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We are seeing it everywhere around us — signs of global warming, warnings of depleting natural resources, shocking degradation of the environment and so on. It seems that every other day we read about one animal or other coming close to extinction. Being environmentally conscious is becoming increasingly urgent, in fact, essential for mankind’s survival. In short, we have to embrace the green cause, ready or not.
Property developers today cannot ignore the need to build sustainable homes and buildings. It is good to know that more and more developers in the country are beginning to see green as the way forward.
Malaysia’s biggest property developer, Sime Darby Property, with a footprint in nine countries, has been a strong advocate of sustainable issues and has voiced its commitment to play a part in protecting the environment. Numerous green initiatives are being carried out in its township developments, in line with the Sime Darby Group’s “Developing Sustainable Futures” tagline.
Let us take a look at some of the developer’s green initiatives.
Product innovation
Continuous improvements or innovation are major drivers of the economy, more so when they lead to increased productivity. This is also applicable to property development, making a project more marketable and attractive to potential owners.
Sime Darby Property’s new residential products are being created based on several design principles. For instance, they must be economically viable and incorporate sustainable living features, such as water efficiency, environmental protection, indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency and other green features.
Future residential units will be greener, featuring elements such as a rainwater harvesting system and building materials that require minimum maintenance, such as acrylic spray paint, granite spray and broom finish. Taller buildings will be designed to increase ventilation and ultimately minimise electricity usage.
Product innovation offers product differentiation while reducing resource consumption.
Switch! Energy Programme
We hear it all the time — energy-saving (ES) light bulbs use up to 80% less electricity than a standard light bulb, but produce the same amount of light. So, why isn’t everyone rushing to change the light bulbs in their homes to ES ones? This is simply because they usually cost 10 times more, although they are said to last 10 times longer. Recognising the fact that ES bulbs are costlier, Sime Darby is offering them at a 70% discount to their usual price via Switch!, a CSR programme for communities in Sime Darby Property townships.
Switch! was launched early this month. The programme is targeted at over 10,000 households, with each household encouraged to exchange its ordinary light bulbs for ES bulbs. The developer is offering 100,000 ES bulbs in the first phase. Residents can purchase a box of eight at RM50. The retail price is about RM160. These 100,000 ES bulbs are said to help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 65,000 tonnes.
The developer has 13,200 properties under construction at present. Assuming that each of the new houses uses 25 new ES bulbs, and with 65,000 homes already built, this would mean that CO2 emissions will be reduced by some 200,000 tonnes. Sime Darby is also collaborating with the Energy Council of Malaysia to organise a special competition for households with the aim of showing significant reduction in their average electricity usage within a 12-month period.
Rainwater Harvesting
Malaysia gets plenty of rain and the best thing is, it’s free. Rainwater collected can be used for many daily purposes, including gardening, general washing and cleaning, toilet flushing and car washing.
Although water is the most common substance on earth, 97% of it is seawater, only 1% of it is suitable for human consumption while the balance are glaciers. It has been reported that the world’s water consumption rate is doubling every 20 years, outpacing the rate of population growth by two times. The UN estimates that 30% of the world's population in 50 countries will face water shortages by 2025. In Malaysia, we experienced a period of prolonged drought back in 1998, affecting Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Klang Valley, with months of water rationing.
Rainwater is in abundance in our country compared with some countries and collection can be as simple as placing buckets outdoors.
There are two systems for rainwater harvesting — above ground storage tanks and underground storage tanks.
In both systems, rainwater is collected via roof gutters and directed to the rainwater filter collector where the water is separated from leaves and other debris. Subsequently, the rainwater is channelled into the storage tank via a connecting pipe. Both systems come with a back-up in case there is no rain. In the underground storage tanks, when the water level drops to 20% of capacity, the control panel is triggered to open a valve connected to Jabatan Bekalan Air’s main water pipes.
In the above ground storage tanks, if the water level falls to 20% of capacity, water from the domestic water storage tank flows into the rainwater tank to keep the system going until it rains again. Another type of system involves harvesting passive water from pavement runoff and lake water which is to be used mostly for landscaping purposes.
All new residential properties by Sime Darby Property will be designed to include a rainwater harvesting system to collect water for landscaping and external use. The developer is currently installing the system in some phases of its townships, such as Putra Heights, USJ Heights, Nilai Impian, Ara Damansara, Denai Alam and Bukit Jelutong. The first Sime Darby Property homes with the RSH system, the Mascarena and Grandis Palm superlinks in Putra Heights, were well-received.
Green Trail Programme
It is said that the warming of the earth’s climate is very likely caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, land use change and agriculture. CO2 is said to be one of the main contributors of the greenhouse effect. One of the many things we can do is to plant more trees. More trees translate to more benefits to the environment, cleaner air and cooling shade, for example.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), under its Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Programme, aims to plant at least one billion trees each year. By the end of this year, it plans to have planted seven billion trees and encouraged the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment. According to UNEP’s website, six million hectares of primary forest are lost every year due to deforestation and modification through selective logging and other human interventions. About 13 million hectares of deforestation occurs each year — an area the size of Greece or Nicaragua.
Sime Darby’s Green Trail Programme aims to improve the greenery in each of its townships. Native tree species from the tropical rainforest are planted within buffer zones, green reserves and pocket green spaces, linking them to a green network within these townships.
To date, some 2,500 trees from over 15 species of tropical rainforest plants have been planted at its Denai Alam Township in Selangor, its first Green Trail Programme. The programme targets to increase the number of trees planted in its township to a total of two million trees in 15 years. The developer plans to offset the carbon stock within its developments by increasing carbon stock sequestration. Carbon stock is a reservoir or system which has the capacity to accumulate or release carbon. The carbon stock is calculated at 200kg of carbon per tree within 10 years of planting.
Vendor Development Programme
They say no man is an island. There are always collaborations of some sort to complete a project or to accomplish a goal. Property development, for example, entails collaboration among more than a hundred professions, including contractors and suppliers.
Sime Darby believes homes in the future must have minimum adverse impact on the environment. It aims to adopt the Green Building Index for its homes and the most practical and feasible Industrialised Building Systems approach for its housing developments. Sime Darby Property gives preference to vendors whose products and manufacturing processes are environmentally friendly.
Towards these objectives, Sime Darby’s Vendor Development Programme (VDP) identifies and develops vendors in the market which can best help the developer to reach its goals, opening up opportunities to all capable vendors who will benefit from long-term arrangements. Chosen vendors must enhance their capabilities to deliver beyond the normal compliance requirements.
One house, one tree
To have a clearer picture of Sime Darby’s green initiatives, perhaps it would be best to zoom in on one of its townships — Ara Damansara.
Located near Subang airport in Petaling Jaya, Ara Damansara spans 762 acres and was launched in 1999. So far, some 2,490 homes and 62 commercial units have been completed in the mixed develoment.
Close to 13,000 people now live in the thriving township, which boasts accessibility to the Federal Highway, North Klang Vally Expressway, Guthrie Corridor Expressway, Elite and Kesas.
The green initiatives in Ara Damansara begin at its entrance, with over 494 tree species, 93 palm trees and more than 23,315 shrubs planted in the township. Even the landscape lightings are solar-powered.
In support of the Selangor government’s One House One Tree campaign in 2007, Sime Darby Property planted over 1,200 trees in Ara Damansara. In fact, the township was the launch pad for the campaign, which was initiated by the Petaling Jaya City Council.
When the keys were handed over, each house owner was given a tree.
Under its Green Trail Programme, the developer aims to plant 800 to 900 trees across the township by the end of this year. Ara Hill is the developer’s signature luxury, resort-style project in the township.
Spanning 16 acres and with over 15,000 trees, shrubs and palm trees, the developer incorporated in the landscape design a rainwater harvesting system to circulate the water in streams.
Meanwhile, the yet-to-be-launched Seri Pilmoor phase in Ara Damansara will see 53% of the area developed and the rest left green. Over 2,000 local trees are being planted as a buffer zone. There will be a solar water heater system and a rainwater harvesting tank for landscape watering purposes.
The surveillance system in the township is also environmentally friendly. Twenty-two solar-powered cameras are linked to the Ara Damansara police station. While the surveillance system benefits the community and the environment, the CCTV is solar-powered to ensure zero energy usage.
Ara Damansara, according to its developer, is one of the few townships that have pursued the Safe City Concept envisioned by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
This article appeared in City & Country Special Focus, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 760, June 22 - 28, 2009.
Property developers today cannot ignore the need to build sustainable homes and buildings. It is good to know that more and more developers in the country are beginning to see green as the way forward.
Malaysia’s biggest property developer, Sime Darby Property, with a footprint in nine countries, has been a strong advocate of sustainable issues and has voiced its commitment to play a part in protecting the environment. Numerous green initiatives are being carried out in its township developments, in line with the Sime Darby Group’s “Developing Sustainable Futures” tagline.
Let us take a look at some of the developer’s green initiatives.
Product innovation
Continuous improvements or innovation are major drivers of the economy, more so when they lead to increased productivity. This is also applicable to property development, making a project more marketable and attractive to potential owners.
Sime Darby Property’s new residential products are being created based on several design principles. For instance, they must be economically viable and incorporate sustainable living features, such as water efficiency, environmental protection, indoor environmental quality, energy efficiency and other green features.
Future residential units will be greener, featuring elements such as a rainwater harvesting system and building materials that require minimum maintenance, such as acrylic spray paint, granite spray and broom finish. Taller buildings will be designed to increase ventilation and ultimately minimise electricity usage.
Product innovation offers product differentiation while reducing resource consumption.
Switch! Energy Programme
We hear it all the time — energy-saving (ES) light bulbs use up to 80% less electricity than a standard light bulb, but produce the same amount of light. So, why isn’t everyone rushing to change the light bulbs in their homes to ES ones? This is simply because they usually cost 10 times more, although they are said to last 10 times longer. Recognising the fact that ES bulbs are costlier, Sime Darby is offering them at a 70% discount to their usual price via Switch!, a CSR programme for communities in Sime Darby Property townships.
Switch! was launched early this month. The programme is targeted at over 10,000 households, with each household encouraged to exchange its ordinary light bulbs for ES bulbs. The developer is offering 100,000 ES bulbs in the first phase. Residents can purchase a box of eight at RM50. The retail price is about RM160. These 100,000 ES bulbs are said to help reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 65,000 tonnes.
The developer has 13,200 properties under construction at present. Assuming that each of the new houses uses 25 new ES bulbs, and with 65,000 homes already built, this would mean that CO2 emissions will be reduced by some 200,000 tonnes. Sime Darby is also collaborating with the Energy Council of Malaysia to organise a special competition for households with the aim of showing significant reduction in their average electricity usage within a 12-month period.
Rainwater Harvesting
Malaysia gets plenty of rain and the best thing is, it’s free. Rainwater collected can be used for many daily purposes, including gardening, general washing and cleaning, toilet flushing and car washing.
Although water is the most common substance on earth, 97% of it is seawater, only 1% of it is suitable for human consumption while the balance are glaciers. It has been reported that the world’s water consumption rate is doubling every 20 years, outpacing the rate of population growth by two times. The UN estimates that 30% of the world's population in 50 countries will face water shortages by 2025. In Malaysia, we experienced a period of prolonged drought back in 1998, affecting Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Klang Valley, with months of water rationing.
Rainwater is in abundance in our country compared with some countries and collection can be as simple as placing buckets outdoors.
There are two systems for rainwater harvesting — above ground storage tanks and underground storage tanks.
In both systems, rainwater is collected via roof gutters and directed to the rainwater filter collector where the water is separated from leaves and other debris. Subsequently, the rainwater is channelled into the storage tank via a connecting pipe. Both systems come with a back-up in case there is no rain. In the underground storage tanks, when the water level drops to 20% of capacity, the control panel is triggered to open a valve connected to Jabatan Bekalan Air’s main water pipes.
In the above ground storage tanks, if the water level falls to 20% of capacity, water from the domestic water storage tank flows into the rainwater tank to keep the system going until it rains again. Another type of system involves harvesting passive water from pavement runoff and lake water which is to be used mostly for landscaping purposes.
All new residential properties by Sime Darby Property will be designed to include a rainwater harvesting system to collect water for landscaping and external use. The developer is currently installing the system in some phases of its townships, such as Putra Heights, USJ Heights, Nilai Impian, Ara Damansara, Denai Alam and Bukit Jelutong. The first Sime Darby Property homes with the RSH system, the Mascarena and Grandis Palm superlinks in Putra Heights, were well-received.
Green Trail Programme
It is said that the warming of the earth’s climate is very likely caused by human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, land use change and agriculture. CO2 is said to be one of the main contributors of the greenhouse effect. One of the many things we can do is to plant more trees. More trees translate to more benefits to the environment, cleaner air and cooling shade, for example.
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), under its Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Programme, aims to plant at least one billion trees each year. By the end of this year, it plans to have planted seven billion trees and encouraged the planting of indigenous trees and trees that are appropriate to the local environment. According to UNEP’s website, six million hectares of primary forest are lost every year due to deforestation and modification through selective logging and other human interventions. About 13 million hectares of deforestation occurs each year — an area the size of Greece or Nicaragua.
Sime Darby’s Green Trail Programme aims to improve the greenery in each of its townships. Native tree species from the tropical rainforest are planted within buffer zones, green reserves and pocket green spaces, linking them to a green network within these townships.
To date, some 2,500 trees from over 15 species of tropical rainforest plants have been planted at its Denai Alam Township in Selangor, its first Green Trail Programme. The programme targets to increase the number of trees planted in its township to a total of two million trees in 15 years. The developer plans to offset the carbon stock within its developments by increasing carbon stock sequestration. Carbon stock is a reservoir or system which has the capacity to accumulate or release carbon. The carbon stock is calculated at 200kg of carbon per tree within 10 years of planting.
Vendor Development Programme
They say no man is an island. There are always collaborations of some sort to complete a project or to accomplish a goal. Property development, for example, entails collaboration among more than a hundred professions, including contractors and suppliers.
Sime Darby believes homes in the future must have minimum adverse impact on the environment. It aims to adopt the Green Building Index for its homes and the most practical and feasible Industrialised Building Systems approach for its housing developments. Sime Darby Property gives preference to vendors whose products and manufacturing processes are environmentally friendly.
Towards these objectives, Sime Darby’s Vendor Development Programme (VDP) identifies and develops vendors in the market which can best help the developer to reach its goals, opening up opportunities to all capable vendors who will benefit from long-term arrangements. Chosen vendors must enhance their capabilities to deliver beyond the normal compliance requirements.
One house, one tree
To have a clearer picture of Sime Darby’s green initiatives, perhaps it would be best to zoom in on one of its townships — Ara Damansara.
Located near Subang airport in Petaling Jaya, Ara Damansara spans 762 acres and was launched in 1999. So far, some 2,490 homes and 62 commercial units have been completed in the mixed develoment.
Close to 13,000 people now live in the thriving township, which boasts accessibility to the Federal Highway, North Klang Vally Expressway, Guthrie Corridor Expressway, Elite and Kesas.
The green initiatives in Ara Damansara begin at its entrance, with over 494 tree species, 93 palm trees and more than 23,315 shrubs planted in the township. Even the landscape lightings are solar-powered.
In support of the Selangor government’s One House One Tree campaign in 2007, Sime Darby Property planted over 1,200 trees in Ara Damansara. In fact, the township was the launch pad for the campaign, which was initiated by the Petaling Jaya City Council.
When the keys were handed over, each house owner was given a tree.
Under its Green Trail Programme, the developer aims to plant 800 to 900 trees across the township by the end of this year. Ara Hill is the developer’s signature luxury, resort-style project in the township.
Spanning 16 acres and with over 15,000 trees, shrubs and palm trees, the developer incorporated in the landscape design a rainwater harvesting system to circulate the water in streams.
Meanwhile, the yet-to-be-launched Seri Pilmoor phase in Ara Damansara will see 53% of the area developed and the rest left green. Over 2,000 local trees are being planted as a buffer zone. There will be a solar water heater system and a rainwater harvesting tank for landscape watering purposes.
The surveillance system in the township is also environmentally friendly. Twenty-two solar-powered cameras are linked to the Ara Damansara police station. While the surveillance system benefits the community and the environment, the CCTV is solar-powered to ensure zero energy usage.
Ara Damansara, according to its developer, is one of the few townships that have pursued the Safe City Concept envisioned by the Ministry of Local Government and Housing.
This article appeared in City & Country Special Focus, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 760, June 22 - 28, 2009.
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