SINGAPORE - The Housing Board has awarded a tender to Sunseap Leasing - an entity of EDP Renewables - to install solar panels at about 1,075 HDB blocks and 101 government sites by the third quarter of 2026.
In a statement on Feb 27, HDB said the tender has a solar capacity of 130 megawatt-peak (MWp), about 15 per cent higher than the earlier estimates of 113MWp.
This can power more than 30,000 four-room HDB flats.
The tender is the eighth and largest one to date under the Government’s SolarNova programme, which compiles the demand for solar energy from various agencies and is jointly led by the Economic Development Board and HDB.
Installation of the solar panels is expected to start in the second quarter of 2024, HDB said. Solar panels have been fitted at about 3,900 HDB blocks so far, out of about 9,500 blocks that are slated to have them.
Energy generated from solar panels is used to power common services like lifts, lights and water pumps in the daytime. Excess solar energy is channelled to the electrical grid.
On average, HDB blocks with solar panels can achieve net-zero energy consumption in common areas, which means the energy used by the building is roughly equal to the amount of energy it produces.
The 101 government sites covered in the latest tender include 55 primary and secondary schools, the Singapore Aviation Academy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs headquarters.
Sunseap will recover its costs through selling generated solar energy.
HDB noted that it has committed a total solar capacity of 455MWp, which can power about 114,000 four-room flats. This is almost 85 per cent of its target of 540MWp by 2030, it added.
Singapore aims to generate at least 2 gigawatt-peak of solar energy by 2030 under its national green plan, which can meet around 3 per cent of the country’s projected electricity demand that year.
HDB has also awarded tenders to Chevalier Singapore and EM Services to retrofit 4,000 lifts islandwide with a system that recovers energy generated when lifts are moving and braking.
The contract for Chevalier Singapore is worth about $12.9 million and covers the retrofitting of about 2,700 lifts, HDB said in response to queries. EM Services was awarded a $5.8 million contract to retrofit about 1,300 lifts.
The Elevator Energy Regeneration System uses the recovered energy to power other services such as lighting, ventilation, and the lift display panel within the lift. It can reduce lift energy consumption by an average of 20 per cent, said HDB.
Retrofitting is expected to start in the second quarter of 2024 and be completed by 2030.
In a Facebook post, National Development Minister Desmond Lee said HDB’s initiatives can make a big difference in the Government’s commitment to sustainable development, given that most Singaporeans live in public housing.
“We will continue to innovate, explore new initiatives and work with various stakeholders to make our towns even more green and liveable,” he said.
