An article by Audrey Tan, Singapore Press Holdings.

Building developers looking to go green now have an even greater incentive in the form of new government funding to help them achieve their goals.

The National Research Foundation has set aside $52 million to spur greater research in energy efficient technology and the demonstration of resulting innovations.

The funding comes under a five-year initiative called the Green Building Innovation Cluster (GBIC).

It was launched yesterday by Mr Lee Yi Shyan, Senior Minister of State for National Development and Trade and Industry.

The fund, to be administered by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), will allow developers to work with research partners to develop innovations that can boost a building’s energy efficiency, and test-bed them in their own buildings.

The real-time or near real- time data from these projects will be collected and analysed in a database under the GBIC.

This database, part of the National Building Energy Efficiency Repository, will provide data for use in academia or be shared within the industry.

Relevant details, such as intellectual property rights protection and data sensitivity, are being worked out, said BCA chief executive.

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