Are Green Mark Platinum Buildings Fully Optimised — With No More Opportunities?
Platinum is a milestone, not a finish line. Why the next 5–10% — captured through
In practice: improving airside efficiency to achieve the Green Mark Total System Efficiency (TSE) requirements is possible through airside optimisation — without major CapEx.
The industry reality: most airside systems operate with higher-than-required airflow, higher supply air temperatures and poorly optimised control strategies — resulting in low AHU efficiency (high kW/RT) and unnecessary energy consumption.
Over time, operators implement temporary fixes: increasing airflow to solve local comfort issues, bypassing control valves, tolerating incorrect sensor placement, adjusting setpoints without resolving root causes. A real example: if a space temperature is warm due to a VAV control issue, instead of fixing the VAV the operator increases airflow or fan speed for the whole system. The space may become comfortable — but at the expense of poor efficiency and increased energy, permanently.
Many AHUs are over-designed. Used deliberately, that is an asset: by optimising operation using the over-designed AHU, the same cooling load can be delivered at lower airflow and lower fan energy — bigger coils and ducts working in your favour — which eventually improves airside efficiency.
Airside systems degrade over time through tenant renovations and reconfigurations, poor duct connections (flex ducts, leakage), improper sensor locations, and lack of system rebalancing after changes — until the system no longer operates as designed.
All of these issues do more than hurt airside efficiency — they also create indoor environmental quality (IEQ) problems. Proper optimisation not only improves airside efficiency, it resolves the IEQ issues too.
At a premium Grade-A commercial office building in Singapore, the airside was optimised through VAV box fine-tuning and optimisation, static-pressure reset and demand-based control — delivering an ~59% airside efficiency gain and 0.675 kW/RT total system efficiency, carrying the building from Green Mark Platinum to Super Low Energy (SLE) Platinum without changing any equipment. (Publicly cited outcome; led by C.V. Kumar in a prior role.)
It requires deep engineering expertise and detailed analysis to understand why the system is behaving poorly. Before considering upgrades or replacements, take a closer look at your airside system — the biggest opportunity is often already there, hidden within your existing system.
Attribution: Project references and performance metrics cited in this article reflect work delivered by C.V. Kumar in prior leadership roles at Barghest Building Performance Pte Ltd and Comfort Management Pte Ltd; they are not E²Optima company achievements. Figures are drawn from publicly cited sources including BCA Green Mark Awards and EENP Awards publications. No proprietary, confidential or commercially sensitive information of any prior employer is contained in or implied by this article, and nothing herein constitutes a solicitation of business from any named party. © 2026 E2Optima Pte Ltd.
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