Sabah developers are keen to participate in green building development after getting a clearer picture of the costs involved.
Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association president Datuk Susan Wong said it was ready to promote and encourage green building development which would save on energy and other costs in the long run.
“Green building involves all sorts of technology. For example, heat can be reduced considerably with the orientation of a building to avoid facing the sun and with large windows,” said Wong.
At the recent opening of the International Property Exhibition, Wong had called for a reduction in Green Building Index (GBI) certification fees.
Yesterday, however, she said the fees were fair, adding that she was initially misguided on the GBI certification fee formula and that the RM5,000 and above charge were for bungalows.
Wong said the fee for a typical 172 sq meters double-storey terrace house was as low as RM100.
“For development of 1,000 units of double-storey terrace houses, the fee would be as low as RM65 per unit. For a 500-unit housing development, the GBI certification fee is RM90 per unit while the fee is RM200 each for those between 50 to 100 units,” she said.
She said developers in the state were keen to have their projects certified as green buildings due to the growing demand.
