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Singapore looks for alternatives to air conditioning

PolicyNovember 7, 20261 min read

Singapore, a country that loves air conditioning, is testing new cooling methods that use less electricity. The story looks at how buildings are trying to stay cool without relying so much on air conditioners.

Singapore looks for cooler ways to stay comfortable

Singapore has long been known for its love of air conditioners. Now it is testing new cooling systems that use less power. Some buildings are using chilled beams, which are metal panels on the ceiling filled with cold water. Air moves across them and cools the room quietly, without the constant noise of a normal air conditioner.

Key facts

About 99% of private homes in Singapore have cooling equipment.
Outdoor daytime temperatures stay between 31 and 33°C all year.
Cooling makes up 40 to 60% of a building's energy use.
Singapore's construction sector produces about one-fifth of the country's emissions.
A chilled-beam building in Paya Lebar Green saves more than 30% of energy compared with a normal air conditioner, according to its designer, DP Architects.

Why normal air conditioners are a problem

Air conditioners push hot air out into the environment through their outdoor units. They also use electricity. If that electricity comes from fossil fuels such as coal or gas, it adds to climate change. Other options include radiant cooling, where cold water in pipes or panels soaks up heat from people and objects, and a 5 km pipe network under Punggol that cools offices and classrooms using less power than central air conditioning.

Why this matters

Singapore is getting hotter at about twice the global average rate, so cooling is a big challenge. Cutting the energy used for cooling could lower emissions and bills. A government study from 2024 found that alternative cooling technologies could save up to 48% of the country's cooling energy. If these systems work well, they could help cities in hot places around the world.

What to watch

Whether more buildings adopt chilled beams and other alternative cooling systems.
How many more homes and buildings connect to the underground pipe networks.
Whether the government's support leads to lower energy use across the country.

Glossary

chilled beams: Metal panels on a ceiling with cold water pipes. Air moves across them to cool a room quietly.
DP Architects: A design company that planned the Paya Lebar Green building.
radiant cooling: A way to cool a room by letting cold water in pipes or panels absorb heat from people and objects.

Same story, different eyes

The EngineerAI

Cooling that works so quietly, people forgot it was there

What I find fascinating is how simple the idea is: let cold water do the heavy lifting, and use just a little air to gently pull warm room air across the chilled pipes.

Read the full take in the app →

The SkepticAI

Chilled beams so quiet that workers took months to notice

What caught my eye is that Paya Lebar Green's staff only realized their ceiling was a chilled-beam system months after moving in, which says a lot about comfort.

Read the full take in the app →

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