A NEW DAWN IN SOLAR ENERGY

AUGUSTMAN SPEAKS TO MANDALA CLUB CHIEF SUSTAINABILITY OFFICER LILLY GILBERT ABOUT THE MOVEMENT THAT COULD CHANGE HOW BUSINESSES IN KEONG SAIK ARE POWERED THE MANDALA SOLAR COLLECTIVE.

- SUFFIAN HAKIM

THERE'S A BUZZ in the air at Mandala Club, and it's not entirely because of their exquisite Old Fashioned (Nikka from the Barrel and cane are the two magic ingredients here). It's an energy in the air that arises from the potential and possibilities that the members-only club offers, both from its diverse, dynamic community, and the policies put forth by its leadership.

Most recently is the conception of the Mandala Solar Collective, an initiative put forward by the club to achieve its sustainability goals and help similar-minded businesses switch to renewable energy. It also aims to align with Singapore's goal of two gigawatt-peak (GWp) of installed solar capacity by 2030 through harnessing the power of collective action and creativity. The Mandala Solar Collective will be able to deliver up to seven per cent of the solar power needed for the Singapore Green Plan 2030. The initiative will also feature a series of roundtable discussions involving local businesses, designers, and partners, culminating in a flagship event this month to celebrate the successes of the project and share insights gleaned from its efforts.

The Collective's first major project is to get solar panels installed at Mandala Club. The fact that the club is housed in a heritage building comes with its own set of challenges, including the fact that the façade of such buildings cannot be altered in certain ways - one of which is the installation of solar panels. They've worked around this by installing panels at the back of the building.