COVER STORY
FIRST SMART-ENABLED HDB HOMES
IN PUNGGOL NORTHSHORE COMPLETED A range of technologies have been used.
Northshore Residences I & II - the first two smart-enabled housing precincts in Punggol Northshore, Singapore’s first smart and sustainable district.
Smart living in residential estates developed by the Housing & Development Board (HDB) has come to fruition, with the completion of Northshore Residences I and II the first two smart-enabled housing precincts in Punggol Northshore. In line with Singapore’s vision of a Smart Nation, Punggol Northshore is the first public housing district to testbed smart technologies right from the design stage, to enhance the planning, design and maintenance of HDB estates, in order to bring about a more liveable, efficient, sustainable and safe living environment. As of 14 December 2020, about 85% (1,192 out of 1,402) of home owners from Northshore Residences I and II have collected their keys. These flats are equipped with smart distribution boards and smart sockets to help residents monitor their energy consumption. They also support the adoption of smart home solutions and applications developed by commercial companies, more easily, within their homes. The smart distribution board replaces the conventional distribution board in HDB flats, enabling residents to monitor electricity usage across household appliances. In addition, smart sockets are provided in every bedroom, living room and kitchen within the flat. Similarly, residents can track the energy usage of a home appliance, such as a television set, when it is plugged into the smart socket. In turn, residents will 14
THE SINGAPORE ENGINEER February 2021
be able to effectively moderate the use of their home appliances, enabling them to save electricity and reduce their utility bills.
completion of the first smart precincts in “ The Punggol Northshore is a major milestone in
HDB’s smart journey which started in 2014. The delivery of these smart homes also caps off Year 2020, where HDB marks 60 years of transforming Singapore’s public housing landscape, with significant shifts towards well-designed, smart, sustainable and community-centric towns in the last 10 years. As HDB enters its seventh decade, it will continue to tap on smart solutions and adopt bold ideas to create the best possible homes for Singaporeans. - Dr Cheong Koon Hean, Chief Executive Officer, HDB
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