SUNDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1983
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SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS BEING IMPLEMENTED
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FOLLOWING EXTENDED EXPERIMENTATION, THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT IS NOW CARRYING OUT A SERIES OF SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS TO REDUCE FUEL CONSUMPTION,
THE DEPARTMENT STARTED EXPERIMENTAL SCHEMES IN LATE 1980 TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OF SOLAR POWER AS AN ALTERNATIVE OR SUPPLEMENTARY SOURCE OF ENERGY.
THE SCHEMES WERE TRIED OUT AT THE STANLEY BATHHOUSE AND THE SHEK KONG ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT DEPOT WHERE THEY NOW PROVIDE HOT WATER FOR SHOWERS.
+AT THE STANLEY BATHHOUSE, AN ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT THE SCHEME SAVED 1 646 LITRES OF DIESEL OIL, OR ABOUT $2 350, FOR THE FOUR- MONTH PERIOD FROM DECEMBER 1980 TO MARCH 1981, + SAID MR MAK WOON- CHUNG, SENIOR BUILDING SERVICES ENGINEER OF THE BUILDING DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT,
THE NEW PROJECTS ARE BEING IMPLEMENTED AT A TOTAL COST OF $4.8 MILLION FOR A VARIETY OF HEATING PURPOSES IN SHEK PIK MAXIMUM SECURITY PRISON, LAI SUN CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION IN HEI LING CHAU, MORSE PARK, SHEK KONG MILITARY CAMP AND THE TAI NAN STREET BATHHOUSE, AMONG OTHER PLACES.
THE SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM EMPLOYED CONSISTS PRINCIPALLY OF A HEAT- ABSORBING COLLECTOR - A SERIES OF SOLAR PANELS - A CIRCULATING PUMP, A HOT WATER STORAGE TANK, A HEAT EXCHANGER AND PIPING, TOGETHER WITH INSTRUMENTS TO ASSESS THE TEMPERATURE AND WATER FLOW, MR MAK EXPLAINED.
+THE SOLAR PANEL AREAS FOR THESE PROJECTS MEASURE FROM 45 TO 480 SQUARE METRES. IT IS ESTIMATED THAT WITH OPTIMUM PANEL AREAS, THE PAY-BACK PERIODS RANGE FROM SEVEN TO 11 YEARS ON THE BASIS OF RECENT FUEL PRICE TRENDS,+ MR MAK SAID.
+AS THE SYSTEM HAS NO MOVING PARTS OTHER THAN THE CIRCULATION PUMP, MAINTENANCE COSTS ARE MINIMAL, + MR MAK EXPLAINED.
THE SOLAR PANELS ARE INSTALLED ON THE ROOF AND TILTED AT APPROXIMATELY 30 DEGREES FACING SOUTH TO CATCH MAXIMUM HEAT FROM THE SUN.
ACCORDING TO MR MAK, HEAT PROVIDED BY THE SYSTEM CAN REACH 50 TO 60 PER CENT OF THE INCIDENT SOLAR RADIATION WHICH IS CONSIDERED BY ENERGY SCIENTISTS AS A HIGH EFFICIENCY RATE.
+WE BELIEVE THAT THE SOLAR SYSTEM WILL BE ECONOMICALLY VIABLE FOR INSTITUTIONS LIKE PRISONS, BARRACKS, ABATTOIRS, CLINICS AND HOSPITALS WHERE HOT WATER IS NEEDED ALL YEAR ROUND, HE SAID.
THE PROJECT IN SHEK PIK PRISON ON LANTAO ISLAND WITH A PANEL AREA OF 480 SQUARE METRES IS THE GOVERNMENT'S LARGEST SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEM WHICH HAS JUST BEEN COMPLETED AT A COST OF $2 MILLION.
/+UNLIKE MOST