistant Honorary Secretary Mr Joseph William Eades Er. Joseph Toh Dr Lim Kok Hwa Assistant Honorary Treasurer Mr Tan Sim Chuan Council Members Prof Chan Eng Soon Dr Chew Soon Hoe Mr Dalson Chung Mr David So Prof Er Meng Joo Mr Goh Yang Miang Ms Jasmine Foo Mr Lee Kwok Weng A/Prof Lee Poh Seng Mr Norman Lee Prof Ramakrishna Seeram Er. Teo Chor Kok Dr Zhou Yi Honorary Council Members Er. Dr Lee Bee Wah Er. Ong Ser Huan Er. Tan Seng Chuan

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

INDUSTRY NEWS

IMI Hydronic Engineering launches new digitally configurable actuators Earlier this year, IMI Hydronic Engineering, a leading global provider of hydronic distribution systems and room temperature control, launched the new TA-Slider actuator range. Considered by the company to be an innovation in hydronic balancing and control, the new TA-Slider actuator range is expected to positively influence HVAC system control and maintenance, due to its flexibility and a 50% reduction in commissioning time. The TA-Slider has been specifically designed to digitally connect heating or cooling systems to the Building Management System (BMS), or operate independently of a BUS system, offering new levels of hydronic balancing control and remote functionality. The TA-Slider can be set up and managed by using a modern smartphone, via the TA-Dongle which is a device for Bluetooth communication with the HyTune application, to transfer settings for the TA-Slider, and which can even facilitate manual override. Furthermore, the TA-Dongle can be used easily to copy identical settings to several actuators and this will speed up the commissioning of a project when times-scales are often under pressure. By using only a smartphone and

the HyTune App, a technician or engineer can set up and control the TA-Slider, view logistics reports as well as access all data, thanks to its error memory function. The on-site Bluetooth control offered by the TASlider allows set-up and control, from outside of the dark and inaccessible spaces where terminal units are often installed. The TA-Slider has more than 200 possible configurations, in contrast to the fewer than 20 possible settings in conventional actuators with DIP switches. The other key advantage of this actuator is its wireless function. The settings of the actuator can be configured by using a smartphone with the HyTune app installed, instead of manipulating the DIP switches on site, thereby reducing the potential for mistakes. The HyTune app is fully compatible with both Apple and Android smartphones. The features include automatic detection of the TA-Slider, visual control, confirmation of new configurations, and an overview of the actual operating parameters. The TA-Slider is becoming a popular choice for designers and mechanical contractors alike. Its IP54 certifica-

TA-Modulator with TA-Slider 160.

tion ensures protection from water and dust. It offers greater flexibility and scalability, and high longevity, and can be integrated into systems with or without BUS communication. The TA-Slider is available in small (160 N / 500 N) and large (750 N / 1250 N) versions, in standard and plus versions with additional features. For even more savings, the TA-Slider can be coupled with the TA-Modulator, an accurate pressure-independent control and balancing valve for modulating control. This innovative valve offers precise room temperature control and saves end-users up to 18% on their annual energy costs. More information can be obtained from http://www.imi-hydronic.com

KONE vertical transportation solutions for China Zun KONE Corporation will provide China Zun, Beijing’s tallest building, when completed, with the company’s latest vertical transportation solutions. Located in Beijing's Central Business District, the 108-storey China Zun will reach a height of 528 m. The mixed-use skyscraper is currently being assembled with the help of KONE JumpLift con-

struction-time elevator. The KONE JumpLift is a self-climbing elevator that uses the building’s hoist-ways while under construction, following the formwork as the building grows higher. The solution provides faster, safer, and more reliable elevator service during construction. Once completed, the building’s elevators will be hoisted using the KONE UltraRope high-rise rope

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

technology which provides elevator eco-efficiency, reliability and durability, while also improving elevator performance. It eliminates the disadvantages of existing steel ropes and enables elevator travel heights up to 1,000 m. China Zun will be equipped with 142 KONE elevators and escalators, when completed in 2018.

INDUSTRY NEWS

Philips and Temasek Polytechnic work together to equip students with industry-ready skills Philips Lighting, in partnership with Temasek Polytechnic (TP), will launch the Connected Lighting incubator here, the first amongst institutes of higher learning in Singapore. The incubator offers a practical approach to lighting education for students in the polytechnic. As a step to enhance its Smart Campus vision, the polytechnic plans to work with Philips Lighting on ways to turn students’ ideas into reality by 2017. TP’s collaboration with Philips Lighting will empower students from the polytechnic to co-create connected lighting initiatives for their campus – from ideation through a campus com-

petition, to fruition, where winning projects come alive through Philips support and guidance. Students will be coached on the tracking of energy savings and the mining of data to assess extended on-campus project deployment. The initiative will see users of campus buildings getting involved in improving the facilities and by doing so, achieving learning outcomes. Combined with internships at Philips Lighting, these help build up a continuous supply of industry-ready engineering skillsets for the nation’s deployment of smart, connected systems. “Our collaboration with Philips

Lighting offers an exciting opportunity for Temasek Polytechnic students to learn and work with industry experts, and to equip our students with industry-ready skills in the area of Connected Lighting. It also bolsters our aim to provide a lively eco-system on campus where students and staff learn and work in a living lab,” said Mr Peter Lam, Principal and CEO of Temasek Polytechnic. “We look forward to our students generating innovative ideas, and seeing their concepts in action to bring positive changes to our school and community,” he added.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

INDUSTRY NEWS

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

INDUSTRY NEWS

*Reproduced with permission from the Energy Market Authority (EMA)

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

INDUSTRY NEWS

Winners announced in the inaugural Singapore Facility Management Awards 2016 To mark the celebration of its 15th year anniversary, the International Facility Management Association (IFMA) Singapore Chapter held its inaugural Singapore Facility Management (FM) Awards 2016 on 30 September 2016, at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre. Open to all FM training institutions, service providers and building owners or facility occupiers in Singapore, the Singapore FM Awards 2016 recognises those at the forefront of and have made significant contribution to the knowledge, practical application and sustainable performance of the Facilities Management industry in Singapore. Benchmarked as the industry leading awards for Singapore, the awards seek to identify the industry leaders, promote excellence, encourage innovations and raise professional recognition in the FM

industry as well as across the building and real estate sectors. The Singapore FM Awards 2016 saw a total of three categories which are grouped under the three themes

of training, service quality and, the success of development & implementation of FM programmes by FM teams. For a full list of winners, visit: http://wgs1.net/ifma-sg/?p=1025.

Huationg Global wins three HDB contracts worth S$26.6 million

Huationg Global CEO Mr Patrick Ng.

Huationg Global Limited, a full-service integrated civil engineering solutions provider, announced on 25 October 2016 that it had secured three new civil engineering contracts from the Housing & Development Board of Singapore (HDB), worth approximately S$26.6 million in total, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Huationg Contractor Pte Ltd. The new contracts include a series of related earthworks and infrastructure projects at Bukit Batok, site clearance and earthworks for Defu Industrial City, and civil engineering projects along Punggol Drive. The Group is expected to deliver

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

the projects in phases over the next two years. Mr Patrick Ng, Chief Executive Officer of Huationg Global, commented, “Times are challenging for the construction sector but there is still a strong pipeline of public sector projects in areas such as housing and neighbourhood upgrading, MRT and transport infrastructure, and utilities. We believe Huationg Global’s rich experience in public civil engineering works puts us in a good position to tap into this pipeline and will continue to actively pursue opportunities to grow our order book.”

INDUSTRY NEWS

Siemens to help companies become smart factories Siemens recently launched its Digital Factory Manufacturing Design Consultancy at a ceremony officiated by Singapore’s Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry), Mr S Iswaran, and Siemens AG Chief Executive Officer, Mr Joe Kaeser. A first for Siemens AG, the consultancy aims to assist companies to assess the current state of their facilities, and thereafter structure a meaningful Industry 4.0 transformation roadmap to digitalise their factories. With applications such as next-level automation, predictive maintenance and remote monitoring, digitalisation can help manufacturers improve their quality, productivity, flexibility, efficiency, throughput time and time-to-market. The consultancy will cover Singapore and the other Southeast Asian markets which are also facing increasing challenges to remain competitive. As the first technology player in Singapore and the first-of-its-kind for the controls and automation industry

globally to offer such technical consultancy services to help companies achieve their Industry 4.0 vision, the Digital Factory Manufacturing Design Consultancy possesses both the technical expertise and product portfolio to propose effective technology improvements to help customers not only optimise their manufacturing processes, but also digitalise their assets and machineries to enable analytics to better manage operations on a facility-wide level. Supported by the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB), this consultancy plugs a critical capability gap in the market, as manufacturers, especially in markets like Singapore, are keen to digitalise their factories to remain competitive, but many of them lack the knowledge and expertise of the smaller steps they can take to do so. “Siemens’ decision to establish its first manufacturing consultancy business here is testament to the impor-

tance of Singapore's manufacturing sector to the global supply chain. By helping producers to develop digitalisation roadmaps, the Digital Factory Manufacturing Design Consultancy will be an important partner to promote the adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies in Singapore”, said Mr Yeoh Keat Chuan, Managing Director of EDB. “As a world leader in automation and Industry 4.0, Siemens is able to provide our customers with the initial seed for transformation into a digital factory. We are able to draw on our expertise and strong portfolio in electrification, automation and digitalisation, and I am confident that with our help, our consulting customers will become practical showcases for other manufacturing setups in the region”, said Dr Armin Bruck, Chief Executive Officer of Lead Country Singapore, Siemens, which covers Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore,Thailand and Vietnam.

Taken on the occasion of the launch of Siemens’ Digital Factory Manufacturing Design Consultancy are, from left, Mr Lim Kok Kiang, Assistant Managing Director, EDB; Dr Michael Witter, Ambassador of the Federal Republic Germany to Singapore; Mr S Iswaran, Minister for Trade and Industry (Industry); Mr Joe Kaeser, CEO, Siemens AG; Dr Armin Bruck, CEO, Lead Country Singapore, Siemens; and Mr Raimund Klein, Executive Vice President, Digital Factory and Process Industries and Drives, Siemens Pte Ltd.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

INDUSTRY NEWS

National Instruments holds NIDays 2016 in Singapore National Instruments (NI) launched its annual regional technology and innovation event, NIDays 2016, in Singapore, on 14 October 2016. The NIDays 2016 programme in Asia includes events also in Penang, Malaysia; Bangkok, Thailand; Manila, Philippines; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Hanoi, Vietnam. Since 1976, NI has been providing powerful and flexible technology solutions that accelerate productivity and drive rapid innovation. Customers from a wide variety of industries, from healthcare to automotive and from consumer electronics to particle physics, use NI’s integrated hardware and software. Attended by more than 300 engineers, scientists, and researchers from Singapore and the region, NIDays 2016 in Singapore revealed new insights and the latest technology in software and data acquisition, embedded control and monitoring, automated test and RF (radio frequency) technology. This year’s keynote theme, Disrupting Test, Measurement, and Control with a Platform and ecosystem, highlights the trends driving the importance of a platform-based approach combined with the power of a large ecosystem of users and developers to solve application challenges, and how this is fundamentally changing the way engineers approach test, measurement and control systems. The event also showcased a variety of technology advancements, evolving platform capabilities and customer innovation for industries including research, semiconductor, defence, and infrastructure. Mr Kevin Ilcisin, Vice President of Product Marketing, Mr Matej Krajnc, Managing Director, ASEAN and ANZ, and Mr Goh Yih-Hsiung, Regional Sales Manager, ASEAN, all from NI, were among the NIDays speakers. During their keynote presentations, they shared how the NI platform is empowering scientists and engineers

to acquire more accurate and meaningful insight from their data, improve RF system design and measurement; as well as create reliable, advanced control and monitoring systems for the Industrial Internet of Things. NIDays 2016 also served as a platform to honour outstanding engineers and scientists in the region. Several engineers and researchers, including representatives from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT), were recognised for their winning papers in the 2016 Engineering Impact Awards. Now on its 11th year, the Engineering Impact Awards recognise innovative projects that addressed engineering challenges impacting society. This year’s NIDays also saw SIT and NI enter a three-year agreement to train and groom telematics talent. NI will support SIT with training, through the NI LabVIEW Academy programme, to enhance students’ learning and research experience. As the first university in Singapore to facilitate NI LabVIEW certification at the undergraduate level, SIT will welcome the first cohort of stu-

dents enrolling for the Bachelor of Engineering in Telematics (Intelligent Transport Systems Engineering) degree programme, in August 2016.

NIDays 2016 in Singapore attracted more than 300 engineers, scientists, and researchers from Singapore and the region.

At the event, National Instruments (NI) presented its latest developments and achievements.The company’s representatives included, from left, Mr Chandran Nair,Vice President, APAC; Mr Matej Krajnc, Managing Director, ASEAN; and Mr Kevin Ilcisin,Vice President, Product Marketing.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

INDUSTRY NEWS

Republic Polytechnic collaborates with Rolls-Royce in materials science and composites skills development MoU expands scope of existing collaboration and deepens industry-relevant learning experiences for students Republic Polytechnic (RP) recently inked a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with RollsRoyce to provide RP students with more holistic learning experiences and opportunities for deeper industry immersion in the area of failure investigation and Non-Destructive Testing (NDT). Signed during RP’s annual Diploma in Materials Science Industry Engagement Day, the new partnership will expand existing collaborative efforts between RP and Rolls-Royce. RP is currently the first polytechnic to embark on an ongoing final-year project with Rolls-Royce in the area of failure investigation and NDT. The MoU will provide more avenues for RP students and staff to work on this and other research and development projects. Rolls-Royce

will also lend its aerospace and technological expertise to co-develop and enhance RP’s curriculum for PreEmployment Training (PET) students and Continuing Education & Training (CET) adult learners in the areas of advanced materials and composites. To facilitate knowledge transfer and encourage students to discover the materials science and composites industry, RP and Rolls-Royce will jointly organise learning activities and events including industry talks, workshops, and excursions to compositerelated industries. Rolls-Royce will also provide supervision for students’ final-year projects and offer industry attachment opportunities for students and staff. Mr Seto Lok Yin, Deputy Principal (Industry Services), Republic Polytechnic said, “Through joint research

projects and industry attachments, our students and staff will acquire critical skillsets and be exposed to industry-leading technologies and resources at the Rolls-Royce facilities.” Since 2012, Rolls-Royce has been providing industry attachments for RP students across various disciplines in areas that include materials failure investigation, NDT, manufacturing, data analytics and computational engineering. Rolls-Royce’s Materials Support Laboratory, housed within its Seletar Campus, recruits the largest number of polytechnic interns from RP’s Diploma in Materials Science course. The Laboratory conducts research and technology work on advanced aerospace materials, giving students the opportunity to hone crucial skillsets and gain relevant industry experience in failure investigation and NDT.

(From left to right) Mr Ashley Chua, Director, School of Applied Science, Republic Polytechnic; Mr Seto Lok Yin, Deputy Principal (Industry Services), Republic Polytechnic; Dr Bicky Bhangu, Singapore Director, Rolls-Royce Singapore and Ms Tan Li Lian, Human Resource Director, Rolls-Royce Singapore pose for a photo after signing the MOU. Photo: Republic Polytechnic

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

INDUSTRY NEWS

Asia’s biggest two-day gathering of business technology professionals secures recordbreaking audience

Photo: Cloud Expo Asia

Record-breaking numbers of international visitors attended Cloud Expo Asia, Data Centre World and the Cloud Security Expo, held at Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre on 12 and 13 October 2016. The co-located trio of events hosted an impressive, world-class line-up of 300 speakers and over 300 leading technology brands. Highlights from the event programmes included the Singapore debut of the global series, Women in Tech Unite. The panel discussion explored opportunities for increasing equality in today’s technology landscape and the wider global workplace. A plethora of IoT pioneers also

shared their thoughts in the Smart IoT theatres which attracted great enthusiasm from visitors. The Amazon Web Services Smart IoT, Big Data and Analytics Theatre saw Fuji Xerox’s General Manager for Innovation, Michael Chong explain the many benefits of IoT and smart data in a business setting. His session examined barriers to adoption and shared valuable insights through a series of reallife case studies. The Data Centre World’s CNet Training Theatre introduced some of the most respected data centre experts in the industry and explored the essential considerations of any mission critical environment. “I’ve been working in the technol-

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

ogy industry for 25 years and I think it’s absolutely crucial for technology guys to absorb new knowledge and understand the current trends,” said Ms Asha Hemrajani, who sits on the Board of Directors for ICANN, the organisation that is responsible for coordinating the management of the Internet around the world. Here for the third time, Ms Hemrajani was also impressed by the Women in Tech panel, and found the discussion “fantastic”. Cloud Expo Asia and Data Centre World, along with Cloud Security Expo will return to the Marina Bay Sands Expo and Convention Centre next year and will be held from 11 to 12 October 2017.

INDUSTRY NEWS

LTA signs MOU with top German railway engineering company to deepen expertise in rail maintenance and asset management The Land Transport Authority (LTA) and German railway engineering company, Deutsche Bahn Engineering & Consulting[1] (DB E&C) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the closing ceremony of the Singapore International Transport Congress & Exhibition (SITCE) to exchange railway engineering knowledge, and deepen capabilities across the rail industries in both countries. Noting that Singapore’s rail network was set to expand to 360km by 2030, LTA has identified a critical necessity in building up the pool of railway engineering expertise.

Said Mr Chua Chong Kheng, LTA’s deputy chief executive of Infrastructure and Development, “This MOU signing is part of plans to continue developing our engineers’ professional competencies and capabilities.There are common challenges across rail industries in both countries and we can learn as well as exchange experience in optimising manpower, processes and technologies … (this) will then lead to improvements in practices for rail development across both countries.” With this MOU, LTA and DB E&C intend to better understand, benchmark and learn from each other’s

best practices in asset management, maintenance strategies and condition monitoring technologies. Both parties would also exchange information and review challenges relating to line upgrades and extensions, general metro development and operational best practices; and arrange for the secondment or exchange of personnel for studies, project work, and visitations of facilities and sites, where feasible. More information on the MOU can be found at http://www.lta.gov.sg/apps/ news/page.aspx?c=2&id=fa4d030c6357-4f69-93bc-68627b876ee0

Launch of Singapore’s first Postgraduate Certificate in Urban Railway Engineering Railway operator SMRT and the University of Birmingham (UoB), one of the UK’s top universities for railway research and education, have teamed up to offer a postgraduate certificate in Urban Railway Engineering. Announced on 21 October 2016, SMRT and UoB said the three-year course will be the first of its kind globally in terms of the partnership between a university and a rail operator. It will be jointly administered by the SMRT Institute, which serves as the academic centre for SMRT, and the UoB’s Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE), whose railway education programmes have attracted staff from leading metro operators such as the London Underground and the Taipei Metro. The course comprises studies in Railway Landscape, Railway Management as well as in four domain-specific areas: Railway Command, Control and Communications Systems, Rolling Stock Systems, Permanent Way and Infra-

structure Systems, as well as Traction and Power Systems. The curriculum is designed to give participants a thorough appreciation of the railway business and urban railway operations, together with project management, asset management and technology-specific modules according to their work specialisation. The immediate relevance and application will be enriched with the contributions of UoB’s faculty members, its industry lecturers and senior SMRT engineers. Professor Clive Roberts, who is the Director of BCRRE, said: “We are delighted to be supporting SMRT in the development of their staff. The new Postgraduate Certificate in Urban Railway Engineering (Singapore) is the most advanced qualification that has been developed for any metro or railway operator.” According to Ms Kang Huey Ling, Principal and Dean at SMRT Institute, the school will assist in developing employees to their fullest potential through partner-

(From left to right) Mr Desmond Kuek, President and Group CEO, SMRT; Mr Koh Yong Guan, Chairman, SMRT; Prof Clive Roberts and Mr Lee Ling Wee, Managing Director,Trains, SMRT at the launch of the SMRT-UoB Postgraduate Certificate in Urban Railway Engineering (Singapore). Photo: SMRT

ships with renowned centres for railway research and education to expand the spectrum of courses offered. The inaugural course will be conducted in Singapore by 12 faculty members from UoB and SMRT, over a two-week period in October and December. A total of 190 SMRT engineers will attend the inaugural course. In support of national efforts to deepen railway expertise in Singapore, SMRT Institute and UoB will also offer these programmes to other industry players.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

INDUSTRY NEWS

Singapore Airshow continues to make significant contributions to the Singapore economy The Singapore Airshow, Asia’s largest and one of the most important aerospace and defence exhibitions in the world, continues to make significant contributions to the Singapore economy, according to a recent survey conducted by Kadence International. Singapore Airshow 2016 exhibitors, trade attendees, visitors and tourists spent a combined total of nearly S$329 million on everything from flights and accommodation, the rental and set-up of exhibition spaces, to transportation, client entertainment, food and drink, leisure activities and shopping. Over six activity-filled days from 16 – 21 February, Singapore Airshow 2016 welcomed over 130,000 trade and public day visitors, and more than 1,000 participating companies from 48 countries and regions, including 65 of the top 100 global aerospace companies. 286 VIP delegations from 90 countries and regions were also in attendance.

This marked an increase of 18 per cent from the 76 countries and regions represented in 2014. The Airshow also welcomed more than 48,000 trade attendees from 143 countries and regions, of which 30 per cent were from overseas, an increase of 7 per cent when compared to the number of trade attendees at the last Airshow. “As the key gateway to the Asia Pacific aviation market, the Singapore Airshow offers immense potential for global and regional companies to establish new business relationships within the region,” said Mr Leck Chet Lam, Managing Director of Experia Events, organisers of the Singapore Airshow. “This business-centric focus remains the number one draw of the Airshow, and the reason why it continues to be a must-attend event on the global aviation event calendar.” With 77 per cent of exhibitors and 57 per cent of trade visitors expecting to finalise a sale, make a purchase or form a strategic partnership as a

direct result of their participation, the Singapore Airshow continues to reinforce its standing as the key platform for global companies looking to expand in the fast growing Asia Pacific aviation market. The survey findings also reveal that personal spending, including expenditure on leisure and shopping activities by all foreign visitors, grew by 13.3 per cent to S$94.5 million, with overall personal spending by all local and foreign visitors increasing 12.4 per cent to S$111.2 million this year. Explained Mr Leck: “At the same time, the Singapore Airshow provides an exhilarating experience that offers something for fans of all ages and interests, and our visitors are increasingly factoring that into their travel plans.” The survey results also showed that spending on leisure activities by exhibitors and trade attendees this year increased by 22 per cent and 67 per cent respectively, while trade attendees spent 11 per cent more on shopping when compared to 2014.

Members of the public taking a breather before the next air display segment during one of the public days of Singapore Airshow 2016. More than 130,000 attended the six-day event, where top aerospace and defence companies showed off their latest innovations.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

Recognition for Eaton at Frost & Sullivan Awards Eaton, the power management solutions company, received the 2016 Frost & Sullivan UPS Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership Award in the energy sector, at Frost & Sullivan’s 9th Annual Asia-Pacific Best Practices Awards. The award was presented to Jimmy Yam, Vice President of Sales, East Asia at Eaton Electrical Sector, at a banquet held at the Conrad Centennial, Singapore, on 13 October 2016. Frost & Sullivan’s awards honour and recognise companies that have pushed the boundaries of excellence in the Asia-Pacific. They are intended to help drive innovation, excellence

Paya Lebar Quarter selects Otis equipment Paya Lebar Quarter, one of the largest upcoming mixed-use developments in Singapore, has selected 81 Otis elevators, escalators and moving walkways. As part of the contract, Otis Elevator Co (S) Pte Ltd (Otis Singapore), the local Otis operating entity, will supply and install a total of 50 energyefficient Gen2 elevator systems. The Gen2 machine-room-less elevators feature energy-conserving ReGen drives that reduce energy consumption by up to 75 per cent under normal operating conditions, compared to conventional systems with non-regenerative drives. The Gen2 elevator’s patented polyurethane coated-steel belts, gearless machine and roller guides eliminate the need for additional lubrication, further reducing the system’s environmental impact. In addition to elevator systems, Otis will provide 27 XO-508 escalator systems and four heavy-duty moving walkways for the project.

and a positive change in the global economy, by recognising best-in-class products, companies and individuals. Award recipients are defined by their outstanding achievements and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. “We are delighted to be recognised as a category leader by Frost & Sullivan. Despite steep competition in the Asia Pacific market, our innovation and leadership achievements in the UPS space reaffirms Eaton’s commitment to helping our customers achieve high performance standards

Rhenu Bhuller, Partner, Frost & Sullivan, presenting the award to JimmyYam,Vice President of Sales, East Asia at Eaton.

in their power needs. We will continue to build state-of-the-art products with our customers in mind,” said Mr Brian S. Brickhouse, President of Eaton’s Electrical Sector in Asia Pacific.

New durable cranes for tough Indonesian mining site PT Freeport Indonesia, a mining company that operates one of the largest copper and gold mines in the world, has added three Grove cranes to its fleet. The RT765E-2 and two RT530E-2 rough-terrain cranes join the company’s operations at its IrianJaya location, one of the world’s largest mine sites. The new units will replace two older Grove RT cranes that are being retired. For more information, please see http://www.manitowoccranes.com/en/news-events/ news/2016/Grove-RT-cranes-chosen-for-tough-mine-site-in-Indonesia

VP of engineering often the bestpaid role in Singaporean startups In a survey of Singaporean tech startups last month, it was found that vice presidents of engineering received the highest median base salaries. The median figure of S$9,000 was more than twice that of the other executive-level roles within the company. Conducted by venture capital firm Monk’s Hill Ventures, the founders of 13 tech startups were queried on matters related to the compensation of their executive or management teams, such as base salary, performancebased bonuses and amount of equity received. In an analysis of the results, Monk’s Hill partner Lim Kuo-Yi revealed that the findings were “not surprising”. “Most C-level folks are also founders and tend not to pay themselves the most. In fact, two-thirds of our respondents have CEOs that are not the bestpaid person in their team,” he wrote in a blog post. He further provided a possible reason: The role of VP Engineering is not easy to fill, and is often the first “expensive” hire made by startups. The companies that were interviewed have their key staff stationed in Singapore, and have raised at least Series A funding or beyond.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

ADVERTORIAL

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

EVENTS

Green building products and technologies presented at BEX Asia 2016 and MCE Asia 2016 Build Eco Xpo Asia 2016 (BEX Asia 2016), the ninth edition of Southeast Asia's premier business event for the green building and construction industry, and Mostra Convegno Expocomfort Asia 2016 (MCE Asia 2016), the second edition of the trade exhibition dedicated to energy-efficient solutions in HVAC-R, plumbing technology, sanitary accessories, and renewable energy, were held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre, Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from 7 to 9 September 2016. Organised by Reed Exhibitions and held during the Singapore Green Building Week 2016 (SGBW 2016), the two events featured the products and solutions from 450 exhibiting companies from 27 countries and regions, including China, Germany, Italy, Japan, Taiwan and the US. The exhibitions attracted close to 12,000 visitors from 57 countries. This year’s vistorship represents an 8% increase over that in 2015. A total of 48 industry practitioners also shared insights on multiple verticals crucial to advancing the sustainability agenda, at complementary seminars, Green View and Mostra Xchange. The topics discussed included renewable energy, green architecture, smart technologies and energy-efficient solutions, as well as heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. Further, Reed Exhibitions’ Business Concierge programme, facilitated a total of 373 business meetings, with more than US$130 million expected in green building business transactions. BEX Asia and MCE Asia are the anchor events of SGBW, alongside the International Green Building Conference (IGBC) organised by Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority. The next editions of BEX Asia and MCE Asia will be held from 13 to 15 September 2017.

BEX Asia 2016 and MCE Asia 2016 featured products and solutions for green buildings.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

COVER STORY

Creating sustainable and smart industrial work spaces As the lead government agency responsible for the development of industrial infrastructure to support and catalyse the growth of industries and enterprises in Singapore, JTC believes in pushing the boundaries of innovation, sustainability and productivity, in order to meet the evolving needs of its stakeholders in the fast-changing business environment. SUSTAINABILITY CleanTech Park Developed and managed by JTC, CleanTech Park is part of the upcoming Jurong Innovation District that will be home to a vibrant community of innovative companies and research institutes spearheading the research, design, prototyping and commercialisation of sustainable urban solutions and advanced manufacturing technologies. Equipped with the necessary facilities, CleanTech Park is set to promote and catalyse the growth of clean technologies, robotics, 3D printing and other advanced manufacturing methods. Since its opening in 2013, CleanTech Park has attracted leading-edge public and private organisations such as the Nanyang Environment & Water Research Institute (NEWRI), the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N) and DHI Water & Environ-

ment (S) Pte Ltd which specialises in water and environmental research and consultancy. CleanTech Park is also home to the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), a collaborative research platform led by A*STAR, NTU and major industry players such as Rolls-Royce, to drive

the development of remanufacturing and advanced manufacturing capabilities. ARTC is the first centre in Asia within the network of Advanced Research Centres (known as AxRCs) that are being established to help industrial partners achieve advanced capabilities across a full range of manufacturing technologies.

CleanTech Park (aerial view)

CleanTech One

CleanTech Two

Apart from housing businesses, research institutes and start-ups, CleanTech Park also functions as a living laboratory for innovators to develop and test-bed their sustainable solutions.

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

COVER STORY JTC-SEAS Partnership Through the partnership with the Sustainable Energy Association of Singapore (SEAS), JTC has been looking at retrofitting and refurbishing its existing buildings to maximise energy efficiency. The sustainable practices, undergoing review, include harnessing of solar energy, converting of manufacturing waste to energy, incorporating improved lighting technologies and installing an energy management and control system to help monitor energy for better use. By lever-

aging the expertise of SEAS, new and innovative energy solutions such as organic PV systems and speed regenerative humps have been developed and are being testbedded through real applications in JTC developments. With these feasibility studies implemented in various estates and developments, JTC's collaboration with SEAS will help the association amalgamate results on a large scale and potentially give shape to future plans for buildings in the SEAS network. To support the Singapore Government’s intention of using solar

energy as an alternative energy source, JTC and SEAS have been jointly organising Solar Adoption Seminars for business owners from different industries to learn about the adoption of solar energy. Through the sharing by SEAS’s experts, solar adopters and government agencies at these seminars, JTC's customers can gain deeper insights into the benefits from adopting this alternative energy source. In 2016, JTC has organised four such seminars with SEAS, for JTC customers from different industries.

JTC-SGBC Partnership JTC signed an MOU with the Singapore Green Building Council (SGBC), in 2011, under which the two partners will collaborate to promote and disseminate information on green building products, materials, technologies and designs; sustainable manufacturing; and best industry practices. This is done through platforms such as seminars, conferences, exhibitions and events.

Under the MOU, JTC has organised several seminars with SGBC to showcase green technologies, green designs for developments and innovative green building solutions for its partners and customers. In addition, JTC is a partner for SGBC’s new tenant engagement programme, called Better Places for People. This global initiative by the World Green Building Council seeks to raise awareness on how buildings

can create healthier and happier spaces for people. The programme consists of structured talks centred on environmental sustainability. Through Better Places for People, tenants and building occupants will become more aware of the concept of green building and of the need to lead more sustainable lifestyles. JTC will be partnering SGBC for an upcoming customer seminar in early 2017.

CleanTech Park will also be home to the upcoming JTC LaunchPad @ Jurong Innovation District that will be developed to support the growth of start-ups, incubators and accelerators from the clean technology, advanced manufacturing and engineering industries. Apart from housing a vibrant ecosystem of businesses, research institutes and start-ups, CleanTech Park functions as a real-world living laboratory offering estate-wide and building-level test-bed opportunities for innovators to develop and testbed their sustainable solutions, allowing companies the chance to validate their products and bring them to market faster.

To-date, a total of 16 estate and building-level green projects have been test-bedded in CleanTech Park. These test-bedding projects include the testing and optimising of a selfdriving electric shuttle and other selfdriving vehicles, in collaboration with various partners such as ERI@N and A*STAR. SMART SYSTEMS JTC Land and Space Management Application Today, JTC is leveraging big data, the Internet of Things (IoT) and other smart technologies to create a better work environment for workers and help customers make better decisions.

In using digital platforms, the Land and Space Management Application visualises space in three dimensions (3D) and with reference to adjoining uses. It helps land and space tenants more effectively make decisions in the leasing of land and space. JTC officers will also be able to visualise land products in both 2D and 3D, and experience a virtual walk-through inside the building and its surroundings. This allows the officers to market JTC products more effectively. Besides eliminating the need for customers to go on-site, and also improving the marketing process, the 3D models can be used as an internal planning tool for JTC’s planners and architects.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

COVER STORY

The JTC Land and Space Management Application facilitates better decision-making.

J-Ops, an integrated smart estate and building operations system, enables better facilities management.

J-Ops J-Ops, an integrated smart estate and building operations system, is a cloudbased system that allows JTC to centrally and remotely monitor, analyse, and optimise its estate and building systems for better facilities management (FM).

This system is expected to reduce energy usage, improve the comfort of JTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tenants and help JTC be more productive and efficient in managing its facilities. This system leverages data, analytics and sensors to provide better in-

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

sight into how the buildings are operating, so that the correct decisions are made to ensure optimal operation of the essential services within the buildings. For example, sensors installed in air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems enable the monitoring of their performance in real-time, in order to ensure energyefficient operation. Also, faults are reported early and rectified immediately, thereby minimising the possibility of equipment breakdowns. The tenants will therefore benefit from the optimal provision of the building services. JTC has piloted it in three of its buildings - The JTC Summit, MedTech Hub @ MedTech Park and CleanTech Two @ CleanTech Park - and the system is currently linked to 19,000 data points, with the data collected every 5 minutes from 21 mechanical and electrical systems. This generates 5,472,000 data transactions every 24 hours, that are analysed in real-time, to identify faults and sub-optimal configurations. The system is designed to be used by both JTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s FM executives and FM operations staff. A digital map of Singapore provides an overview of JTCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s properties across the island. This allows JTC to obtain at a glance, the immediate status of all its properties, including the fault resolution status and energy usage trends. Key counters on energy use and faults are also visible at all times. Critical faults are clearly highlighted for quick follow-up. Faults identified can be navigated in the system by equipment type or by floor. Trend information on energy usage and faults can be viewed over different time-scales. The system allows JTC to locate a specific fault in a piece of equipment, allowing the FM team to diagnose and resolve faults effectively. The location of the fault will be displayed on the relevant floorplan, with analytics and historical data related to the fault

COVER STORY displayed, to aid in the understanding and diagnosis of the fault.The fault analytics will display possible causes and solutions for the fault, thus guiding the technician in resolving it. The current status and performance of the faulty equipment will be shown, as well. Once a fault has been resolved, the system will validate in almost real-time, that the fault has been fixed. With the system, JTC can scale up its capabilities in addressing the FM requirements of increasingly complex industrial facilities, without substantially increasing manpower and costs for FM and maintenance. The system allows JTC to centrally access building services across all its estates and buildings regardless of the type of building system in use, thus streamlining the work processes of its FM workforce. JTC’s FM teams are able to quickly locate and resolve faults based on guidance provided by the system, thus not only saving time on rectification of faults, but also allowing for preventive mitigation of faults before they become costly or complicated. Hence, this leads to greater energy efficiency as various building systems, such as air conditioning and mechanical ventilation systems, can be optimised. URBAN CONNECTIVITY Safe and effective deployment of self-driving vehicles To enable Singapore to move closer to its goal of deploying self-driving vehicles (SDVs) for shared transport, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) and JTC, in partnership with NTU, recently launched the Centre of Excellence for Testing & Research of AVs - NTU (CETRAN) and Test Circuit, at CleanTech Park. CETRAN will spearhead the development of testing requirements for SDVs, as there is no existing international standard. This would allow SDVs to be integrated with existing road traffic, which is an important step for widespread deployment of the vehicles. These efforts will be supported by the 2.0 ha CETRAN Test Circuit, jointly developed by LTA and

JTC to provide a simulated road environment for the testing of SDVs prior to their deployment on public roads. NTU will lead research activities at CETRAN, operate the Test Circuit and evaluate the SDV prototypes to be tested here. For example, the prototypes must display the ability to manoeuvre in local conditions, defined by the country’s traffic rules, traffic behaviour, road design and climate. The test circuit will also be open to industry players for the development and testing of their own SDVs, as they work towards meeting the standards set by CETRAN.The test circuit is expected to be operational in the second half of 2017. CETRAN and the CETRAN Test Circuit are located at CleanTech Park which will also provide the ideal environment for the testing and development of SDV technology.

CETRAN will house an expert research team set up by NTU, that will perform testing in a computer-simulated environment representative of Singapore’s traffic conditions, to complement the tests being performed in the test circuit. The LTA-NTU agreement will see CETRAN being operated by NTU for a period of five years, during which NTU will collaborate with various international testing, inspection and certification bodies, research institutions and industry partners, on global standards and test requirements. They include the BMW Group, testing body TÜV SÜD, the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) and TUM CREATE - a joint research collaboration between NTU and the Technical University of Munich. All images by JTC

The CETRAN Test Circuit will be jointly developed by LTA and JTC to support the centre’s research on testing standards for SDVs in Singapore

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

EDUCATION

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER October 2016

SUSTAINABILITY

BCA revises Green Mark scheme for residential buildings Release of ‘anonymised’ energy performance data on buildings in lead-up to mandatory disclosure is expected to spur innovative cost-effective solutions for reducing energy consumption. At the opening of the Singapore Green Building Week 2016 (SGBW 2016), Guest-of-Honour Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development and Second Minister for Finance, announced new measures and initiatives that the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is rolling out to further drive the greening of the built environment and enhance the green building experience for users. Revamped Green Mark criteria for residential buildings BCA has reviewed the Green Mark scheme for residential buildings and will be putting the new set of criteria on pilot for a year so that building designs will place greater emphasis on good passive design, façade performance, and effective natural ventilation to enhance the well-being of occupants. Besides ensuring energy and water efficiency, amongst other key green building features, the new Green Mark for Residential Buildings 2016 is aimed at encouraging building designers to proactively consider design features that promote adoption of a more sustainable lifestyle, to reduce the building’s impact on the environment. For example, having a home energy management system allows building occupants to track their own energy consumption and make conscious efforts to change their practices and behaviour. In addition, the requirement to have the most energy-efficient air-conditioning systems will help homeowners with greater savings on their electricity

bills. The pilot Green Mark criteria will be fine-tuned after consultation with the industry before full implementation. Building Energy Benchmarking Report In the latest findings from BCA’s third annual building energy benchmarking exercise, commercial buildings continue to perform well with a 7% improvement in the Energy Use Intensity (EUI) over the past 8 year,s since 2008. The EUI is a measure of the annual total energy consumed per unit floor area when operating a building. For the first time, information on the buildings, especially data on the energy consumption by the buildings in the healthcare as well as tertiary and private education sectors were collated and analysed. The EUI of healthcare facilities was found to have increased by 4% from 2008, while the increase for tertiary and private education institutions was around 7%. This presents the scope for building owners to improve the energy performance of these building types. Building owners could make use of this data to take a closer look into the energy performance of their buildings and develop strategies to improve them. BCA will be requiring owners of other building types, such as sports and recreation facilities, civic and community institutions as well as places of worship, to submit information on their buildings, especially energy consumption data, from next year. To make energy consumption data more transparent for the benefit of building owners and occupants, BCA

THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016

will release the energy performance data of commercial buildings in an ‘anonymised’ manner, through the Building Energy Submission System and data.gov.sg. Building owners, and even occupants, can make use of this data to assess the performance of their buildings and develop cost-effective solutions to reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint, if they find that their building is less energy-efficient than similar building types. Currently, major cities in the US, such as Boston, Washington DC and New York City, have implemented mandatory disclosure of building energy performance. Expanding BCA’s Green Mark’s reach The green building movement in Singapore has gained much interest internationally. BCA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA) to collaborate on capacity building and knowledge exchange, and sharing of best practices in green buildings; developing Rwanda’s green building standards by taking reference from the BCA Green Mark scheme; and promoting business collaboration in the area of green building. This collaboration was mooted following the successful experience that neighbouring country, Tanzania, had in setting up a similar programme through an MOU signed with BCA in 2014. To-date, the Green Mark scheme has reached out to 14 countries, including Australia, India, Vietnam, Indonesia, China and the Philippines.

SUSTAINABILITY

BCA partners Microsoft to leverage digitisation for next-generation green buildings The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is partnering Microsoft to harness the power of the Internet of Things (IoT), data analytics and cloud computing, to manage chiller plant efficiency and complement its Green Mark rating system for next-generation green buildings. As the first government agency to implement an integrated IoT solution for chiller plant efficiency, the pilot project centres on the development and use of a new Chiller Efficiency Smart Portal that will cater to 30 commercial and institutional buildings over a two-year period. Powered by Microsoft Azure, the portal monitors chiller plant performance and provides actionable insights which enable energy savings. Designed to be universal, to cater to different chiller plant systems, the sys-

tem uploads chiller plant performance data such as power, water flow rate and temperature, to the portal which is hosted on Microsoft Azure. Through machine-learning and automatic baselining, the portal can help detect chiller plant performance deviations that may potentially result in energy wastages. Upon detection of such irregularities, building managers and owners will be alerted via email or SMS, and be shown reports of the chiller performance summary, to help them take proactive and pre-emptive actions to optimise chiller performance and save energy. In addition to delivering actionable insights to facilities managers and building owners in a timely manner, the portal also provides them with a dashboard of the chiller plant performance data

collected from the portfolio of buildings under their management. With easy access to comparisons of chiller plant performance trends across multiple buildings, they can make quick and insight-based decisions on scheduling preventive maintenance and to negotiate performance-based contracts with their chiller service providers. The two-year pilot will be implemented in phases, until end-2017. When completed, the portal could potentially be an integral part of the Green Mark scheme, to encourage buildings to recertify and improve efficiency continually. The new Chiller Efficiency Smart Portal was showcased at the BCA pavilion during Build Eco Xpo Asia 2016 (BEX Asia 2016), from 7 to 9 September 2016.

BCA sets up a national repository of green technologies for buildings By 2017, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will introduce a repository for technology companies in Singapore to share and promote their latest green building products. Named the National Green Building Energy Efficiency Repository, it will enable building owners, professionals, researchers and policy makers to browse, access, and even submit as well as share the available data on these products, so that informed decisions and assessments can be made about them. The repository is the latest initiative that BCA has introduced to foster closer collaborations and sharing of data on green building technologies among the industry, building owners, developers and the research community. The objective is for building owners and developers to consider the adoption of even more green building technologies for their developments and provide a friendly platform for technology companies to promote their products with useful, validated data on their

energy performance and conservation. Building owners and developers can also contact these companies through contact details listed in the repository for further discussions about their products. In turn, building owners and developers who have installed these products in their developments can also share relevant data with the repository, on their buildings’ energy performance. Researchers and policymakers can use the data to perform detailed analysis or further tests that may result in improvements on the technologies or fine-turning of policies that improve the sustainability of the built environment. The main features of the repository include: • A technology directory with comprehensive information on energy-efficient technologies that are available • A projects map which shows the locations of where the technologies are being tested, as well as where government-funded research proj-

ects, related to energy efficiency of buildings, are being conducted • Decision-making tools to help building owners, developers and consultants to make informed decisions for their selection of the new energy-efficiency technologies • A building performance database with detailed reports and analysis of the historical building energy performance data A web-based prototype is currently under development and will be available by the first half of 2017 for testing with new features introduced gradually. BCA has appointed Hitachi Asia Ltd to conduct a comprehensive requirement study with potential users and design a user-centric platform for the repository. Companies, building owners and professionals, as well as members of the research community, can contact BCA if they are interested in participating, accessing the repository or receiving the latest updates on the repository.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

SUSTAINABILITY

BCA awards grants to eight research projects on smart and sustainable building technology The 1st Grant Call under the Green Buildings Innovation Cluster supports the development of smart and energy-efﬁcient technology and solutions for buildings in the tropics. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has awarded S$8.4 million in grants to eight research projects that focus on smart and sustainable building technology for the future. Through this 1st Grant Call, the research community and the industry will collaborate to develop solutions that will support BCA’s efforts in achieving a greener, smarter and healthier built environment in Singapore. The research on smart Building Management and Information Systems is one of the four focused technology areas identified under the Building Energy Efficiency Roadmap launched in 2014. Research teams in these projects will work with collaborators from the public and private sector including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Under the BCA’s Green Buildings Innovation Cluster, the Grant Call was introduced to encourage public-private collaborations to develop smart and sustainable technology for the built environment. It complements Singapore’s Smart Nation initiatives and supports the BCA’s 3rd Green Building Masterplan. Administered by the BCA’s Built Environment Research and Innovation Institute and funded by theNational Research Foundation, the Green Buildings Innovation Cluster (GBIC) was established by the BCA in 2014 to accelerate the use of innovative, energy-efficient technology. The cluster is a one-stop Research, Development and Demonstration programme to experiment, exhibit, and exchange knowledge of promising building energy-efficient solutions with the industry. The 3rd Green Building Masterplan was developed with an emphasis on engaging building tenants and occupants more actively to drive energy

consumption behavioural change and to address the well-being of the people. These eight projects were chosen based on an evaluation criteria that include innovation, relevance with respect to the current challenges faced in the built environment sector, potential to produce breakthrough results (ie greater than 30% potential energy savings) and the possibility to be commercialised for adoption in buildings. RESEARCH PROJECTS AWARDED THE INAUGURAL BCA GRANT CALL Toward Learning-based Thermal Comfort Models to Instill Behavioural Changes for Greener, Smarter and Healthier Buildings in the Tropics via Pervasive Sensing A system that tracks building occupants’ thermal comfort with wearable devices (eg wristbands and smart watches) to sense their vital signs (eg heart rate and skin temperature). With the collected data, the system can adjust the building’s air-conditioning system and room temperature for better energy efficiency while maintaining occupants' comfort. Principal Investigator: Dr Wen Yonggang, Nanyang Technological University Collaborators: Evercomm Pte Ltd • Huami • Tsinglink • Nanyang Technological University • University of Technology, Sydney • BCA Intelligent Building Automation and Analytics using Model-Predictive Control An intelligent control system that can analyse a building’s energy efficiency so that developers can optimise the building’s energy performance and its occupants can enjoy a better indoor air quality.

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Principal Investigator: Dr Wan Man Pun, Nanyang Technological University Collaborators: Nanyang Technological University • Schneider Electric Singapore Pte Ltd • University of Colorado, USA • BCA Scalable and Smart Building Energy Management Systems A smart energy management system that plans and controls the timing and distribution of cool air in a building without compromising human comfort and energy efficiency. Principal Investigator: Dr Su Rong, Nanyang Technological University Collaborators: UC Berkeley, USA • Beca Carter Hollings & Ferner (S E Asia) Pte Ltd • ABB Pte Ltd (Singapore) • BCA Data-Driven Modelling and Real-Time Optimisation for Diversified Chiller Plants A model that optimises the energy performance / consumption of an aircon chiller plant by tracking and analysing real-time data, and then identifying the patterns of human usage for optimal energy performance. Principal Investigator: Dr Zhang Zhenjie, Advanced Digital Sciences Center Collaborators: Kaer Co • Nanyang Technological University Green Building Management System - An Open IoT Platform Approach A system that collects real-time information on a building’s energy and water consumption, and analyses it with patterns of human activities so that energy consumption from its fixtures and appliances can be optimised. The information is then stored on the Cloud and becomes accessible to other related and relevant applications used by building

SUSTAINABILITY professionals, including facilities management professionals. Principal Investigator: Dr Yuen Chau, Singapore University of Technology and Design Collaborators: Singapore University of Technology and Design • JC Kuhpi • Khoo Teck Puat Hospital • Power Automation • Princeton University • BCA Real-Time Occupant Engaged Indoor Environmental Quality Monitoring and Controlling System using Wireless Sensor-Actuator Network for Smart Indoor Environments A wireless network that ‘senses’ the quality of an indoor environment so that developers can optimise building energy performance and the building occupants can enjoy a better indoor air quality. Principal Investigator: Prof Panda

Sanjib Kumar, National University of Singapore Collaborators: National University of Singapore • Advanced Digital Sciences Center • Honeywell • BCA Smart Solutions Promoting Behaviour Driven Energy Efficiency: A Personalitybased Energy Management System An energy management system for a building that takes into consideration the behaviours and personalities of its occupants / users. The results of the analysis will determine the pattern of energy use and optimise energy savings. Principal Investigator: Dr Lu Yujie, National University of Singapore Collaborators: University of Maryland, College Park, USA • George Washington University, USA • City University of Hong Kong • National University of Singapore • BCA

Lifecycle BIM Integration with Energy MM&V for Net Zero Energy Building This system will ‘merge’ or ‘integrate’ a virtual three-dimensional model of a building with a model of its energy consumption using a series of measuring tools. By putting both models together, building professionals can analyse the measurements as well as patterns of energy consumption and create simulations that attempt to reduce the energy consumption to a minimum, if not zero. The proposed system will be validated against an on-going Net Zero Energy Building project in the National University of Singapore. Principal Investigator: Dr Shen Lijun, National University of Singapore Collaborators: National University of Singapore • Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd • OSIsoft • BCA

Marrakech hosts first UN Climate Change Conference under global agreement A big green light for faster, stronger climate action was switched on as the Paris Climate Change Agreement entered into force, only three days before the start of this year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Marrakech on 7 November 2016. “The Paris Agreement’s ambitious and essential goals are now a live reality for every government. From today, ever-increasing climate action becomes an accepted responsibility and a central part of the sustainable development plans of all countries”, said Ms Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The international effort to bring the Paris Agreement into force in less than a year - an unexpectedly rapid result - reflects the strong, common political will to shift as quickly as possible towards the low-carbon, resilient economies and societies,

which is the only way to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. “Climate action - faster, smarter, bigger and better - reduces the greenhouse gas emissions which drive climate change and at the same time catalyses the clean power economies and climate-resilient societies which are the foundation on which the future health, wealth and well-being of all people now depend”, said Ms Espinosa. Last year, countries of the world constructed a fresh, integrated vision for the future which rests firmly on the Paris Agreement, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. These momentous agreements must succeed together and require unprecedented scale and depth of universal and concerted action involving all governments, local and

regional authorities, business and investment actors at all levels and in all countries. The timetable is pressing. The Paris Agreement’s primary goal - to limit global warming to well below 2° C and as close to 1.5° C as possible, to prevent dangerous tipping points in the climate system - means that global emissions must peak soon then be driven down very rapidly. Yet greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere and global average temperatures continue rising, underlining the urgent task in front of the two-week COP 22 conference in Marrakech. The agreement’s early entry into force has focused minds on completing the fundamental work and confirming the key requirements that will allow countries together to implement Paris’s goals at the required scale and speed.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

UTILITIES ENGINEERING

Compressed air - a necessary input with wide-ranging uses Mr Nalin Amunugama, General Manager, BOGE Kompressoren Asia Paciﬁc, Singapore, explains the importance of compressed air in the industrial as well as healthcare sectors, and touches on some of the contributions made by his company in this ﬁeld of engineering. vital for day-to-day operations in these industries.

Mr Nalin Amunugama

APPLICATIONS FOR COMPRESSED AIR After water, gas, and electricity, compressed air, also known as ‘the fourth utility’, is an essential element to millions of businesses around the world. The main sectors reliant on compressed and pressurised air include the electronics, food, medical, plastics, steel, construction, environment and recycling, automotive, oil & gas, and chemical industries. Electronics and Manufacturing In purity-critical compressed air applications in the manufacturing sector, where air comes into contact with the production process, such as in pharmaceutical manufacturing and packaging, chemical and petrochemical processing, semiconductor and electronics manufacturing, automotive paint spraying and textile manufacturing, contamination of the air, by even the smallest quantities of oil, can result in damaged products or product batches, high rejection rates and costly production downtime and cleanup. In order to overcome these issues, oil-free compressed air has become

Food and Beverage Modern food facilities rely on compressed air in their manufacturing processes. Oil-free compressors can be used in direct contact with the product, while oil lubricated compressors can be used in packaging processes and in the operation of production machinery such as filling machines and pumps, or in the generation of other gases. For example, compressed air generates the vacuum used in the packaging process and is used in conveying systems to move food and ingredients. For PET bottle-blowing, high pressure oil-free compressed air is fed into the bottle blower machine moulds where preforms are heated and the plastic is stretched to form the bottle. Medical and Healthcare Every hospital is equipped with air compressors for medical air. Hospitals use two distinct compressed air systems, supplying medical air for patients and equipment, and technical air that is used for maintenance around the facility. Compressed air systems must comply with a range of statutory requirements and standards, to ensure clean breathing air is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Power and transportation Power companies use air compressors to start engines. Last year, BOGE launched its marine product range for the shipping sector. BOGE’s starting air piston compressors provide a constant supply of compressed air to start up diesel engines. To prevent methaneemitting freight from causing damage to cargo tanks, ships require nitrogen

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on-board to keep the dew point of its liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) fuel to minus 40° C. BOGE’s nitrogen generators in the marine range provide a consistent supply to achieve this and prevent the gas from reacting with water vapour. Construction In the civil engineering and construction fields, compressed air is used for powering various air tools and for pressurised transportation of soil and sewer water etc. COST-COMPETITIVE AND SUSTAINABLE COMPRESSED AIR SYSTEMS While compressed air has become an indispensable commodity in industry and other areas, it remains both energy- and cost-intensive. Energy accounts for 75% of a system’s lifecycle costs. Normally, the larger the system and the longer the operating hours, the higher this percentage will be. Fortunately, compressed air is one technology where businesses can improve efficiency and thereby reduce associated energy expenditure. Through expert consultations, for example, comprehensive audits of businesses’ compressed air demands can be made, and all components can then be synchronised accordingly. Where appropriate, BOGE advises users to invest in a frequency controlled compressor that adapts to demand fluctuations, while producing the required volume at a constant pressure. Cautious users tend to run their systems at a higher pressure, but are unaware that for every bar of extra pressure, energy requirements increase by 6%. Identifying lead times and idle times of various compres-

UTILITIES ENGINEERING sors will also enable users to coordinate their systems so as to maximise capacity utilisation. Early detection and controlling of leaks, on the other hand, prevent further energy wastage. Intelligent control systems typically prove to be reliable solutions. With the BOGE airstatus system, for instance, users have constant access to an overview of the process values of compressed air devices (including temperature, pressure, operating hours, idle hours and servicing status). Not only can the measured data be called up, graphically displayed, and evaluated at any time via a PC or smartphone, or using the BOGE app, the airstatus also provides information via text messages or emails, if faults occur or defined parameters are breached. This effectively shortens the response time in eliminating â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;efficiency killersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;. BOGE recently introduced its highspeed turbo (HST) technology. The HST compressors are significantly smaller and lighter, requiring the use of fewer components which are, however, of high quality, to ensure minimal wear (and lower attendant maintenance costs), as well as increased longevity. With the new design, efficiency values are also ramped up. This is most evident in the compressorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s idle mode where the energy required is below 1.9% of the rated power, partly due to the exclusion of an energy-consuming fan motor. The integrated frequency inverters installed in the compressors also allow the volume flow rate to be adjusted to specific compressed air demands, cutting back on wastage and energy consumption, while promising a reliable supply of Class 0 oilfree compressed air. The advantages of HST compressors are particularly salient in sensitive production areas, as found in chemical, pharmaceutical, food, beverage and semiconductor industries. More than just an economic issue,

Compressed air has become vital for day-to-day operations in most industries including the automotive sector.

BOGE's HST control system can be adjusted to specific compressed air demands, cutting back on waste and energy consumption.

energy optimisation is also an ecological necessity. BOGE recognises the importance of recycling energy and offers innovative heat recovery options that help businesses put generated heat to use in other ways, such as in heating domestic or circuit water, or for process support. Often, such simple and relevant changes whether harnessing waste energy or minimising plant inactivity - bring considerable benefits to both the environment and the budgets of businesses, including cutting energy costs by at least 30%.

BOGE KOMPRESSOREN BOGE KOMPRESSOREN, founded in 1907 in the German city of Bielefeld, has over 100 years of history as a leading manufacturer of air compressors, such as high-speed turbo compressors, screw compressors and scroll compressors, to complete systems and individual devices. Today, with more than 200 branch offices and service partners worldwide, BOGE is represented in more than 120 countries. The BOGE Asia Pacific office was opened in Singapore, in 1996, to ca-

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

UTILITIES ENGINEERING ter to the rapidly developing Asian market - the first office to be opened by BOGE outside of Europe. In 2003, BOGE set up a plant in Shanghai to develop and manufacture products for sale in China, India and Southeast Asia. The Asia Pacific office is responsible for markets in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea, Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, Myanmar, Singapore and Indochina. The Singapore office also manages the subsidiaries in India and Australia. BOGE’s activities include sales and marketing, distributorship development, and consultancy services. Earlier this year, BOGE supplied its products to a company in Tarjun, Indonesia, for the manufacture of biodiesel with crude palm oil. Products and solutions With the increase in compressed air applications and the growth of the Asian market, investing in research and development has become a fundamental part of our continual efforts to introduce cutting-edge innovations. Presently, the BOGE product range includes powerful screw and piston compressors, compressed air filtration and treatment systems, as well as energyefficient solutions. BOGE also manufactures a complementary range of filters, dryers and condensate management equipment. A key feature of every BOGE compressor is the compact design that serves to minimise flow losses, while high quality air-ends optimise productivity while reducing energy usage. The award-winning S-series range of BOGE screw compressors incorporates an uncluttered cabinet layout and ensures reliable daily operation. All oil-carrying pipes are made of steel and come with joints that are leak-proof and safe, even under high pressures. Standard S-series components are also assembled into one stand-alone package, to reduce footprint size and eliminate installation costs. While the S-series is ideal for the operation of larger volumes of air, the

Compressed air buffers and medical compressed air treatment systems are designed with triple redundancy to guarantee a reliable supply.

C series is suited to small businesses, garages and workshops, due to its spacesaving and quiet screw compressors (up to 22 kW). All the necessary components are neatly integrated into the air-end block, instead of having separate oil/air separation vessels that require annual third-party certifications. In healthcare, the need to categorise compressed air into medical air and technical air means that two very distinct compressed air systems operate concurrently. Although the same type of compressor can be used for all compressed air requirements, the main variant is the specific software coordinating these compressors. In this case, BOGE offers the right technologies that not only deliver the appropriate redundancy and availability for breathing air, but also keep the total cost of maintenance and energy consumption low. In the shipping industry, BOGE’s marine systems are designed to be put to work immediately. These compressors deliver constantly high pressures and can withstand soaring ambient temperatures, while their low speed makes them durable, even in the tough conditions in the oceans. As we embrace the digitalisation of industry, diagnostics tools such as remote monitoring will continue to facilitate human-machine communications. BOGE’s condition monitoring tools provide users with real-time access to their systems’ data on their mobile devices, thus facilitating the digitalised coordination of the entire maintenance process.

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Effectively, our solutions promise flexibility and adaptability. Production companies, like those in the food industry, turn to BOGE for individually designed installations for the manufacture of PET bottles, for example. Meanwhile, those with special compressed air quality requirements will find a match in our innovative, oil-free compressor range. And for users facing space constraints, the compact design of a great number of our compressors becomes an essential feature. BOGE’s customisation ensures that compressors are proportionately dimensioned relative to specific air demands. BOGE plans, develops and installs systems capable of delivering safe and efficient compressed air for a range of temporary and permanent supply requirements. A recent achievement Our German engineers were challenged to come up with an optimum performance screw compressor for the 110 kW to 160 kW power range. The aim was to develop a screw compressor that would be the ‘best in class’ for its low absorbed power, low noise levels and price competitiveness. We have accordingly developed a compressor with specific power less than 5.9 kW/ m3/min, as part of the fourth generation S-4 Series which will be introduced to the market in the beginning of 2017. With this success, we hope to extend the S-4 series to the 55 kW to 110 kW power class, by 2018.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

SMART CITIES

Moving towards efficient and liveable urban environments A selection of announcements at World Cities Summit 2016 highlight the collaborative approaches to achieving this objective. HDB inks three agreements with industry partners The Housing & Development Board (HDB) inked three new agreements for collaboration with industry partners at the World Cities Summit 2016. Aimed at bringing HDB living to new heights, these new partnerships will enable HDB to tap on the deep expertise and wide experience of the private industry partners, both locally and internationally, to promote excellence in the planning and design of HDB towns and Singapore’s built environment. As the master planner and developer of public housing in Singapore, HDB has continually leveraged technological advancements to improve the planning and design of HDB estates so that its residents can enjoy a better quality of life. The three new collaborations are: • A S$10 million contract with the NCS consortium, which seals a 4-year collaboration to develop a comprehensive digital master plan and Smart Hub to guide HDB’s efforts to boost liveability, efficiency, safety and sustainability for HDB towns and estates. • A research collaboration with 3M Singapore to study new and creative ways to soften the impact of noise in Singapore’s high-rise, highdensity environment. • A Memorandum of Understanding with the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP), Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Human Settlement (EAROPH), Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP) and Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC), to organise an International Planning and Housing

At the HDB-NCS contract signing ceremony for the development of Smart Urban Habitat Master Plan and Smart Hub are, from left, Dr Johnny Wong, Group Director, Building and Research Institute; Dr Cheong Koon Hean, CEO, Housing & Development Board; Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for National Development; Ms Chua Sock Koong, Group CEO, Singtel; Mr Chia Wee Boon, CEO, NCS; and Mr Ferry Chung,Vice President, Smart & Safe Cities Centre of Excellence, NCS.

Conference (IPHC) in Singapore in the later part of 2017. The conference will bring together a network of housing and planning experts and professionals worldwide, to foster learning and exchange of information and ideas. Creating smart HDB homes of the future In line with Singapore’s move towards becoming a Smart Nation, HDB has, since 2014, embarked on a journey to create smart, sustainable and vibrant towns and estates under the Smart HDB Town Framework. To further build on HDB’s smart efforts, HDB, with support from the Economic Development Board, is collaborating with the NCS consortium to develop a new Smart Urban Habitat Master Plan (SUHMP), under the S$10 million contract. The master plan will comprehensively map

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out a strategic approach towards the deployment of smart initiatives in HDB towns. It will also identify ground challenges for the introduction of smart solutions, highlight areas where more research efforts are needed, and explore potential viable business models that can be adopted. This will ensure that the solutions deployed are sustainable, and also provide opportunities for wider partnership with the private sector. For a start, the SUHMP will be developed for Punggol Town. As part of the collaboration, a new Smart Hub, akin to the ‘brain’ for an HDB estate’s operations, will be developed to collect and integrate multiple sources of information, such as real-time data from sensors around estates, into a central repository sited at HDB. The data collected by the Smart Hub can transform the way HDB

SMART CITIES towns are planned, designed and maintained, to provide a better living environment for the residents. For instance, dashboards can be created to monitor and analyse the performance of key services, such as lighting, pumps and waste collection. This will enable HDB to better monitor estate operations and optimise maintenance cycles. The data can also be used to identify patterns and predict potential maintenance issues, allowing for proactive upgrading and replacement of systems. The NCS consortium includes NCS Pte Ltd, Arup Singapore Pte Ltd, Samsung SDS Asia Pacific Pte Ltd and AECOM Singapore Pte Ltd. Creating a more pleasant living environment In city environments, noise is a common challenge that can have an impact on the quality of living. HDB will embark on a one-year research collaboration with 3M Singapore, to understand, in-depth, the noise gener-

ated in an urban environment, such as those from traffic or human activities, and explore viable solutions to lessen their impact on residents. This includes studying suitable materials for walls, floors and windows, that can absorb, reflect or reduce the transmission of noise within flats, to create a more pleasant living environment. Creating the best homes by learning from best practices In the continuing efforts to pursue innovative ideas for public housing and bring about improvements in the urban environment, HDB and the International Federation for Housing and Planning (IFHP) have initiated the organisation of an International Planning and Housing Conference to be held in Singapore, in 2017. A Memorandum of Understanding has been signed with the IFHP, as well with as three other partners - Eastern Regional Organisation for Planning and Human Settlement

(EAROPH), Singapore Institute of Planners (SIP) and Centre for Liveable Cities (CLC) - to organise the conference. The international conference will provide a valuable platform for professionals, policy makers, designers, planners, engineers and builders, from around the world, to come together, to share good practices and exchange ideas in planning and housing for their citizens. Going forward The three agreements signed mark yet another step forward in HDB’s journey to develop well-designed homes, sustainable towns and a quality living environment for residents. Going forward, HDB will continue to partner the industry, professional organisations and institutes of higher learning, to explore new approaches and innovative solutions to bring about better homes for Singaporeans.

Surbana Jurong launches integrated smart city solutions At WCS 2016, Surbana Jurong Private Limited announced the launch of its first batch of integrated smart city solutions, beginning with eight modules with strategic technology partners. Dubbed ‘Smart City in a Box’, it comes with a dashboard that allows city officials to load customisable applications (apps) in four key areas - security, efficiency, sustainability and community enabling them to track, monitor and manage cities better. Some of the apps provided in the first batch include: • Sustainability - energy-saving, eg smart lighting, energy usage monitoring

• Security - facial recognition technology, water quality monitoring, smart locks, fire and smoke detection • People - feedback and engagement • Efficiency - asset upkeep and maintenance Working with Surbana Jurong’s city planners, customers can choose to deploy the relevant apps from this set of solutions. A survey conducted by Surbana Jurong amongst city leaders, on smart city readiness in conjunction with the World City Summit, revealed that over two thirds of city leaders listed that they are reliant on other

cities for water and a quarter are also reliant on other cities for ICT services. Such high levels of interdependence point to a need for a coherent and standardised set of technology solutions to manage city operations.The Smart City in a Box aims to address this need. Surbana Jurong’s integrated smart city solutions were developed from over 30 years of experience deploying its proprietary Integrated Estate Management System (IEMS) in Singapore’s public housing estates. The IEMS helps to monitor, relay, and analyse information to facilitate estate management.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

SMART CITIES

Improving liveability in smart cities with solutions from 3M

Channel lighting system

For over a century, 3M has been applying science in collaborative ways to improve lives daily. The global science company showcased its suite of smart urban solutions at the WCS 2016. This included the launch of the 3M Channel Lighting System, an advanced energy-efficient solution developed by the Singapore-based Smart Urban Solutions (SUS) Lab, the first global lab of its kind for 3M. This is in response to the call for solutions to create sustainable and liveable cities in the face of rapid urbanisation around the world. The companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s participation in WCS 2016 reflects its commitment to continue collaborating with customers, communities and cities to address these challenges together. The SUS lab was set up last October to tackle megatrends identified across rapidly urbanising Asia, particularly in areas of energy and smart infrastructure. With the successful roll-out of the 3M Channel Lighting System and Smart Asset Management tool here in Singapore, 3M is confident that the application of these smart urban solutions can be applied to urban areas

Flexible LED

Panel lighting for horticulture

in the region facing similar challenges. At WCS 2016, the 3M SUS lab also presented solutions in the areas of mobility and security as well as construction. Advanced lighting systems The channel lighting solution is an innovative light management system that combines two of 3Mâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s key

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technology platforms - films and light management - to deliver light in a smarter and more sustainable way. Tested successfully against various building concepts in Singapore, the channel lighting system presents itself as a better alternative to conventional LED and fluorescent tubing, for cities of the future. It enables buildings and public spaces to enjoy uniform light

SMART CITIES distribution with minimal light from the source, and that translates to less use of electrical parts, better thermal management and enhanced energy savings. The other smart and sustainable lighting solutions on display included: â&#x20AC;˘ Flex LED Lighting - using 3M flexible substrate, this LED lighting module provides lighting that is energy-efficient with uniform light spread, reduced glare and control of light pollution at night. â&#x20AC;˘ Modulated Panel Lighting for Horticulture - a light panel which utilises 3M film technology to allow collimated light distribution from a remote light source, delivering a uniform light spectrum to support plant growth.

some ways where 3M has combined many of their 46 technology platforms in unique ways to innovate products and solutions to create liveable cities of the future, for individuals and the community. As 3M celebrates 50 years of growing together with Singapore in 2016, improving lives and communities in the city-state, the company has also signed a research collaboration agreement with HDB, to co-develop new solutions to address urban noise issues.

Smart Asset Management (network lock and network panel)

Smart Asset Management Smart Asset Management is an integrated solution for remote access and monitoring applications aimed at increasing security and productivity, while reducing the cost of infrastructure management, at the same time. Mobility and security The proactive traffic and security systems from 3M recognise face and vehicle licence plates in real-time, to provide traffic optimisation, worker safety and increased security for individuals and communities. Advanced construction solutions The company offers materials and coatings for building exterior and interior finishes, such as anti-soiling coatings and acoustic 3M DI-NOC films, aimed at improving construction productivity and modern liveability standards in a city. From transporting more light to more people, with minimal light from the source, to integrating powerful data all on a smart grid, so that the right people can get to the right information to take action - these are

Mobility and security solutions

Advanced construction solutions

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Cyber security awareness rises A recent survey has revealed that while the majority of respondents believe that the IT security industry is making progress against cyber attacks, gains are undercut by failure to enforce best practices in critical areas. The 10th annual CyberArk Global Advanced Threat Landscape Survey 2016, themed ‘Cyber Security: Past, Present & Future’ examines whether global enterprises are learning and applying lessons from high-profile cyber attacks and how security priorities and business decision-making are being influenced. According to the results of the global survey commissioned and released by CyberArk, while 82% of respondents believe that the IT security industry is making progress against cyber attacks, those gains are undercut by egregious security practices in critical areas such as privileged account security, third-party vendor access and cloud. Bad security habits persist Headline-making cyber attacks have driven significant increases in cyber security awareness. However, the failure to turn increased awareness into the enforcement of security best practices undermines progress for organisations’ cyber security efforts. • 79% state their organisations have learned lessons from major cyber attacks and have taken appropriate action to improve security. • 67% now believe their CEOs/ Boards of Directors provide sound cyber security leadership (up from 57% in 2015). • The top actions taken because of this awareness are deployment of malware detection (25%), endpoint security (24%) and security analytics (16%). • 55% of respondents state their organisations have changed or have evolved processes for managing privileged accounts. • Despite this, 40% of organisations still store privileged and administra40

tion passwords in a Word document or spreadsheet, while 28% use a shared server or USB stick. • Nearly half of organisations (49%) allow third-party vendors (such as supply chain and IT management firms) remote access to their internal networks. • While the majority of respondents secure and monitor that access, the public sector has the least thirdparty vendor access controls in place compared to other sectors, with 21% not securing and 33% not monitoring that activity. Striking a balance between fear and overconfidence Organisations are increasingly adopting a post-breach mindset, preparing to deal with ongoing cyber attacks and activity in the case of a breach. This preparedness is leading to positive steps in post-breach planning, but concerns exist about how overconfidence may affect the ability to protect against cyber attacks. • Three out of four IT decision makers now believe they can prevent attackers from breaking into their internal network – up from 44 percent in 2015. • Despite this, 36% believe a cyber attacker is currently on their network, or has been in the last 12 months. • 46% believe their organisation was a victim of a ransomware attack in the past two years. • 82% of respondents believe that the security industry in general is making progress against cyber attacks. • 17% believe the industry is falling further behind. • Nearly every organisation (95%) has a cybersecurity emergency response plan.

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• This preparedness is undermined by a lack of communication and testing - only 45% communicate and regularly test their plan with all IT staff. • 68% of organisations cite losing customer data as one of their biggest concerns following a cyber attack. • 60% of those who use the cloud store customer data in it. • 57% who store information in the cloud are not completely confident of their cloud provider’s ability to protect their data. • When identifying the most difficult stage of a cyber attack to mitigate, malware installation ranked first (41%), followed by privileged account takeover (25%). Future risks emerge As cyber attacks continue on trusted institutions such as government, utilities and financial systems, respondents identified what types of cyber attacks or tactics are most concerning. Respondents also shared which cyber attack scenarios they think represent the most immediate and potentially catastrophic threat, in general. • Respondents list the following types of cyber attacks or tactics as the top-ranked concern in the next 12 months - Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks (19%), phishing (14%), ransomware (13%), privileged account exploitation (12%) and perimeter breaches (12%). • Attacks on financial systems, including disruption of global markets (58%) is the most potentially catastrophic threat perceived by respondents, followed by attacks causing massive utilities damage (55%) and those impacting civil services such as healthcare and hospital services (51%).

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY The impact of a breach The survey found a varied global picture in terms of preparedness for increased regulatory oversight and the impact on cyber security programs and accountability. • While 70% of global respondents agree that the threat of legal action and fines influences the level of executive/board involvement in security-related decisions, 22% of the respondents do not incorporate compliance fines or legal fees (19%) into the cost of a breach. • Nearly seven in ten (69%) respondents state that, in response to a breach or cyber attack, stopping the breach/removing the attackers is among their top priorities, followed by detecting the source of the breach (53%). • Far fewer respondents prioritise notifying the CEO/board (26%), entire staff/workforce (25%) or customers (18%).

“The findings of this year’s Global Advanced Threat Landscape Survey demonstrate that cyber security awareness does not always equate to being secure. Organisations undermine their own efforts by failing to enforce well-known security best practices around potential vulnerabilities associated with privileged accounts, third-party vendor access and data stored in the cloud. There is a fine line between preparedness and overconfidence. The majority of cyber attacks are a result of poor security hygiene organisations cannot lose sight of the broader security picture while trying to secure against the threat du jour” - John Worrall, Chief Marketing Officer, CyberArk.

About the research CyberArk commissioned independent research firm Vanson Bourne to conduct surveys with 750 IT and IT security decision-makers from around the world, including C-level executives, directors and department heads among enterprise organisations. Respondents represent a range of public and private organisations across multiple vertical industries from the United States, Europe (France, Germany, United Kingdom), Israel and Asia Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, Singapore). CyberArk CyberArk is a security company focused on eliminating the most ad-

vanced cyber threats - those that use insider privileges to attack the heart of the enterprise. Dedicated to stopping attacks before they stop business, CyberArk proactively secures against cyber threats before attacks can escalate and do irreparable damage. The company is trusted by the world’s leading companies - including 45% of the Fortune 100 - to protect their highest value information assets, infrastructure and applications. A global company, CyberArk is headquartered in Petach Tikvah, Israel, with its US headquarters located in Newton, Massachusetts. The company also has offices throughout EMEA and Asia Pacific.

Intrusion prevention system gets high rating Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, recently announced that the Trend Micro TippingPoint NextGeneration Intrusion Prevention System (NGIPS) has received a ‘recommended’ rating, based on the 2016 NSS Labs NGIPS test. With an overall score of 99.5%, the report findings reinforce the company’s leadership in the intrusion prevention system market and its reputation for high enterprise security. With its Next-Generation IPS solutions, TippingPoint provides integrated advanced threat prevention in real-time for known vulnerabilities and all potential attack permutations. Additionally, its Advanced Threat Protection solutions allow users to detect, analyse and respond to unknown malware and advanced threats across all network traffic, ports and more than 100 protocols. TippingPoint NGIPS customers also benefit from the exclusive insights garnered through Trend Micro’s Zero Day Initiative bug bounty program, resulting in pre-emptive coverage between vulnerability disclosure and patch availability.

NSS Labs’ NGIPS evaluation analysed the security efficacy, performance, cost of ownership, stability and reliability of eight NGIPS devices. As advanced threats and targeted attacks continue to surge, the NSS Labs report provides customers with an impartial, third-party resource establishing TippingPoint NGIPS as an effective and reasonablypriced threat detection solution. Trend Micro Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. The company’s solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centres, cloud environments, networks, and end-points. All the products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defence with centralised visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With over 5,000 employees in over 50 countries and advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro enables organisations to secure their journey to the cloud.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

Applied Materials and IME to extend research collaboration Applied Materials Inc and the Institute of Microelectronics (IME), a worldrenowned research institute under the Agency for Science,Technology and Research (A*STAR), recently announced a five-year extension of their research collaboration at the Centre of Excellence in Advanced Packaging in Singapore.The organisations will expand the scope of their R&D collaboration to focus on advancing Fan-Out Wafer-Level Packaging (FOWLP), a key technology inflection expected to help make chips and end-user devices smaller, faster and more power-efficient. With an anticipated additional S$188 million of combined investment, the centre will expand to a second location at Fusionopolis 2, in addition to the existing facility at Singapore’s Science Park II. The two facilities combined will span an area of approximately 1,700 m2 and will be staffed by a team of close to 100 researchers, scientists and engineers. The centre was built to develop new capabilities in advanced packaging, through a full line of Applied Materials’ Wafer-Level Packaging (WLP) processing equipment and has successfully delivered advancements in semiconductor hardware, process and device structures.

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Big Data are driving forces in today’s market of interconnected and multifunctional electronic devices. FOWLP is considered a key technology platform for system scaling, enabling multiple chips to be integrated in a small form factor on a single package. With FOWLP capable of providing significant benefits for the mobile and wireless markets, increased investment in the sector could help propel Singapore’s standing as a global hub for semiconductor R&D. Through a successful alliance with its private sector partners across the value chain, A*STAR has contributed to Singapore’s vibrant research, innovation and enterprise ecosystem. In 2014, A*STAR and 10 other industry partners launched four Advanced Semiconductor Joint Labs to provide an integrated platform for complex microchip manufacturing R&D. These global partnerships, together with the Applied Materials - A*STAR joint R&D Centre, will continue to strengthen Singapore’s capabilities in semiconductor R&D and contribute to the creation of high-value jobs and competitiveness of the industry. The Singapore centre conducts WLP research across Applied Ma-

terials for its global customers. The centre undertakes complex multidisciplinary research to develop new innovations in advanced packaging including bump, TSV, 2.5D interposers and, now, FOWLP. Through its work at the centre, Applied Materials has developed technology that has been successfully implemented in several of its semiconductor equipment products. In addition, the extension of the collaboration highlights the important role a successful public-private partnership plays in creating value and building up differentiated competencies for Singapore. A*STAR has a long-term view on strategic investments in R&D that can contribute to Singapore’s economic growth. It is home to one of the premier advanced packaging and wafer-level packaging research facilities in Asia. IME’s leading research capabilities in advanced chip packaging are focused on meeting the challenging requirements in complex and sophisticated chip packaging, in order to develop slimmer devices with greater system capabilities such as ultra-low power consumption, increased memory and bandwidth, and diverse functionality.

Bosch Security Systems and Sony establish partnership Bosch Security Systems and Sony Corporation have signed a contract to establish a business partnership to collaborate in the development of innovative products and solutions in the field of video security applications. Effective from the beginning of 2017, the two companies aim to combine their technological expertise to set new standards in high-resolution and low light video imaging. As

part of the agreed partnership, Sony`s video security customers in all markets except Japan will be served and supported by the sales and marketing organisation of Bosch Security Systems. The partnership is subject to approval by the antitrust authorities. Within the scope of the partnership, Sony will bring its expertise in video image quality and performance, while Bosch will add

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an extensive set of robust video analytics at the edge to interpret data as well as technologies to achieve efficient bit rates and minimum storage requirements. Sony’s video security customers will be served and supported by a dedicated sales and marketing team within the Bosch Security Systems organisation, offering customer support, after-sales service and training in different languages, in over 50 countries worldwide.

ELECTRONICS ENGINEERING

Infineon chip helps to solve the Rubik’s Cube puzzle in record time At electronica 2016, the International Trade Fair for Electronic Components, Systems and Applications, the machine ‘Sub1 Reloaded’ solved the Rubik’s Cube in 637 milliseconds. The trade fair was held in Munich, Germany, from 8 to 11 November 2016. The microcontroller AURIX, from Infineon Technologies, a world leader in semiconductor solutions, also contributed to the record-breaking effort. One of the world’s most powerful microcontrollers, AURIX is also an essential element that enables autonomous driving. For the Rubik’s Cube, it helped to achieve the best time in the approximately 30 years that have passed since the Hungarian Ernő Rubik invented the puzzle. It takes a human at least 4.9 seconds to solve the puzzle. This is the best time recorded by a so-called ‘speedcuber’ and listed in the Guinness World Records. Each of the six faces of the cube has nine squares that can be turned in opposing directions. The objective is to rotate the faces until all the squares on each of the faces are of the same distinctive colour. More than 43 quintillion combinations of the coloured squares are possible. It takes tremendous computing power to solve such a highly complex puzzle with a machine. In the case of Sub1 Reloaded, the power for motor control was supplied by a microcontroller from the AURIX family, similar to the one used in driver assistance systems. Minimal reaction times play an even greater role in autonomous driving. A high data-processing rate is necessary to ensure real-time capabilities with clock frequencies of 200 MHz. As a result of this ability, a vehicle can safely and reliably apply the brakes when it approaches a barrier. Sub1 Reloaded contains a number of other microchips. Like most devic-

es that are used every day, they link the real and digital worlds. The attempt started with the press of a button. The shutters of the sensor cameras were removed. The machine then detected the position of the elements. These had been previously scrambled, in accordance with the special requirements of the World Cube Association. The computing chip, or the ‘brain’ of the machine, figured out the fastest solution and transmitted the necessary commands to the power semiconductors. These ‘muscles’ then activated six mo-

tors, one for each side of the cube, at record speed and then brought them to a halt - all within the fraction of a second. Every Rubik’s cube can be unscrambled with just 20 movements. A variety of algorithms can be used to solve the puzzle, the most well-known of which is the Fridrich Method. But Infineon’s constructor Albert Beer did not design his prodigy with the fewest moves in mind. Rather, he was intent on achieving the best time - he even allowed the Sub1 Reloaded a few extra moves to reach this goal.

Featuring an AURIX microcontroller, one of the world’s most powerful minicomputers, Sub1 Reloaded managed to solve a Rubik’s Cube within 637 milliseconds, the best time recorded for solving the puzzle, since its invention 30 years ago.

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November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

IES UPDATE

ABC Waters Professionals and Practitioners Networking Night by Colin Fong IES and PUB jointly organised the ABC Waters Professionals and Practitioners Networking Night on 7 October 2016. The Networking Night attracted more than 80 professionals, managers and technical specialists employed in water and environmental engineering, also known as the “Clean, Green and Blue” sector. The invited speakers, Ms Tay Bee Choo (HDB); Mr Koh Jian Binn, (Netatech Engineering Pte Ltd); Ms Michelle Lee (Lendlease) and Mr Richard Outhwaite (Web Earth Pte Ltd), showcased the Active, Beautiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Best Practices on their construction projects, which have recently been certified as as ABC Certified Projects.

Er.Tan Seng Chuan (sixth from right) and Mr Tan Nguan Sen (fifth from right) together with ABC Waters Programme Trainers/Lecturers and the speakers for the evening.

Since 2010, 62 projects have been certified with the ABC Waters Certification. PUB has been successful in encouraging the adoption of the ABC Waters Concept by both public and private sectors. The speakers also shared about the challenges at work that ABC

Waters Professionals and Practitioners faced every day, and also deliberated on various solutions and its feasibilities. It was a night of camaraderie and special recognition to IES’ ABC Waters Programme Trainers & Lecturers. TSE

Shedding light on the relationship between en systems sys ms engineering and entrepreneurship by Colin Fong

Dr Kasser presenting his papers on entrepreneurship in systems engineering.

The Systems Engineering Technical Committee, together with the Senior Section of The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)’s Singapore Network, organised a Technical Talk on 29 September 2016. Titled “The Systems Engineer as an

Entrepreneur”, the talk was delivered by Dr Joseph Kasser, currently a Visiting Associate Professor at the Temasek Defence Systems Institute, NUS. Over the course of the evening, Dr Kasser carefully elaborated on the systems engineering process in the context of a start-up, and highlighted the challenges and case studies of embracing entrepreneurship and fortifying spiritedness to take advantage of the new economy and upcoming Smart Nation initiatives. The Technical Talk was attended by more than 40 engineering professionals and technical specialists, both young workers and seasoned industry veterans.

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The small, close-knit group of participants fostered a cosy atmosphere in which discussion flowed freely, an experience which was enjoyed by all. TSE

Mr Lee Kian Kong, SETC Member (right), poses for a photo with Dr Kasser (left) at the end of evening talk.

IES UPDATE

Sustainable manufacturing: Helping local companies adapt With the increasing scarcity of natural resources, it is only inevitable that the prices of crucial raw materials will rise. For manufacturers, it is imperative to optimise resource use and decouple it from economic growth. To help local firms better understand the gravity of the situation, the Sustainable Manufacturing Centre, an arm of the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), organised its annual conference on sustainable manufacturing, focusing on the theme “Resource Efficiency in Manufacturing – Opportunities and Challenges” this year. Held on 3 November 2016 at the Devan Nair Institute for Employment and Employability, the conference attracted some 150 participants, who learned from the distinguished panel of speakers on the potential opportunities and challenges in this new era, as well as cutting-edge techniques to better manage resource and material utilisation. Some of the topics discussed in detail included the use of materials informatics to analyse vast and diverse quantities of manufacturing-related data, in turn leading to better decisionmaking across the production and supply-chain processes.This was presented by Dr Seeram Ramakrishna, Professor of Materials Engineering at NUS and Chairman of the Future Manufacturing Technical Committee at IES. Another of these topics was helmed by Dr Christoph Herrmann, Director of the Institute of Machine Tools and Production Technology in Germany, who explained to participants on how a life-cycle approach could be applied to all stages of the product life-cycle to assess material substitutes and their impact on the environment, thereafter improving resource efficiency.

A conference participant finding out more about IES and IESA.

Besides the conference track, there was also an exhibition showcasing various products, solutions and training courses related to resourceefficient manufacturing. Both IES and IESA were on hand to reach out to those who were interested in expanding their network as well as keeping up with developments in the field. The conference ended with a networking session where speakers and participants engaged in deeper discussion about the topics presented earlier in the day, in addition to forging new partnerships and bonds. TSE

Dr Chen Wei Long, Chairman of the Conference Organising Committee and Director of the Sustainable Manufacturing Centre, SIMTech, delivering the opening address.

Dr Seeram speaking about materials informatics and its usefulness, especially when integrated with data analytics.

Dr Herrmann explaining the intricacies of the life-cycle engineering approach to an attentive audience.

November 2016 THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER

IES UPDATE

Enhancing professional relationships through sporting excellence Over two adrenaline-filled months in September and October, the 2016 edition of the Inter-Professional Games took place. Organised annually, IPG is held among six professional bodies: IES, Singapore Institute of Architects, Singapore Medical Association, Singapore Institute of Surveyors and Valuers, Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants and The Law Society of Singapore. The aim of the Games is to create networking opportunities and foster camaraderie between members of the participating professional bodies, as they engage in healthy and friendly competition. Of the eight sports IES participated in (bowling, badminton, pool, golf, table tennis, international chess, basketball and netball), our teams came up tops in bowling and basketball. The golf team also attained a respectable third place. Congratulations and well-played to all winners and participants! Members who are interested to take part and represent IES in IPG 2017 may send an email to Ms Tan Siew Keow (siewkeow@iesnet.org.sg) or Ms Fenda Ngo (fenda. ngo@iesnet.org.sg). TSE

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THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER November 2016