PENANG is encouraging more property developers to develop green buildings in the state by offering them green incentives.
State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the state government would provide two thirds rebates on development charges to eligible applicants of new green building projects.
“This green incentive is for all new green building projects that have attained Green Building Index (GBI) gold or platinum rating before Jan 1, 2022,” he said in his speech during the ‘Green Buildings & GBI Certification’ seminar at Setia SPICE Convention Centre today.
Penang Island City Council (MBPP) mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the two thirds rebates for new green building projects would be given in three stages over a period of three years.
“For the first stage, one third of the total two thirds rebate is given to the developer during the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) stage.
“Another one third of the total two thirds rebate is given one year after the first stage.
“The third stage would see one third of the total two thirds rebate be given to the developer after the second stage.
“Applicants who maintain their gold or platinum GBI certification can apply for the 10% rebate on their yearly assessment,” Yew said.
For those who retrofit their existing buildings to become green buildings (those who applied for GBI certification after the issuance of CCC) and attain gold or platinum GBI certification from Jan 1, 2022, would be given 100% rebate on assessment for the first three years.
Jagdeep Singh said that applicants who wished to retrofit their existing buildings to become green buildings would have a reasonable time to do so from now until Jan 1, 2022 to be eligible for the 100% rebate on assessment for the first three years.
“We are happy to also consider their application if they managed to attain gold or platinum GBI certification for their retrofitted building before Jan 1, 2022.
“Applicants who maintain their GBI certification could apply for a 10% rebate on their yearly assessment the following year,” he said.
Jagdeep Singh added that applicants could apply for the GBI certification renewal fee incentive from the Penang government.
He also announced that the SP Chelliah affordable housing project was the first affordable housing project in the country to have obtained a gold GBI certification.
“The SP Chelliah low medium-cost project also attained the GBI certification,” he said.
Yew said that Penang had a total of 43 GBI certified buildings, comprising 16.3 million square feet of total gross floor area.
“Penang has the third highest number of GBI certified buildings in Malaysia. Our aim is to ensure more people will adopt GBI and promote green building concept for a better future.
“The GBI is an environmental rating system for buildings. The system is developed by the Malaysian Institute of Architects and the Association of Consulting Engineers Malaysia.
“GBI is Malaysia’s first comprehensive rating system used to evaluate the buildings’ environmental design and performance based on six main criteria – energy efficiency, indoor environment quality, sustainable site planning and management, materials and resources, water efficiency and innovation,” Yew said.
He added that the GBI certificate is valid for three years and is renewable every three years.
Some 300 participants took part in the seminar which include three presentations – ‘Green Buildings & GBI since 2009’, ‘How Difficult or Easy to Obtain GBI Certification (Commercial & Residential)’ and ‘Case Presentations of GBI Buildings in Penang’.
Story by Christopher Tan
Pix by Alissala Thian