The Housing & Development Board (HDB) of Singapore has planned to install solar PV systems on all 527 eligible HDB blocks in the Tanjong Pagar town.
The photovoltaic systems are expected to harness clean energy by 2025, adhering to the town council’s 10-year master plan to be more energy-efficient.
In its recently released 2021 sustainability report, the Tanjong Pagar Town Council said, the blocks are projected to achieve net-zero energy consumption on average in common areas, once the installation is complete.
The town council targets to reduce 15% of energy consumption in the common areas by 2030 utilizing energy-saving features for elevators, smart LED lights, and water pumps in each block.
In the report, the Chairman of Tanjong Pagar Town Council, Melvin Yong, mentioned, “I am encouraged by the enthusiasm shown by our residents, advocates and partner organizations in meeting the goals set in our sustainability report. We want to continue taking care of public spaces that help to foster strong bonds in the community”.
The solar photovoltaic systems on HDB blocks, which are under the Governments’ SolarNova program, jointly led by HDB and the Economic Development Board (EDB), will have a total solar capacity of 26.5 MWp, equivalent to powering 6,600 four-room HDB flats.
Having achieved their previous solar target of 220 MWp by 2020, HDB had announced a new solar target in Dec 2019 of generating 540 MWp by 2030, the equivalent of powering 135,000 four-room HDB flats. This new target would reduce carbon emissions by 324,000 tonnes per year and contribute towards the national solar targets of 2 GWp by 2030 as set out under the Singapore Green Plan.
HDB is home to more than 80% of Singapore’s population, having completed more than 1 million flats and houses across 24 towns and 3 estates. HDB’s 10-year plan “Green Towns Programme” aims to harness green energy and bring sustainable living to all HDB towns. The program focuses on reducing energy consumption, recycling rainwater, and cooling HDB towns.
