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Mr. CHAN'S Second question concerns the subject of Energy Efficiency Audit. At the Central Government level, a number of energy management consultancy studies have been commissioned and completed. On the basis of these studies, energy audits are currently being carried out by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department in a number of Government buildings, including several Urban Council premises, such as the City Hall and the Queen Elizabeth Stadium, with a view to identifying areas where greater energy efficiency can be achieved. I understand that the scope and scale of these energy audits may be reviewed at a later stage. In any event, the Department will continue to provide the necessary assistance to facilitate the conduct of such audits and will take an active part in future energy conservation.
As regards implementation of an energy savings programme as raised by Mr. CHAN in his third question, I confirm that the Department has long been aware of the need to save energy as far as possible. This need of course has to be balanced with the high usage rate of the Council's many facilities and the better quality of provision, for example, the increased use of air-conditioning.
Energy saving is currently being addressed by all Government departments in the context of Green Management and the Urban Services Department will participate fully in this scheme.
MR. CHAN CHOI-HI (in Cantonese):—Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I have two follow-up questions. First, would the Department or the Council consider drawing up an internal guideline with regard to use of energy in Council facilities and how can we achieve savings? Could we be more positive because I think we are rather passive in the reply. Could we devise a set of internal guidelines so that we would make optimal use of energy?
Secondly, regarding targets of energy savings, would we set some targets every year with regard to energy saving? You can see that every year there is an increase in energy use of over 10%. For example, the expenditure on the use of gas has increased from $2.3m to $3.8m which is a substantial growth. So in the coming few months, would the Council lay down a clear internal guideline on use of energy and optimal use of energy in particular?
My third question relates to use of energy in off-peak hours. I agree that we must of course facilitate the use of our facilities by users as far as possible. However, when markets or libraries are closed, do we have any guidelines to minimise the use of energy?
MR. PAUL YOUNG TZE-KONG (in English):--I will try to deal with some of the questions. Some of them require more detailed answers, which I may not be able to answer right away. First of all, as far as the type of guidelines is concerned, the energy audit in the Council comprises three steps, namely data collection, preliminary survey and detailed investigation, and is not monitored only by the Council alone. The first two stages which involve checking past energy bills and inspection of buildings can be carried out by our own staff. But
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the final stage of detailed investigation requires a lot of professional expertise for which the Department would need to rely on Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the Planning, Environment and Land Branch, if not, on outside consultants.
In other words, the Department is aware of this and will make sure that the use of energy will be audited all the time. As far as the question of what we are doing about saving energy, the Department has done a lot in terms of promoting energy conservation. For instance, circulars on the subject of energy savings together with detailed guidelines on what to do and what not to do are promulgated and re-circulated to staff at regular intervals; relevant posters are displayed at prominent places to increase staff awareness and involvement; and staff members are encouraged through the Staff Suggestion Scheme to put forward proposals which can help to promote green management and energy efficiency. Moreover, a senior officer at the Directorate level has recently been appointed as the Green Manager of the Department. He will provide a focal point whereby all departmental initiatives relating to the environment can be coordinated, sustained, reviewed and strengthened. On energy saving, he and his four Assistant Green Managers will maintain proper records of energy consumption, identify areas of wastage or inefficiency and formulate plans for remedial action.
Now, as Mr. CHAN has pointed out, some consumption statistics, like gas, are indicating increasing usage. I think, as I have answered earlier, they reflect the increase in the number of facilities that the Council is providing to the public. We have a lot of new facilities being built and I can guarantee Mr. CHAN that this bill will still go up in the years to come. Nevertheless, as previously said, the Department is aware of this and they are trying their best to make sure that the staff are carrying out the energy saving programme.
MR. WONG SHUI-LAI (in Cantonese):---Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I am not satisfied with the reply given by the Chairman of the Administration Select Committee. I have a few supplementary questions.
First, has the Department taken part in the Energy Management Consultancy Study? If so, in which particular areas? Secondly, sometime ago, in fact over a year ago, I did point out that for UC venues and premises, solar energy should be used as far as possible, especially in our indoor games halls and stadiums. However, the departments concerned thought that it was not cost-effective and so my proposal was turned down. But I think solar energy is the best way to conserve energy and it is also one of the most environmentally friendly ways. I would like to know whether studies have been carried out by the Department and the Central Government as it is not mentioned in the reply. Can you list out the studies that they are engaged in? In paragraph 4 of the reply, it says 'In the context of Green Management, Urban Services Department will participate fully in this scheme.' So, what exactly is the scheme and how is it to be carried out? I would like to have answers to these two questions.
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