Tag: Sustainability

Part 3/5: The Red System (Energy), Singapore

This is part of a series of posts based on scripts, written for class presentations during our Masters in Integrated Sustainable Design at National University of Singapore.
The class had to analyse various complex systems in Singapore, as a precursor to the Design problem in Studio. The systems included are – Red (energy), Blue (Water), Green I (Biodiversity), Green II (Food) and Grey (Public Space).
The following posts elaborate on the Red System.

Part 3/5: System Flows and Exchanges

Welcome to Part 3/5 of our series on the Energy System of Singapore. Part 1/5 established the objective and boundary condition of the system. It then identified the Elements, and Flows & Exchanges between them, to set relevant scales of study and understand critical functions. We found that the system has a gap at the neighborhood scale, it is highly centralized and the largest demand sectors are Industrial and Commercial. Part 2/5 went deeper into the analysis by looking at the timeline of the system from the 1800s to present day, and looking to the future. The timeline reflected important policies and events, and their corresponding effects using maps at Regional and Island scales.

Moving on from the above base, this post delves deeper into the System Flows and Exchanges. The Analysis is divided into 3 sections – Generation, Transmission, Distribution & Consumption.

System Flows and Exchanges
Energy System Flows & Exchanges Sankey Diagram; Generation, Transmission, Distribution & Consumption in detail below; Graphics: Credits below; Data Sources: 1, 2

Continue reading “Part 3/5: The Red System (Energy), Singapore”

Part 2/5: The Red System (Energy), Singapore

This is part of a series of posts based on scripts, written for class presentations during our Masters in Integrated Sustainable Design at National University of Singapore.
The class had to analyse various complex systems in Singapore, as a precursor to the Design problem in Studio. The systems included are – Red (energy), Blue (Water), Green I (Biodiversity), Green II (Food) and Grey (Public Space).
The following posts elaborate on the Red System.

Part 2/5: System in Time

Welcome to part 2/5 of our ongoing series, on the Energy system of Singapore. The last post established the objective of the system. We then started analysis by first establishing a boundary condition and later identifying the system’s Elements, and the Flows & Exchanges between them. This was done to set relevant scales of study and understand critical functions such as generation, transmission, consumption. We gathered that there is a global scale and 3 local scales for this system – Island, 10 km X 10 km and building. There is a gap at the neighborhood scale. We also found out that the system is highly centralized with high demand from various sectors, the largest being Industrial and Commercial.

Keeping this base work in mind, we move deeper into the analysis and understand the timeline of the system starting all the way from the 1800s to present day. We also look at future aims and targets to address present issues.

Continue reading “Part 2/5: The Red System (Energy), Singapore”

Part 1/5: The Red System (Energy), Singapore

This is part of a series of posts based on scripts, written for class presentations during our Masters in Integrated Sustainable Design at National University of Singapore.
The class had to analyse various complex systems in Singapore, as a precursor to the Design problem in Studio. The systems included are – Red (energy), Blue (Water), Green I (Biodiversity), Green II (Food) and Grey (Public Space).
The following posts elaborate on the Red System.

Part 1/5: What are the Objective, Boundaries, Elements, Flows & Exchanges of the Red System in Singapore?

The ‘objective‘ is established keeping in mind short and long term goals. The short term concern would be to create a resilience to Supply – Demand Balance. For the long term, development needs to be Sustainable and the System should address Environmental Issues.

For the analysis we explore the Systems Thinking approach. For this, we first establish the ‘Boundary‘ conditions for the system. This helps identify Scales and to find Gaps. If the system is reliant on factors outside the country, then there would be a Global scale. Within Singapore, we assume 4 local scales – Island, 10 km X 10 km, Neighborhood and Building.

Next, we break the system into its constituent ‘Elements‘ to understand the ‘Flows & Exchanges‘ between them. This critical understanding helps us find flaws, shortcomings, and even opportunities at every stage. These can then be addressed or exploited to bring about improvements.

purpose

Continue reading “Part 1/5: The Red System (Energy), Singapore”

Capital Hostage for Water

Rain_Drops_on_Window_HD_Desktop_Wallpaper
Source

I sit in my living room looking at the gallons of water pouring down my window, courtesy the Great Indian Monsoons. I can’t help but feel sad seeing such a colossal waste of a precious resource – fresh water. This emotion is heightened by two reasons.

Continue reading “Capital Hostage for Water”

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