( CNN ) -- Singapore 's first public housing blocks built to be environmentally sustainable have become the testing ground for future projects . From afar , the high-rises of Punggol Eco-Town look unremarkable , but they are the first large-scale experiment to make public housing eco-friendly in Singapore , a tropical city-state that is hot year-round . Over 80 % of Singapore 's residents live in public housing , called HDBs , after the government agency that builds them . `` What we have done is that we put in various eco friendly features that helps in terms of capitalizing on the wind , enhancing greenery , reducing energy consumption , water usage , how to promote waste recycling , et cetera , all in one development , '' said Ng Bingrong , the project director , Treelodge @ Punggol . The eco-friendly methods range from commonplace and practical to highly innovative . Plant-covered roofs naturally lower the buildings ' temperature , and the towers ' orientation , facing away from the sun , helps too . Painting the buildings white helps keep them cool and bring in sunlight . But white walls also look dirty more quickly , so the government is testing self-cleaning paint , which breaks down grime as it is triggered by sun exposure . Alan Tan , the director of HDB 's Environment Sustainability Research team says the project 's variety of experiments will have wider implications for future housing in Singapore . `` Punggol Eco-Town is in fact a living laboratory for us , '' said Tan . `` This is where we test bed a lot of urban solutions for us to identify which of those are workable and for us to adopt , for us to introduce more to our public housing , '' Inside the apartments , tap water that goes down the drain is used to flush toilets . Solar energy powers elevators , lighting and water pumps . And various indicators placed around the buildings , like the ones found in the elevators that show the amount of solar energy being outputted , provide constant reminders to the residents of the different lifestyle they are living . But being eco-friendly comes at a higher price -- the sustainable buildings cost 7 % more to build than traditional apartments . The cost concerns have also sparked fiscal innovation , pushing the government to think of ways to make the eco-friendly features less expensive . One solution has been to lease , instead of buy , the building 's solar panels from private companies . `` It 's very difficult for the government to continuously provide the funding . So what we have done is that we will try to partner with the private industry , '' said Ng . Under the scheme , the government subsidizes start-up costs , while the solar energy companies install the panels , maintain them and sell back the energy to the power providers to recoup their costs .
The Eco - Town is Singapore 's first large - scale project to make public housing eco - friendly . The sustainable features range from practical to highly innovative . The government is leasing solar panels in a partner arrangement with private developers . It is hoped the project 's variety of features will have wider implications .