Lawrence Wong unveils 10-year HDB Green Towns Programme plan to green HDB towns

The HDB Green Towns programme will focus on recycling rainwater, reducing energy consumption and cooling HDB towns. Image: HDB

Minister for National Development (MND) Lawrence Wong has unveiled a 10-year plan to make Housing and Development Board (HDB) towns more sustainable and liveable by 2030.

Through the HDB Green Towns Programme, the government targets to reduce annual energy consumption within HDB towns by 15% by 2030. Notably, annual energy consumption across HDB towns have declined by 10% since 2005.

Related story: 4 Green Features in HDB Towns That Are Helping Save the World!

“This is a major effort, and the government, Town Councils and our residents will all need to do our part. Only then can we build greener and more sustainable HDB towns for our next generation,” said Wong during his Committee of Supply debate speech.

The programme will focus on recycling rainwater, reducing energy consumption and cooling HDB towns, while bringing together initiatives that have been successfully implemented or trialled, as well as initiatives with potential for scaling up.

In highlighting some of the initiatives under the programme, Wong said the ministry will first work with Town Councils to introduce smart LED lighting across all HDB estates.

“Using sensors, the system dims to provide just enough ambient lighting when common areas are unoccupied, and then brightens again before residents enter an area. Its motion sensors, but this is enhanced motion sensors, much better than what you have seen so far. It uses up to 60% less energy than normal LED lighting.”

The ministry will also continue installing solar panels on HDB blocks. He noted that over 50% of HDB blocks have already been installed with solar panels.

“We will increase this to 70% by 2030. We will also deploy more efficient solar panels, and aim to more than double the total solar power capacity on HDB rooftops, from 220 megawatt-peak (MWp) today to 540 MWp by 2030,” he said.

On average, a typical HDB block generates enough solar energy to power the common services such as lifts, lights and water pumps.

To mitigate flood risks and recycle rainwater, the ministry will pilot a system that collects rainwater for non-potable uses like watering of plants and washing of common areas.

The Urban Water Harvesting System (UWHS) collects rainwater, which is stored in an underground tank. The harvested rainwater with then be treated prior to being recycled for irrigation and washing of common areas.

Meanwhile, Wong also announced that Queenstown, Bukit Merah, Ang Mo Kio and Choa Chu Kang will be rejuvenated under the fourth batch of the Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) Programme.

The programme aims to renew and further develop existing HDB towns to meet the community’s changing needs. Nine towns have been chosen for the programme since 2007.

Plans for the first two batches of towns have mostly been implemented, while works for the third batch are currently underway.

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Victor Kang, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email victorkang@propertyguru.com.sg