Living laboratory for developing smart sustainable solutions

16 Sep 2009

In order to address challenges faced by large cities, NUS has announced that it will use its Kent Ridge campus as a living laboratory to develop smart sustainable solutions.

Said NUS President Prof Tan Chorh Chuan: "Cities will require a range of solutions to become 'smarter', more ecologically sound and resource efficient. These solutions should be applicable at different scales in the built environment, from products to buildings and whole cities. NUS has strengths in many relevant research fields."

Dean of NUS School of Design and Environment (SDE), Prof Heng Chye Kiang noted: "According to the United Nations, two billion more people will be living in the world's cities in 2030. This scale of rapid urbanisation will put a huge strain on the quality, efficiency and resilience of urban infrastructure, especially those related to energy, water, transportation, security and the environment (both built and natural). Coupled with the impact of climate changes, the problem is even more challenging. Hence, we would need a concerted effort to address such issues."

The University has been collaborating with industry, government agencies and research institutions which include the Agency for Science, Technology and Research and Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology. With this new initiative, NUS will continue to develop synergistic partnerships with these organisations to advance Singapore as a living laboratory for urban solutions for future cities.

Within NUS, the Faculty of Engineering and SDE with their expertise on "Smart Cities" and "Sustainable Cities" will collaborate in establishing standards and best practices for design and development, and in studying how the different components of the built infrastructure or system will interact with each other.

On Kent Ridge campus being a living laboratory, Prof Tan noted: "By using our campus as a test-bed, we can study how the work from different research disciplines can be brought together to produce integrated solutions and platforms that can help reshape our urban environment and raise the quality of life in Singapore and other Asian cities."

To-date, the SDE serves as the demonstration site for testing practical applications of multi-functional photovoltaic panels, as well as for the testing of the suitability of various plants in relation to the building substrate on roofs and walls for their insulating properties against heat gain within built structures. SDE also conducted a micro-climatic study which identified the hot and cool spots of the Prince George's Park residential area. The climactic map will help NUS planners better understand the environmental implications for future developments and ensure that such developments are carried out in a sustainable manner.

SDE has also worked with the Faculty of Engineering on some joint projects. These are:

• Sustainability Systems for Built Urban Infrastructure

PI: Assoc Prof Gary Ong, Deputy Head (Infrastructure and Resources), Department of Civil Engineering

• Chemical and Biological Conversion of Waste to Energy and Resources

PI: Assoc Prof Tong Yen Wah, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

• Intelligent Transportation System

PI: Assoc Prof Lee Der-Horng, Department of Civil Engineering