Housing Board awards largest solar leasing tender yet for installations in four towns

Solar panels recently installed on the rooftop of an HDB block at Jurong East St 21. Some 680 Housing Board blocks in four residential towns - Jurong East, Marine Parade, Sembawang and Tampines - are to have solar panels installed. -- PHOTO:&nbs
Solar panels recently installed on the rooftop of an HDB block at Jurong East St 21. Some 680 Housing Board blocks in four residential towns - Jurong East, Marine Parade, Sembawang and Tampines - are to have solar panels installed. -- PHOTO: HOUSING AND DEVELOPMENT BOARD

SINGAPORE - Some 680 Housing Board blocks in four residential towns - Jurong East, Marine Parade, Sembawang and Tampines - are to have solar panels installed.

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has awarded its biggest solar tender yet to solar firm Sunseap Leasing.

The HDB said in a statement on Sunday that the solar photovoltaic (PV) systems - which convert sunlight into electricity - will also be installed at three HDB-owned commercial and industrial properties.

These are the Woodlands Civic Centre, Eastlink Industrial Building in Bedok, and HDB Hub at Toa Payoh.

The upcoming installations will supply 38 megawatts-peak (MWp) of solar power in total.

It is the first such tender awarded by the HDB that will see the full cost of solar PV systems borne by the contractor.

A HDB spokesman said on Sunday: "Prior to this, HDB had funded a proportion of the cost for solar leasing tenders called earlier, to kickstart the solar leasing programme. As larger tenders are being called, there will be economies of scale.

"Based on the current sustainable business model of solar leasing, HDB will not be funding any portion of the upfront cost for future projects to install solar panels."

Including the recent tender, the HDB has committed to providing 54 MWp of solar PVt - potentially enough to generate electricity for 14,000 units of 4-room flats.

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