Solar panels to be installed at 1,075 HDB blocks in largest tender under govt programme

SINGAPORE – Solar panels will be installed at another 1,075 Housing Board blocks under the Aljunied-Hougang, Nee Soon and Sengkang town councils by the third quarter of 2026, as part of Singapore’s drive to harness more clean energy.

This brings the number of HDB blocks that will be fitted with solar panels to about 9,500. HDB on Thursday said it aims to install solar panels on as many as possible of the more than 10,000 blocks islandwide over the next three years.

Another 104 government sites – including 55 primary and secondary schools, Khoo Teck Puat Hospital Tower B and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) headquarters – will also have solar panels installed under the latest tender launched on Thursday, which is the largest to date under the Government’s SolarNova programme, with a solar capacity of 113 megawatt-peak (MWp).

The programme compiles demand for solar energy from various agencies, and is jointly led by HDB and the Singapore Economic Development Board.

The eighth SolarNova tender involves 10 agencies – the Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, MFA, Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Singapore Customs, HDB, National Environment Agency and People’s Association.

In HDB estates, energy generated from solar panels is first used to power common services such as lifts, lights and water pumps in the daytime. Excess solar energy is channelled to the electrical grid.

On average, HDB blocks with solar panels installed can achieve net-zero energy consumption in common areas, which means the energy used by the building is roughly equal to the amount of energy it produces.

HDB said in a statement that the latest tender will bring its total solar capacity to 440MWp – more than 80 per cent of its target of 530MWp by 2030, and equivalent to powering 110,000 four-room flats.

To date, about 3,300 HDB blocks have been fitted with solar panels.

The board also announced a new initiative to further reduce energy consumption in HDB estates by recovering energy generated when lifts are moving and braking.

The Elevator Energy Regeneration System will use the energy recovered to power other services within the lift such as lighting, ventilation and the lift display panel. It can reduce lift energy consumption by an average of 20 per cent, said HDB.

HDB added that the system will be installed in existing HDB lifts where feasible. Retrofitting works are expected to start in 2024.