Mr Steven Chan

President of ASHRAE Singapore Chapter*

Mr Jeremy Chia

President-elect

Members of ASHRAE Singapore Chapter

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good Evening

It is my pleasure to join you this evening for ASHRAE Singapore Chapter’s 20^th Installation Dinner and Dance.

Economic growth has led to the proliferation of air-conditioning over the last three decades. In the words of Senior Minister Mr Lee Kuan Yew, the air-conditioner is one of the most important inventions of last century. In our hot and humid weather, air-conditioning not only allows us to work in comfort and hence increases our productivity, but also helps us to work longer hours.

Air-conditioning and refrigeration are vital aspects of daily life in Singapore. From the preservation of perishable goods in the home, to the air-conditioning of clean rooms in wafer fabrication, they provide us with a comfortable environment to work, live and play in.

If we consider that air-conditioning accounts for about one-third of the electricity consumed in Singapore, we would understand the significance and relevance of the air-conditioning industry to Singapore.

Given the substantial energy consumption of air-conditioning, a current issue of concern of particular relevance to your industry would be the effect of energy use on the environment. The combustion of fossil fuels in our power plants leads to emission of air pollutants and the release of carbon dioxide that may cause global warming and climate change.

Improving energy efficiency is a key strategy of many countries to address the concern of climate change. Similarly, Singapore can minimize our carbon dioxide emissions by maximising the way electricity is utilised through better energy efficiency.

You may recall that during last year’s Dinner and Dance, the Minister of the Environment spoke about the formation of the National Energy Efficiency Committee (NEEC). The NEEC was formed on 1 Apr 2001 and I have taken over the chairmanship of the NEEC since January this year.

I am pleased to note that ASHRAE Singapore Chapter is represented in both the Building and the Industry Sub-committees of the NEEC. Your representatives have added depth to the work of the two Sub-Committees. My Ministry looks forward to working more closely with you to raise the energy efficiency of air-conditioning and ventilation systems in Singapore. We value any feedback on issues relating to energy efficiency that you feel the NEEC could look into.

1Similarly, ASHRAE Singapore Chapter could help to spread the message of energy efficiency in Singapore to building owners and the building industry, and design and implement systems that use energy efficiently. Very few existing commercial buildings are truly energy efficient; so numerous opportunities exist for your industry to upgrade these buildings with more efficient system designs and newer equipment.

In order to encourage and assist local companies to undertake innovative environmental projects that could help to meet the government's goal of environmental sustainability, my Ministry has introduced the $20 mil Innovation for Environmental Sustainability (IES) fund. This is a chance for your industry to try out innovative methods that could help us improve energy efficiency.

My Ministry has had the opportunity to work with the HVAC&R industry on various occasions and we have tapped your technical expertise to find solutions to environmental problems and to develop programmes and standards. This partnership has been long and beneficial and we look forward to many more years of fruitful cooperation.

Thank you for the invitation tonight, and I wish everyone here an enjoyable evening.