Punggol to get green makeover

New estate will be first eco-town in Singapore, says Mah Bow Tan
Jessica Cheam, Straits Times 29 Jan 10;

THE former sleepy fishing village of Punggol is to undergo a green makeover that will transform it into Singapore's first 'eco-town'.

National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan said on Wednesday that the northern coastal town is to serve as a testbed for innovative green technologies.

Testing such technologies at Punggol will allow the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to lower the implementation cost of these solutions and to replicate them across other towns, he added.

The HDB sees Punggol, one of Singapore's younger towns, as being ideally placed to undergo the planned transformation.

It is already home to HDB's first green housing project, Treelodge@Punggol, which features solar panels and rainwater recycling.

A waterway is being built at Punggol that will feature green landscapes and bring nature closer to residents.

The town has small, intimate estates featuring common green areas, accessible amenities and a well-integrated public transport network.

The HDB hopes the town's green living environment will raise awareness of environmental sustainability.

To bring about Punggol's revamp, it will be working with government agencies and private sector firms in the areas of energy, waste and water management.

The HDB is adopting a three-pronged approach to the development of the eco-town.

This will involve implementing effective urban planning designs that encourage residents to adopt greener lifestyles, using green technologies and educating residents through grassroots events.

Speaking to a 500-strong audience yesterday at an HDB-hosted housing conference at Suntec City, chief executive Tay Kim Poh said the HDB viewed such investment as being in line with its goal of providing a higher quality of life for residents.

'As the largest developer in Singapore, we have the responsibility to promote environmental sustainability,' he said.

He added that in recent years the HDB had been driving a number of initiatives to combat climate change.

It is introducing solar systems at four precincts - Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade - with a combined capacity of 600 kilowatt-peak that will be used to offset the energy consumption of the towns.

Mr Tay underlined the importance of constantly rejuvenating ageing towns, and said HDB intends to extend to all towns its Remaking Our Heartland urban rejuvenation programme for public housing estates.

Over the next 20 to 30 years, this massive programme will revitalise older towns and estates, he said.

First eco-town in Punggol, solar panels in more HDB precincts
Ting Kheng Siong, Channel NewsAsia 28 Jan 10;

SINGAPORE: Plans are underway to turn Punggol into Singapore's first eco-town as part of the sustainable development blueprint.

The aim is that over the next five years, energy consumption in public areas will go down by up to 30 percent while energy use in households is targeted to decrease by 10 percent.

HDB said that as a new town, Punggol is perfect as a test bed for green technologies. These include facilities in carparks for people to power up their electric cars, and solar panels to generate electricity.

HDB CEO, Tay Kim Poh, said: "We will provide a lot more greenery in the town in terms of park, green connectors, roof gardens. Buildings will be designed so there is good cross-ventilation, and they don't really have to use their air-con."

A pilot scheme in Serangoon and Sembawang estates to use solar power has also seen energy consumption drop by 40 percent.

It will soon be extended to Tampines, Marine Parade, Tanjong Pagar and Bukit Panjang estates.

The aim is to install solar panels at 30 housing estates over five years.

- CNA/ir

HDB to turn Punggol into eco-town
Area will test ideas and tech promoting sustainable devt
Emilyn Yap, Business Times 29 Jan 10;

THE Housing and Development Board (HDB) has identified Punggol as Singapore's first eco-town, and the area is set to become a 'living laboratory' for ideas and technologies promoting sustainable development.

HDB announced this yesterday, together with plans to install solar panels at Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade.

'As the largest developer in Singapore, we have the responsibility to promote environmental sustainability,' said HDB CEO Tay Kim Poh at the International Housing Conference at Suntec Singapore.

As an eco-town, Punggol will become home to more environmentally friendly buildings. New developments along the waterway passing through the town are likely to have higher Green Mark ratings.

Punggol will also have facilities such as cycling paths and spaces for car sharing services, to encourage residents to adopt more environmentally-friendly ways of getting around.

When it comes to testing new technologies in energy, waste and water management, Punggol will be taking the lead. More importantly, HDB will look at lowering implementation costs and replicating these solutions in other towns.

HDB will also be working with advisers, town councils and grassroots leaders to encourage residents in Punggol to adopt a greener lifestyle. For instance, there will be outreach programmes to educate them about the eco-town's environment and design.

Other towns will be getting their share of action in promoting environmental sustainability. Following the successful trial installation of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels at Serangoon and Wellington,

HDB will be testing the technology in Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade.

This move is part of HDB's $31 million plan to test solar PV panels in 30 HDB precincts by 2015. Last week,

HDB agreed to collaborate with the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore on two projects.

In the meantime, HDB will continue to rejuvenate older towns and estates through the Remaking Our Heartland programme. It plans to extend the programme to all other towns, after Punggol, Yishun and the Dawson estate, Mr Tay said.

Solar power for four more precincts
Today Online 29 Jan 10;

SINGAPORE - It started with two precincts last year. And now that the solar photovoltaic (PV) panels have provided sufficient electricity for common usage, four more estates are set to get more eco-friendly.

The "successful trial" at Serangoon and Wellington precincts has allowed the Housing and Development Board (HDB) to "carry out a wider-scale test-bedding of solar PV to build up solar capabilities", it said yesterday in a statement.

The four precincts - Tampines, Bukit Panjang, Tanjong Pagar and Marine Parade - will be equipped with 600 kilowatt-peaks (kWp) solar PV on rooftops.

How many and which blocks will be selected has yet to be finalised. And even as solar power slowly establishes a foothold in public housing estates here, the caveat for now is that it is too soon to say how much cost savings have been achieved.

What the pilot project found is that the panels at Serangoon and Wellington generate about 220 kWh a day, enough to meet electricity requirements for the common services of one block.

Installation costs amounted to about $250,000 per precinct, but this figure could vary for the latest precincts, depending on how many panels will be required.

Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council property manager Lawrence Toh said the installation at Bukit Panjang will complement its existing efforts to go green. Some of its multi-storey carparks and landscape lighting are already powered by solar power.

The HDB also affirmed yesterday that recent green initiatives in Punggol are pointing to one goal: Creating Singapore's own Eco-Town, to serve as a "living laboratory" for sustainable development and living.

The town already has Singapore's first Built-To-Order eco-precinct, Treetops@Punggol, which has flats fitted with water-saving devices, rooftops planted with greenery and water harvesting systems as well as solar panels for common areas. There will also be recycling chutes within the blocks.

Coming up will be cycling paths, charging stations at carparks and spaces for car sharing to encourage "clean commuting".

HDB said it will test-bed more solutions for energy, water and waste management in the estate. Lin Yanqin