HDB launches sixth tender with smart electrical sub-metres to optimise energy use

Singapore, 15 March 2021 – The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has called the sixth solar leasing tender under the SolarNova programme, led jointly with the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB). The latest tender, with a solar capacity of 70 megawatt-peak (MWp), aggregates public sector demand for the installation of solar panels across 1,198 HDB blocks and 57 government sites. As part of this tender, vendors will be required to install smart electrical sub-metres at HDB blocks to track energy usage.

Including this SolarNova tender, HDB has committed a total solar capacity of 330 MWp for 6,901 HDB blocks. This is equivalent to powering 82,500 four-room flats with solar energy, potentially reducing carbon emissions by 198,000 tonnes per year and helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Having achieved the earlier solar target of 220 MWp, HDB announced in 2019 a new solar target of 540 MWp by 2030. This new target could potentially generate 648 GWh of Green energy annually, contributing towards the national solar targets of 1.5 gigawatt-peak (GWp) by 2025 and 2 GWp by 2030 as set out under the Singapore Green Plan. It is also in line with the HDB Green Towns Programme to harness Green energy and bring sustainable living to all HDB towns.

Under the SolarNova programme, solar energy that is harnessed is first used to power common services (e.g., lifts, lights and water pumps) in HDB estates in the day, with excess energy channelled to the electrical grid. On average, HDB blocks are able to achieve net-zero energy consumption at common areas.

As part of this sixth SolarNova tender, vendors will be required to install smart electrical sub-metres at HDB blocks. The metres will enable HDB and the town councils to monitor and analyse energy consumption patterns and the performance of common services at each block. With the data, town councils can compare energy usage across HDB blocks, and track the demand and supply of energy for individual blocks in the estate. The data collected will help to optimise maintenance cycles of common services, as well as detect anomalies such as equipment fault.

The CEO of HDB, Tan Meng Dui, said, “With the experience gained from implementing solar systems over the last ten years, HDB has gone beyond harnessing Green energy to optimise the consumption of solar energy and making our housing estates more energy-efficient. As new innovations and solutions emerge, HDB will continue to strengthen our solar capabilities and expand our installed capacity, as part of the national effort to develop Greener and more sustainable towns while reducing Singapore’s carbon footprint.”

The sixth SolarNova tender involves the participation of four agencies, namely Ministry of Education, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of National Development and PUB, Singapore’s National Water Agency. The solar leasing tender will close on 7 May 2021 and is targeted to be awarded in 4Q 2021. Installation of the solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is expected to be completed by 2Q 2024.

– Construction+ Online

Source: HDB