14
The Environment
The Gas Safety Ordinance regulates the importation, manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of fuel gas. All gas supply companies, gas installers and contractors must be registered with the Gas Authority, who is the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services.
Energy Saving
Energy Efficiency
Energy consumption is closely related to greenhouse gas emissions. Improving energy efficiency helps combat global climate change. The total energy consumption at end-use level in Hong Kong in 2013 was 284,210 terajoules, with the commercial, transport, residential and industrial sectors consuming 42 per cent, 32 per cent, 21 per cent and 5 per cent respectively. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department's Energy Efficiency Office runs a range of programmes and initiatives to promote efficient use of energy, including voluntary energy efficiency labelling and registration schemes; encouraging use of water-cooled air-conditioning systems and promoting effective energy management methods.
The Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme requires prescribed products to bear energy labels informing consumers of the products' energy efficiency performance. The scheme currently covers room air conditioners, refrigerating appliances, compact fluorescent lamps, washing machines and dehumidifiers. New grading standards for room air conditioners, refrigerating appliances and washing machines were implemented in November 2015, saving annually an estimated 300 million kilowatt-hours in electricity use and $300 million in electricity expenses. The scope of the scheme is being reviewed to cover more electrical products in order to capture more energy-saving opportunities.
The government's district cooling system at the Kai Tak Development provides chilled water to non-domestic developments for air conditioning. It is an energy-efficient system that consumes 35 per cent less electricity compared with traditional air-cooled air-conditioning systems. Phases I and II have been completed, while Phase III (Package A) and Phase III (Package B) are under construction.
The government recognises the importance of promoting the use of renewable energy and Hong Kong's two power companies are making progress in their attempts to use clean energy to produce electricity. HK Electric has operated a 800kW wind turbine on Lamma Island since 2006. In 2013, it put in place a 1MW thin film photovoltaic system at Lamma Power Station, while CLP Power commissioned a 200kW renewable energy generation system, which consists of solar panels and wind turbines, on Town Island in Sai Kung.
Energy-Efficient Buildings
As buildings account for about 90 per cent of electricity consumed, promoting their efficient use of energy is instrumental in reducing greenhouse gas emissions. New buildings and existing buildings undergoing major retrofitting works are required to comply with the Building Energy Code mandated under the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance implemented in 2012. It stipulates the minimum energy efficiency standards for major building services installations, including air conditioning, electrical installations, lighting, lifts and escalators. Commercial buildings are required to conduct energy audits at least every 10 years. The minimum energy
236