SINGAPORE, Feb. 3 (Xinhua) -- 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 program 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 specialized 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 2 degrees Celsius. Residents in coated blocks also consumed less electricity, as less energy was needed for air conditioning.
The cool coatings are part of the 10-year HDB Green Towns Program, which will also introduce measures such as installing smart electrical sub-meters, upgrading complexes, and deploying more than 1,000 beverage container return points.
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. ■
