Written answer by Ministry of National Development on integration and design of trunking design of centralised cooling system in Tengah's BTO flats

Jul 4, 2023

Question No: 3107

Question by: Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim

To ask the Minister for National Development in view of recent reports on the trunking design of the centralised cooling system to be pioneered in HDB's Tengah BTO flats, what steps will HDB take with SP Group and relevant contractors to engage affected flat owners prior to the completion and handover of their flats to ensure not only the energy efficiency of the system but also its integration with the aesthetic design of the flats.

Answer:

Homebuyers of Tengah BTO flats who opt to subscribe to the Centralised Cooling System (CCS) will enter into a contract directly with SP Group, who undertakes the sign-ups, installation, management, and maintenance of the CCS. SP Group engages homebuyers at various milestones before and after they have signed up for the CCS. This includes showing homebuyers mock-ups and perspectives of the CCS Fan Coil Unit (FCU) and trunking within the flats. SP Group will also follow up directly with homebuyers to make arrangements for the installation of the CCS within their flats.

2        HDB is aware that SP Group has received feedback from several homebuyers of the Tengah BTO projects in relation to the positioning of the FCUs and how the trunking would run within the flat. SP Group has reached out to these residents to address their concerns, and explained to these homebuyers the differences between the size of CCS trunking and that of a conventional split unit air-conditioning system, as well as the options they have to box up and conceal the CCS trunking under subsidized rates offered by SP’s partner ID firms. SP Group has received feedback that many of the residents who signed up for CCS found the sharing useful for the planning of their home renovation works.

3        HDB will continue to work with SP Group to monitor the feedback on CCS.