Artist’s impression of HDB blocks at Punggol Northshore, which will have solar-ready roofs. (Photos: HDB)
Aggregating multi-agency demand for the installation of solar panels across 27 government sites and 848 Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks, HDB, along with the Singapore Economic Board (EDB), called the third and largest solar leasing tender under the SolarNova programme.
The tender will see the installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems of 50 megawatt-peak (MWp), up 25 percent from the previous two SolarNova tenders which required the installation of 40 MWp of solar PV systems.
The present tender will also involve more HDB blocks, with tenderers required to optimise the roof space for solar panel installation.
The solar energy harnessed will be used to power common services within the HDB estates such as lifts, pumps and lighting in common areas, helping town councils to moderate the hike in maintenance and operating costs due to inflation.
Playing a key role in supporting the city-state’s effort in promoting sustainable development, HDB have made steady progress in building solar capabilities, said Dr Cheong Koon Hean, chief executive officer of HDB.
“Today, HDB is the largest stakeholder in solar PV installation, having committed to fulfil over 60 percent of the 350 MWp of solar capacity that Singapore has planned to achieve by 2020,” she said.
And with the third tender, HDB is on track to achieve its goal of “rolling out 220MWp of solar panels across 5,500 HDB blocks by 2020”.
The tender will close on 31 January 2018, and is slated to be awarded in the second quarter of 2018.
Meanwhile, the installation of the solar PV systems is set to be completed by the second quarter of 2020.
This article was edited by Keshia Faculin.
