Written Answer by Ministry of National Development on installation of smart light sensors in common areas, parks and the environment

Oct 5, 2020

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan: To ask the Minister for National Development whether smart light sensors can be installed in all our common areas, parks and the environment to turn on lights automatically instead of having to manually adjust the timings during certain periods or months when the environment turns dark early.

Answer:

HDB has implemented the Smart Lighting System (SLS) in all public housing developments with tenders called since May 2018. The SLS incorporates light sensors to sense ambient lighting levels and automatically turn the lights on when ambient lighting is low, for instance during rainy conditions. The SLS covers both the indoor and outdoor common areas of the development, including void decks, corridors, and driveways.

Prior to the implementation of the SLS, light sensors would be installed in specific areas that required additional lighting to supplement the lack of natural lighting during bad weather conditions. However, the area of coverage could not be easily adjusted as this would require re-wiring and the installation of additional sensors. In contrast, with the SLS, light sensors are integrated with the lighting network, offering the flexibility to easily adjust or even extend the area of coverage to the whole development should the need arise. HDB is currently working with the Town Councils to extend the SLS to all existing estates under the HDB Green Towns Programme. 

For the parks under its management, NParks is currently piloting the use of ambient light sensors to automatically activate lighting at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. NParks will evaluate the feasibility of a wider implementation of these sensors in parks, based on the outcomes of this trial.

Our agencies will continue to explore new technologies that can better meet the needs of our HDB residents and park users and improve sustainability.