WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 1976
+CERTAIN OTHER EQUIPMENT, ALSO MIGHT REQUIRE STEP UP TRANSFORMERS TO OPERATE EFFICIENTLY ON THE NEW STANDARD AND I BELIEVE THAT ANY UPRATING OF THE SUPPLY VOLTAGE TO TELEPHONE EXCHANGES COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE EQUIPMENT USED AND BE COSTLY TO RECTIFY, HE SAID.
EARLIER, MR. WU SAID THAT BY RAISING THE VOLTAGE FROM 200 TO 220 VOLTS WOULD SAVE TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR FOR THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
SPEAKING IN THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON ELECTRICITY SUPPLY VOLTAGE TO CONSUMERS AT THE COUNCIL MEETING, HE DESCRIBED THE EXISTING VOLTAGES OF 200 VOLTS SINGLE-PHASE AND THE CORRESPONDING 346 VOLTS 3-PHASE, AT 50 HERTZ OR 50 CYCLE/SECOND FREQUENCY (200/1/50 AND 346/3/50) AS +NON-STANDARD AND ODD VOLTAGES+.
HE BELIEVED THAT THE CONSUMERS, THE POWER COMPANIES AND THE EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURERS AND OR SUPPLIERS WOULD ALL BENEFIT SUBSTANTIALLY IN OPERATING EFFICIENCY AS WELL AS IN ECONOMIC TERMS IF THE SUPPLY VOLTAGES WERE RAISED TO THE WIDELY USED STANDARD OF 220 VOLTS SINGLE PHASE AND THE CORRESPONDING 380 VOLTS 3-PHASE, BUT REMAINING AT 50 HERTZ OR CYCLES/SECOND AS AT PRESENT.
TO THIS END, MR. WU FELT THAT THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD TAKE THE INITIATIVE AFTER SOUNDING OUT PUBLIC OPINION AS THROUGH THIS DEBATE, AND HE SUGGESTED THAT THE CHANGE BE MADE SOONEST POSSIBLE, SAY BY JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR.
FOR THE FIRST SIX MONTHS, HE SAID THE VOLTAGE COULD BE RAISED TO 210/1/50 AND 365/3/50 TO OBSERVE IF THERE WOULD BE ANY ADVERSE EFFECTS OVERLOOKED, AND THEREAFTER TO THE FULL BUT MAXIMUM 220/1/50 AND 380/3/50 AFTER THIS PERIOD.
+THE GOVERNMENT, HE ADDED, +MIGHT ALSO WANT TO SET UP A STEERING COMMITTEE TO FULLY INVESTIGATE THE EFFECTS OF THE CHANGE AND TO PREPARE FOR SAME AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE TIME.
+ SHALL BE GLAD IF THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS IN GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE DUE NOTICE OF MY PRESENT PROPOSAL AT A TIME WHEN WE ARE PROCEEDING INTO AN ERA OF METRICATION AND STANDARDISATION WITH THE REST OF THE WORLD, HE SAID.
IN SUPPORT OF HIS PROPOSAL, MR. WU LISTED THE MOST COMMONLY USED STANDARD ELECTRICITY SUPPLY VOLTAGES IN THE WORLD, AND HE REGARDED THE SUPPLY VOLTAGE AND FREQUENCY COMBINATION IN HONG KONG AS NON-STANDARD AND QUITE UNUSUAL.
+CONSEQUENTLY, THE APPLIANCES AND APPARATUS WE IMPORT WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE FOR OUR SPECIAL VOLTAGE IF WE WANT THE BEST PERFORMANCE AND EFFICIENCY EXPECTED. THIS MEANS EXTRA COST AND DELAY.+
MR. WU CITED EXAMPLES OF THE EFFECTS OF EQUIPMENTS RATED AT A HIGHER STANDARD VOLTAGE WHEN USED IN HONG KONG'S SYSTEM.
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/IN THE