Insights/Opinion — Recommendations to Electrifying the Construction Site

This paper presents insights for policy makers on electrifying the construction site. This energy transition may be inevitable because original equipment manufacturers are moving away from diesel powered products as part of their decarbonization commitments. Given that the construction sector has been historically slow to adopt new technologies, policy makers have a role to play to guide them through this transition. Three key insights were gained from trials of battery-powered tools and vehicles carried out in two separate construction projects in Singapore. These were (i) savings from electrification extend beyond task-level productivity; (ii) value from electrification is likely underestimated; and (iii) work processes on site would need to be redesigned to minimize downtime from charging. Based on these insights and past strategies on green buildings, this paper recommends for policy makers to take a mixed approach based on strategic communications and R&D planning.