Debated in Parliament on 4 Jul 2023.
Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked 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.
Home buyers of Tengah Build-To-Order (BTO) flats who opt to subscribe to the Centralised Cooling System (CCS) will enter into a contract directly with SP Group, which undertakes the sign-ups, installation, management and maintenance of CCS. SP Group engages home buyers at various milestones before and after they have signed up for CCS. This includes showing home buyers mock-ups and perspectives of the CCS Fan Coil Unit (FCU) and trunking within the flats. SP Group will also follow up directly with home buyers to make arrangements for the installation of CCS within their flats.
HDB is aware that SP Group has received feedback from several home buyers 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 home buyers 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 subsidised rates offered by SP Group's partner interior design 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.
HDB will continue to work with SP Group to monitor the feedback on CCS.
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