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24-01-14, 18:36
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/archive/saturday/specials/property/all-new-bto-flats-come-eco-features-20140123
Published January 23, 2014
All new BTO flats to come with eco-features
Plan to manage water, energy, waste more efficiently
By Grace Leong [email protected]
[SINGAPORE] Singapore's push for more eco-friendly buildings has expanded from the commercial and industrial space to that of public housing, with what is to date the biggest planned rollout of 24,300 new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats with eco-features.
In the first tranche of the rollout for this year, the Housing Board yesterday launched six such environmentally sustainable new BTO projects, or 3,139 BTO flats, in Bukit Batok, Jurong West, Punggol, Woodlands and Serangoon.
Starting with this launch, all future HDB BTO developments will have a standard suite of eco-features to manage water, energy and waste more efficiently.
These include eco-pedestals in bathrooms that redirect water used for hand-washing to the pedestal cistern for the next flush, thereby allowing for "greywater" recycling.
Other features include centralised chutes for recyclables and LED lighting with motion-sensor controls.
Regenerative lifts also lower energy consumption by converting the braking and motions of the lift into energy to light up common areas or to power other lifts.
In place of conventional battery-operated power sources, a fuel-cell system will generate green energy that provides back-up power for lifts.
Compost bins will be added in community gardens to collect leaf litter, cut grass and other organic matter; the compost generated will be used to fertilise landscape shrubbery.
More covered bicycle parking lots and bicycle wheel ramps will also be added.
The impetus to extend these eco-features to all future public housing projects stems from the success of HDB's first eco-precinct Treelodge@Punggol, a 712-unit development launched in 2007.
Energy and water consumption there have so far been lower than the national average, and recycling efforts are increasing.
Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan, in his latest blog entry titled "Eco-friendly Lifestyle in HDB Towns", noted that Treelodge@Punggol's centralised chutes for recyclables have collected three times more recyclables than other HDB blocks.
"Energy-efficient features, such as LED lights with motion-sensor controls and re-generative lifts have also lowered their electricity consumption," he noted.
Last October, Yuhua was selected as the first precinct for Greenprint, a programme which aims to bring environmentally sustainable lifestyles to existing public housing estates.
New features such as energy-efficient lifts, solar panels on rooftops and an automatic waste collection system are being introduced into the estate in Jurong East.
Published January 23, 2014
All new BTO flats to come with eco-features
Plan to manage water, energy, waste more efficiently
By Grace Leong [email protected]
[SINGAPORE] Singapore's push for more eco-friendly buildings has expanded from the commercial and industrial space to that of public housing, with what is to date the biggest planned rollout of 24,300 new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats with eco-features.
In the first tranche of the rollout for this year, the Housing Board yesterday launched six such environmentally sustainable new BTO projects, or 3,139 BTO flats, in Bukit Batok, Jurong West, Punggol, Woodlands and Serangoon.
Starting with this launch, all future HDB BTO developments will have a standard suite of eco-features to manage water, energy and waste more efficiently.
These include eco-pedestals in bathrooms that redirect water used for hand-washing to the pedestal cistern for the next flush, thereby allowing for "greywater" recycling.
Other features include centralised chutes for recyclables and LED lighting with motion-sensor controls.
Regenerative lifts also lower energy consumption by converting the braking and motions of the lift into energy to light up common areas or to power other lifts.
In place of conventional battery-operated power sources, a fuel-cell system will generate green energy that provides back-up power for lifts.
Compost bins will be added in community gardens to collect leaf litter, cut grass and other organic matter; the compost generated will be used to fertilise landscape shrubbery.
More covered bicycle parking lots and bicycle wheel ramps will also be added.
The impetus to extend these eco-features to all future public housing projects stems from the success of HDB's first eco-precinct Treelodge@Punggol, a 712-unit development launched in 2007.
Energy and water consumption there have so far been lower than the national average, and recycling efforts are increasing.
Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan, in his latest blog entry titled "Eco-friendly Lifestyle in HDB Towns", noted that Treelodge@Punggol's centralised chutes for recyclables have collected three times more recyclables than other HDB blocks.
"Energy-efficient features, such as LED lights with motion-sensor controls and re-generative lifts have also lowered their electricity consumption," he noted.
Last October, Yuhua was selected as the first precinct for Greenprint, a programme which aims to bring environmentally sustainable lifestyles to existing public housing estates.
New features such as energy-efficient lifts, solar panels on rooftops and an automatic waste collection system are being introduced into the estate in Jurong East.