25–35%
less cooling-system energy
BCA benchmark for hybrid cooling compared with conventional air-conditioning systems such as AHUs/VAV.
Read the Building and Construction Authority referencePlan your shophouse upgrades.
A practical shophouse improvement planning tool: add an idea, see it on the plan and move it into place.
Published reference figures
Explore the potential. Each figure has a different comparison basis; these are not added into a building-saving total.
≈80%
less lamp electricity
NEA’s comparison is LED bulbs versus halogen bulbs, published in 2018.
Read the National Environment Agency reference≈50%
lower vehicle CO₂ emissions
LTA compares an EV with a similar internal-combustion-engine vehicle in Singapore.
Read the Land Transport Authority referenceAdd an upgrade to begin.
Drag a feature, or select it and use the arrow controls. Roof and ground systems share this concept overlay. Positions are illustrative and not to scale.
AI-generated example · not a surveyed plan
Start with your own floor plan.
Use the example above, or place upgrade ideas on an image of your property.
- Choose one floor. Use a top-down drawing with walls and room outlines visible. For a PDF, export one page as an image or take a clear screenshot.
- Straighten and crop. Keep the whole floor and a small border. Remove browser controls, large empty margins and any personal details you do not want in your downloaded plan.
- Add it, then place your upgrades. The image fits into the canvas automatically. Switch on an upgrade and drag its symbol into position.
JPG, PNG or WebP · up to 10 MB and 40 megapixels. PDF files are not supported directly.
Your image stays in this browser. It is not uploaded or sent with your enquiry. Room outlines are not detected automatically.
Your upgrade brief
Each choice includes a Singapore source and explains what its benefit applies to. These figures use different baselines, so they are not added into a total building saving.
No upgrades selected yet.
Start with one idea — try adding solar panels. Your choices, research references and the checks to discuss will appear here.
Discuss your shophouse
Download your plan before leaving. The enquiry carries your feature list; the plan image stays with you.
A visual starting point for a conversation. Published comparisons are reference points, not predictions for your property. No prices or total savings are calculated. Suitability, dimensions, conservation requirements and installation details need a property assessment.
What the research tells us
Use these notes to understand how each upgrade could help, and what needs checking for your shophouse.
Sources checked 3 October 2026. Reference figures describe particular systems or comparisons; they are not Beam / Reality project results.
How a building-wide saving is assessed
Start with utility data and separate cooling, lighting and other uses. Apply a suitable comparison to the affected load, account for overlapping measures, and assess solar generation against when the building uses electricity.
For example, an 80% lamp-energy reduction would equal 8% of total electricity only if those lamps accounted for 10% of the original total and other loads stayed unchanged. This is an arithmetic illustration, not an estimate for your building.
Solar panels
Solar generation; no fixed saving %
Building electricity use and electricity bought from the grid are different measures.
Solar can supply part of the building’s electricity demand and offset grid purchases. EMA recommends sizing the system around roof suitability and electricity use.
Apply with care: The percentage depends on usable roof area, shading, generation and when electricity is consumed. Exported electricity is not on-site consumption, and a roof symbol does not specify system capacity.
To assess your property: Usable roof area, shading survey, proposed kWp, generation profile and interval electricity data.
Ceiling fans
25–35% cooling-system energy reduction
BCA benchmark for hybrid cooling compared with conventional air-conditioning systems such as AHUs/VAV.
Fans can support comfort at a higher air-conditioning temperature. BCA lists this range for designed hybrid cooling systems.
Apply with care: This is not a fan-only saving or a whole-building forecast. Suitability depends on the existing cooling system and operation; a shophouse with split units may differ from the reference systems.
EMA separately advises that raising the air-conditioning setpoint by 1°C can reduce its energy needs by around 10%. This describes an operating change, not an additional saving to add to the BCA range.
To assess your property: Cooling electricity baseline, existing system, setpoints, occupied hours and comfort requirements.
- Building and Construction Authority — Alternative Cooling Technologies (opens in a new tab)Source date: 2026-10-01
- Energy Market Authority — Electricity conservation tips (opens in a new tab)Source date: 2026-04-22
Air-well improvement
Daylight and airflow; site-specific savings
No universal shophouse electricity-saving percentage is assigned.
URA identifies open air wells as a route for daylight and natural ventilation into a shophouse.
Apply with care: Energy falls only where the design and operating pattern reduce artificial lighting or mechanical cooling. Climate, noise, indoor conditions and tenancy needs can constrain this.
To assess your property: Existing openings, daylight and airflow assessment, conservation constraints and current lighting/cooling hours.
EV charging
About 50% lower vehicle CO₂ emissions
LTA compares an EV with a similar internal-combustion-engine vehicle in Singapore.
Charging provision can support a switch to electric vehicles. LTA’s comparison accounts for Singapore’s electricity-generation context.
Apply with care: This is a transport-carbon comparison, not a building-energy saving or a charger-only benefit. Charging adds electricity demand at the property.
To assess your property: Vehicle use, charging demand, electrical capacity, permitted parking and access.
Rainwater collection
Potable-water substitution; no energy %
PUB identifies collected rainwater as an alternative for non-potable use.
A suitable collection system can replace part of the treated-water demand for appropriate uses within the property.
Apply with care: Water savings depend on collection, storage and demand. Pumping or treatment can use electricity, so the planner assigns no electricity-saving percentage. PUB approval is required for construction of a rainwater-harvesting system.
To assess your property: Catchment area, rainfall, tank capacity, intended demand and pumping/treatment requirements.
- PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency — Alternate Sources of Water (opens in a new tab)Source date: 2026-03-03
Efficient lighting
About 80% less lamp electricity
NEA’s comparison is LED bulbs versus halogen bulbs, published in 2018.
Replacing older, inefficient lamps can reduce lighting electricity use. Controls can also reduce unnecessary operating hours.
Apply with care: The 80% comparison does not apply to replacing existing LEDs and is not a whole-building saving. Confirm equivalent light output, lamp/driver power and hours; controls need their own assessment.
To assess your property: Existing and proposed lamp wattage, quantity, equivalent light output and operating hours.
- National Environment Agency — LED efficiency announcement (opens in a new tab)Source date: 2018-10-26
Planting & habitats
Shade and thermal comfort; no fixed energy %
NParks describes urban greenery as a way to reduce heat and improve thermal comfort.
Planting can provide shade and support cooling through vegetation; appropriate planting can also support biodiversity.
Apply with care: A small planter does not establish a measurable cooling-energy saving. Coverage, location, species, irrigation and building operation all matter.
To assess your property: Planting area, sun exposure, species, irrigation, drainage and maintenance access.
- National Parks Board — Annual Report 2023/2024 — Sustainability Report (opens in a new tab)Source date: 2023/2024 reporting period