Modern lighting design is increasingly recognized as a bridge between conservation of energy and the creation of spaces that enhance human experience. For a deeper exploration of Singapore’s LED transformation journey, see our blog [LED Lighting in Singapore: Driving Sustainability and Modern Design]. In Singapore, the Building and Construction Authority’s Green Mark Certification Scheme has been central to advancing sustainable architecture. By 2025, over 2,500 Green Mark-certified buildings collectively save more than 4.2 billion kWh of electricity annually, equivalent to powering one million public housing flats. Super Low Energy (SLE) projects under Green Mark target a 60% reduction in energy consumption compared to 2005 baselines, illustrating how policy can drive measurable outcomes in efficiency (Building and Construction Authority, 2025).
At the urban scale, the transition to LED street lights exemplifies the integration of technology and sustainability. Since 2013, the Land Transport Authority has progressively replaced conventional lamps with LED luminaires across Singapore. These new systems, paired with Remote Control and Monitoring Systems (RCMS), deliver more than 25% energy savings while extending lamp lifespans from three years to roughly a decade. Such advancements not only reduce emissions but also lower maintenance costs, demonstrating that efficiency can coexist with operational resilience.
Beyond efficiency metrics, lighting fundamentally shapes human perception. Studies on ambient lighting show that combining ambient and task lighting enhances psychomotor performance and mental alertness without reducing subjective comfort (Hayano et al., 2021). In public spaces, well-designed ambient lighting has been linked to greater perceptions of safety and more active community use of outdoor environments (Kaplan & Chalfin, 2021). These findings highlight that lighting is both a technical and social instrument, influencing how people interact with their surroundings.
Building and Construction Authority (2025). Twenty Years of Greening Buildings in Singapore. Available at https://www1.bca.gov.sg/about-us/news-and-publications/media-releases/2025/07/11/sgbc-gala-dinner-2025-media-release?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Hayano J, Ueda N, Kisohara M, Yoshida Y, Yuda E. Ambient-task combined lighting to regulate autonomic and psychomotor arousal levels without compromising subjective comfort to lighting. Journal of Physiological Anthropology. 2021 Aug 9;40(1):8.
Kaplan J, Chalfin A. Ambient lighting, use of outdoor spaces and perceptions of public safety: evidence from a survey experiment. Security Journal. 2021 Apr 11;35(3):694.
