http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/arch...ework-20140912

Published September 12, 2014

HDB fleshes out Smart Town framework

It will involve energy saving, smarter homes and estate management tools


SINGAPORE'S Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Thursday announced a smart town framework and said it will pilot selected initiatives in Punggol Northshore to assess their viability and suitability, before extending them to other estates.

The framework will leverage on Information and Communication Technology to make HDB towns and estates "more liveable, efficient, sustainable and safe for our residents", said HDB's CEO, Cheong Koon Hean on Thursday.

The framework - which maps out how HDB intends to introduce the "smart" element to its towns and estates - focuses on planning, environment, estate and living.

HDB said that an example of a smart planning technology is a decision-making modelling tool to help planners understand the trade-offs involved when introducing new sustainable features into HDB towns. For example, the tool enables HDB to assess the effectiveness of various initiatives such as LED lighting, solar energy, skyrise and vertical greenery, and rainwater harvesting and make a decision on the best combination of these to achieve sustainability goals in a cost-effective way. The tool will be used to plan sustainability features in Punggol Northshore.

To create a smart environment, HDB will wire up estates with a network of sensors that will capture real-time information such as temperature, humidity and wind-speed to create a more pleasant environment. For instance, fans in common areas can be triggered when certain thresholds are reached.

In smart estates, sensors can be used to monitor municipal services infrastructure.

Smart living looks at creating a digital layer in homes to enhance the living experience. Smart solutions can be adopted by residents to save more energy in their homes and take care of the elderly, for instance. HDB will provide digital infrastructure in flats and residents can tap on applications developed by commercial companies. A potential application is an elderly alert system, with sensors placed in the flat that can help monitor the movements of the elderly. Caregivers will be alerted, for instance, if no movements are detected for a period of time.

Using new technologies, HDB together with the Energy Market Authority (EMA) and Panasonic are exploring a suite of different energy choices and solutions for households. The feasibility study for establishing a Smart Home Energy Pilot in Yuhua began in June.

Mrs Cheong announced Smart HDB Town Framework in her opening address of HDB Professional Engagement and Knowledge-Sharing Forum, an annual gathering of building professionals aimed at raising industry standards in design and construction excellence.

The keynote speaker for the forum was Vincente Guallart, chief architect for the Barcelona City Council, who shared his experiences on how Barcelona has been developing as a smart city.