Singapore, Feb 3 (IANS): Singapore's public housing authority announced Monday that it would apply cool coatings to all public estates islandwide following a successful pilot, as part of a broader programme for sustainable living.
The Housing and Development Board (HDB) said in a statement that it would work closely with Town Councils, which are autonomous entities run by elected members of parliament and residents, to complete the coatings by 2030.
In 2021, the HDB and the Tampines Town Council in eastern Singapore launched a pilot project to apply a specialised paint containing heat-reflective additives to approximately 130 HDB blocks. The paint helps reduce surface heat absorption and emission.
Findings from the two-year pilot showed that the cool coatings lowered ambient temperatures by up to two degrees Celsius. Residents in coated blocks also consumed less electricity, as less energy was needed for air conditioning.
"Five years ago, we launched the HDB Green Towns Programme to transform our public housing estates into greener and more liveable spaces for residents. Notwithstanding Covid-19 challenges in the initial period, we have made good progress. I thank our stakeholders, especially residents for their strong support of these initiatives. Building on this foundation, we are stepping up our efforts to scale the initiatives across HDB towns. We want to ensure that every town meets the needs of current residents as well as for many generations to come," said Senior Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How.
The cool coatings are part of the 10-year HDB Green Towns Programme, which will also introduce measures such as installing smart electrical sub-meters, upgrading complexes, and deploying more than 1,000 beverage container return points, Xinhua news agency reported.
More than 1 million HDB flats have been built across Singapore, housing 80 percent of the resident population. Known for their affordability and community-centric design, HDB flats remain a key feature of Singapore's urban landscape.