Sunseap Leasing clinches HDB's largest solar tender

December 15, 2014

The Housing Board has awarded its largest solar leasing tender to date to Sunseap Leasing.

HDB said yesterday that it awarded the tender of 38MW at optimum conditions, or 38MW-peak (MWp), of solar energy on Oct 27. Called in May, the tender had attracted seven tenderers.

Under the tender, solar photovoltaic (PV) systems will be installed at about 680 HDB residential blocks in four towns: Jurong East, Marine Parade, Sembawang and Tampines.

These systems will also be installed at three HDB-owned commercial and industrial properties covered under the tender: Woodlands Civic Centre, Eastlink Industrial Building and HDB Hub in Toa Payoh.

"This is also the first tender awarded by HDB with the full cost of solar PV systems borne by the solar PV developers (that is, there is no upfront cost payable by HDB)," HDB said in a news release.

"Prior to this, HDB had funded a proportion of the cost for solar leasing tenders called earlier, to kick-start the solar leasing programme."

As larger tenders are being called, there will be economies of scale. Based on the current sustainable business model of solar leasing, HDB will not be funding any portion of the upfront cost for future projects to install solar panels."

Including the recent tender, HDB has procured 54MWp of solar PV to date. This could potentially generate enough electricity to provide for 14,000 units of four-room flats. These 54MWp of solar PV panels are being installed progressively.

"Moving ahead, HDB will continue to procure more solar PV with bigger contracts, while building our capabilities in solar technology," HDB said.

Article published by: The Business Times, Kalpana Rashiwala