GuocoLand’s Lentor Mansion cuts heat and energy costs with green features

Its solar panels offset energy consumption in common areas by 60%.

Balancing the need to mitigate rising temperatures whilst keeping carbon emissions low is challenging for most developers but not for GuocoLand, whose latest project, Lentor Mansion, addresses both concerns.

The 533-unit Lentor Mansion is equipped with rooftop solar panels across its six residential blocks, offsetting energy consumption in common areas by 60%, well above the minimum 30% replacement required by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to grant a Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy (SLE) certification.

Such a feature allows yearly energy savings for Lentor Mansion and cost savings for homeowners.

Beyond solar panels, Lentor Mansion utilises air conditioners with five-tick ratings from the National Environment Agency (NEA) to save energy and manage heat in residential units and common areas.

Fans are also installed in residential units to ensure natural ventilation, according to Dora Chng, residential director at GuocoLand.

“The air conditioners and the provision of the fan will help [homeowners] save energy whilst enjoying air quality and comfort, said Jane Ong, contracts and procurement director at GuocoLand.

“You can also cut down utility bills, which I think is going to get more and more expensive in time to come as Singapore gears towards Net Zero 2050,” Ong added.

To further mitigate heat, GuocoLand also used specialised glass and high-quality stone polymer composite vinyl flooring in the units of Lentor Mansion.

Chng said the special glass can reduce heat gain within the units. Meanwhile, the stone polymer composite vinyl flooring, apart from being a greener product, is also water, scratch, and stain resistant.

“As families now have older folks or toddlers at home, you want the floor to be anti-slip and soft enough to catch the fall if there’s any of that that unfortunately happens,” Ong said.

Such flooring is also easy to clean and maintain and is easier to install, saving GuocoLand time for construction.

Ong pointed out that with the rising temperatures in Singapore, indoor comfort is becoming increasingly significant for homebuyers.

Beyond the construction materials and fixtures, GuocoLand paid special attention to the building’s orientation to minimise heat and achieve maximum ventilation in the development.

“We orientated the building such that [it is] largely north-south-facing to reduce exposure to west-side warming,” Chng said.

To create a truly green development, GuocoLand integrated green features like lush landscapes and biophilic designs into the building.

“We believe that residents will benefit from living in an environment that has a lot of greenery. We're able to also borrow greenery from the nearby Hillock Park, expanding the landscape and greenery views,” Chng said.

For its next project, Ong said GuocoLand will place an “even greater emphasis on preserving the biodiversity of its surroundings.”

“I think sustainability standards are still evolving, but we should continue to adopt and improve on best practices for our future residential developments because developing projects that use sustainable materials, integrate renewable energy sources and have energy efficient design will become more important,” Ong concluded.