The heart of Kuala Lumpur’s new Financial District is the Exchange TRX, a groundbreaking 17-acre lifestyle destination developed by globally integrated real estate giant Lendlease. Kaer is providing CaaS across multiple parts of the complex including a shopping mall, offices and hotel.
The Exchange TRX project is poised to be the largest integrated development project of its kind in the region, featuring a shopping mall, a 10-acre rooftop park, six premier residential towers, a low-rise campus-style office, and Malaysia’s inaugural Kimpton® Hotel and Restaurants.
Implementing efficient cooling was a critical consideration. Lendlease chose a Cooling-as-a-Service (CaaS) model from Kaer to address the cooling requirements of the shopping mall, office spaces, and the hotel. This strategic partnership signifies the project’s commitment to energy efficiency, aligning with Malaysia’s target to reduce emissions intensity by 45 percent of GDP by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
The Exchange TRX is the latest addition to Kaer’s portfolio, marking the second collaboration with Lendlease following the successful transition to CaaS at the Paya Lebar Quarter in Singapore in 2017, setting the stage for continued collaboration on energy and resource-saving initiatives.
Under the traditional model, customers bear the responsibility of purchasing, installing, and maintaining cooling systems. Under CaaS, clients define their cooling temperature requirements and needs, and a service provider assumes all responsibilities removing upfront costs of systems for the customer. Instead, customers purchase cooling on a pay-as-you-use basis, often at a fixed $/RTH (Refrigerant Ton Hour) rate. This innovative model can drive energy and resource efficiency (for example water consumption), to position buildings favourably for green accreditations, including the Malaysian Green Building Index, Singapore’s Green Mark, and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certifications by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).
“The Exchange TRX is one of Malaysia’s most progressive developments, set to become a leading lifestyle hub in Asia. After a wonderful experience with Paya Lebar Quarter in Singapore, this is a big opportunity for us to learn and build on what we have done to maximise building performance and reduce the environmental footprint,” stated Justin Taylor, CEO of Kaer.
