New buildings in Penang set to be energy efficient.

GEORGE TOWN: New buildings in Penang are set to be energy efficient once an amendment in the Uniform Building By-Laws 1986 (UBBL) is gazetted.

State Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow (pix) said the aim was to reduce the solar heat gain of buildings.

He said reducing the heat meant less power would be spent on air conditioning resulting in savings.

"After the amendment is gazetted, all new buildings will have to comply," he said in his opening speech at the Penang Island City Council energy efficiency and green building workshop today.

At a press conference later, Green Building Index (GBI) accreditation panel chairman Chan Seong Aun explained that the amendment required insulation to be installed at the roof of new buildings.

He said this will reduce the heat gained by the buildings, adding that structures gained heat via the roof, walls and windows.

GPI accreditation panel co-chairman Chen Thiam Leong, who was present, explained heat can be diffused from windows through external shading or orientating the building away from the East-West axis to face the North-South direction.

"Another way is to reduce the number of windows," he added.

In a separate matter, Chow said he has received feedback that SRS Consortium, the project delivery partner (PDP) for the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP), has made adjustments to the proposed Bayan Lepas to George Town Light Rail Transit (LRT) line.

The changes were made after three schools, SJK(C) Kwang Hwa, SJK(C) Shih Chung and SK Sungai Nibong, expressed worries that the noise from LRT carriages passing by will be too loud.

Nonetheless Chow, whose portfolio also includes Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation, said noise measuring devices were installed to ascertain the level of noise near the schools.

"You will be surprised that the current noise from traffic is louder than the LRT system," he said, adding more information will be made available soon.