GREEN TEMPLE

The Electric New Paper, 21 February 2008

FOR some, going green may mean recycling the occasional drink can or glass bottle.

But for 69-year-old Lee Boon Siong, going green has become nothing less than a mission.

The honorary president and director of the Poh Ern Shih temple along Chwee Chian Road (off Pasir Panjang Road) has turned the 54-year-old institution into an environmental beacon.

Solar panels on the temple's roof generate electricity and heat water for temple use, and wind turbines power the temple's lamps.

And soon, there'll even be a water-recycling system in place.

Mr Lee said: 'I just hope other institutions can see what we've done, learn and improve on it.

'I belong to the generation which destroyed the environment for profit. Hopefully, this will help repair some of the damage.'

IT STARTED IN CANADA

Mr Lee said his heightened environmental awareness began after he moved to Vancouver in 1969 to live and work there.

He said: 'Canada has always been conscious of climate change and its causes, and has championed the use of alternative energy.

'During my stay there, this attitude rubbed off on me.'

Mr Lee, who worked as a lawyer and notary in Canada, was posted back to Singapore in the 80s and began volunteering at Poh Ern Shih in 1995.

In the late 90s, when the issue of rebuilding the temple came up, Mr Lee mooted the idea of incorporating 'green' features into the building.

However, his ideas were met with some scepticism from building consultants who felt they were impractical.

But he was adamant in turning his vision of a green temple into reality.

He read up voraciously on environmental innovations and consulted experts on features that could be implemented in the new $18million building.

While taking this reporter on a guided tour of the temple, Mr Lee used terms like 'poly-crystalline', 'mono-crystalline' and 'amorphous' - referring to different types of solar panels - with ease.

He also spoke animatedly about the environment-friendly fixtures that will be completed in the second phase of the temple's rebuilding, which will end in June.

Mr Lee said: 'As far as we can, we hope to make this temple self-sustaining.

'But more importantly, I hope that people can learn from its design.'

His wish may not be far from being fulfilled.

The amount of electricity generated by the solar panels is tracked by a data logger. The data is then routinely collected by students from Singapore Polytechnic for research.

The polytechnic has also lent the temple two wind turbines, which are mounted at different levels on the temple's roof.

Pointing to the turbines, Mr Lee said proudly: 'These, here, are my babies.'

His enthusiasm is contagious, and his attention to detail impeccable.

Even the furniture in the nuns' quarters are made of environment-friendly bamboo.

'We chose bamboo because it's a resource that can be replenished in five years,' he said.

And though the features come with a hefty price tag - the solar panels alone cost $220,000 - Mr Lee said they are well worth the money.

'Based on current electricity prices and the amount of electricity we're saving with the panels, we expect to break even in 25 years,' he said.

The point, he said, is to make a statement.

'People often ask about costs, but you can't put a price tag on saving the earth,' he said.

Visitors to the temple were impressed by its features.

Mr Michael Chua, 47, founder of environmental technology company SET Systems for Environmental Technologies, said he felt the temple was doing a 'great job' in its effort to go green.

He recently visited the temple because he had heard about its green innovations.

Mr Chua said: 'To me, Poh Ern Shih Temple is a shining example of an institution which looks at life in a more universal manner.

'We all live in this environment and we should do our best to take care of it.'

Poh Ern Shih's green features

• # Seven solar panels on temple's roof are connected to seven water tanks. Each tank costs about $5,000.

• # Wind turbines on roof charge batteries that light up lamps.

• # Modular boxes made of bamboo double up as platform beds and work desks

FUTURE FEATURES (ready in June)

• # Rainwater running off the ground will flow into tanks and used to water plants on temple grounds.

• # Rainwater to be filtered and purified through reverse osmosis and used as reserve drinking water supply.

• # Micro Hydro Generators to harness energy of free-falling rainwater. Energy used to charge batteries of older devotees' motorised wheelchairs.

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