HDB to coat 130 blocks in Tampines with heat-reflective paint

A new type of heat-reflective paint will be used on some 130 Housing Board blocks in Tampines, under a pilot project that aims to reduce ambient temperatures by up to 2 deg C.

The collected data will be analysed to determine if using cool paint on building facades and pavements could be rolled out across Singapore, said HDB yesterday.

The large-scale pilot project comes under a 10-year plan, the HDB Green Towns Programme, to make existing HDB towns more environmentally sustainable and liveable through cooling them, reducing energy consumption and recycling rainwater.

On Friday, Tampines Town Council launched a tender for cyclical repairs and redecoration works that include using cool paint to repaint the first batch of more than 20 blocks and pavements in Tampines Street 83 and 84, among other repair works. The tender will close on Sept 1.

The repainting of these blocks and pavements is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of next year. The remaining blocks under the pilot will be repainted progressively. The project, including its review, is expected to wrap up by 2024.

Tampines was selected as it has a higher average land surface temperature compared with other towns, according to HDB's analysis of satellite images and meteorological data.

Cool paint is one solution that HDB is exploring to tackle the urban heat island effect - a phenomenon in which buildings and roads absorb heat during the day and release stored heat into their surroundings at night.

Surfaces treated with cool paint absorb less heat during the day, thus emitting less heat at night and leading to a cooler environment.

The process of painting with cool paint is similar to that for conventional paint. A primer or undercoat will first be applied for better adhesion of paint to the surface, followed by two layers of paint.

Visually, there is no difference between cool paint and conventional paint, said HDB.

Cool paint was previously tested in two small-scale trials in Tuas and Bukit Purmei between 2018 and last year, and temperatures at buildings coated with cool paint were compared with those with conventional paint.

Preliminary findings showed that the ambient temperature around the buildings coated with cool paint was reduced by up to 2 deg C, day and night.

While cool paints have been available for some time, they were less economically viable before, and the thermal insulation efficacy and durability of cool paints also required further study, said HDB.

As more suppliers entered the market in recent years, cool paint technology improved and is now priced more competitively, added HDB.

The pilot in Tampines will also provide data on the effect of cool paints on blocks of different heights, layouts and orientations compared with "control blocks" repainted with conventional paints.

HDB will also conduct a comprehensive study on whether having surrounding greenery leads to a further reduction in ambient temperature, as well as market readiness for wide-scale implementation in other HDB estates.

Temperature sensors will be installed on the blocks' facades and the ground level.

Residents whose blocks are involved will be asked to share feedback as well.

HDB chief executive Tan Meng Dui said: "This marks the first time cool paint will be used to repaint HDB blocks starting on a precinct level and extending across neighbourhoods. The outcome of this pilot will help us test the market readiness of cool paint for wider implementation and pave the way for its use in more HDB towns."