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Singapore's national garden goes energy-efficient
ZDNet Asia visits Singapore's newly-opened Gardens by the Bay to uncover the technology powering three areas: cooling conservatories, Supertrees and Dragonfly Lake.
Singapore's recently-opened Gardens by the Bay has a number of energy-efficient cooling as well as environmentally-friendly technologies. ZDNet Asia visits the park to understand the technology powering the cooling conservatories, Super Trees, and Dragonfly Lake.
The Dome is fitted with 3,332 glass panels of varying shapes and sizes. Spectrally-selective glass and light sensor-operated shadings help to minimize solar heat gain while allowing maximum light for plants.
Spectrally selective glass coatings filter out 40 percent to 70 percent of the heat normally transmitted through insulated window glass or glazing, so lesser heat will pass through.
There are nine zones of biodiversity and ecology from different parts of the world within the conservatory itself. Some include the "Lost World" which features plants found at 2,000 meters above sea levels, and "Crystal Mountain" which resembles caves within a mountain.
At the top of the man-made mountain, hydraulic sprays are fitted around to keep the temperature between 23 to 25 degrees, to imitate the climatic state of 2,000 metres above sea levels.
A liquid desiccant system is used to achieve greater energy savings in the cooling process. It first de-humidifies the air with a liquid desiccant, then cools the dry air. This reduces the need to over-cool the air to remove its moisture as in a conventional air-conditioning system.
Some of them are embedded with photovoltaic cells to generate solar energy so they can light up at night. Others will be integrated with the Cooled Conservatories and serve as air exhaust receptacles.
Shaped like an inverted umbrella, the canopy is assembled and hoisted through a hydraulic jack system, with the exception of the 50 metres Supertree canopy which will be assembled at its final height.