SINGAPORE: Tengah flat buyers have yet to collect their keys, but some are upset over how the centralised cooling system that will be pioneered in their homes will look.
Home owners of the new Build-to-Order (BTO) units in the west of Singapore have taken to Telegram chat groups to express their frustration over the alternative air-conditioning system, touted to be more sustainable and efficient than conventional air-conditioning.
Of the six home owners that CNA spoke to, most were dissatisfied after seeing photos of the cooling system in an unfinished flat that were circulated online.
Those photos were unauthorised and did not necessarily show the finished product, SP Group told CNA. SP Group is managing the sign-ups, installation, management and maintenance of the cooling system.
Some home owners expressed frustration with other aspects of the installation process, such as the arrangement of individual cooling units, also known as fan coil units.
Tengah, bound by Choa Chu Kang, Jurong West and Bukit Batok, was billed as Singapore’s first and largest smart and sustainable town. Consisting of five districts, the town is expected to have 42,000 homes when fully developed, according to media reports in 2016 when the estate’s masterplan was unveiled.
The first batch of residents is expected to collect their keys in the third quarter of this year.
The centralised cooling system was a key feature in Tengah’s eco-friendly push. While the concept has been used in commercial settings, it is new to public housing and is optional for home owners. Those who prefer conventional air-conditioning units can install them instead.
Instead of using refrigerants to remove heat, the cooling system works using chilled water. Centralised chillers installed on selected housing blocks cool water, which is then ported through pipes that run through common corridors and into homes.
While conventional air-conditioning has pipes that run from indoor units to a compressor placed on a ledge outside the flat, the cooling system’s pipes enter from above front doors and branch to each indoor unit.