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Buildings Department to introduce Energy Efficiency Requirements
The Buildings Department will introduce for the first time requirements for buildings to be constructed to be energy efficient, the Assistant Director (Structural Engineering) of Buildings Department, Mr Ng Hon-keung, said in a press conference today (Friday).
"This will come into effect in July when the new Building (Energy Efficiency) Regulations are introduced," he said.
In explaining the new requirements, Mr Ng said: "For the design and planning of energy efficient buildings, the Government is developing a comprehensive energy code.
"As a first step all commercial buildings and hotels must be designed in such a way that solar heat gain into the buildings will be reduced and thus the electricity required for air-conditioning will also be reduced."
This is controlled by limiting the Overall Thermal Transfer Value of the Building.
Under these new requirements, architects and engineers will need to consider thermal conductivity of the walls and roof of the building, to avoid extensive glass walls, to choose windows of low thermal transmittance, or to introduce shading to the windows.
A Code of Practice, which gives all the necessary technical information to enable architects and engineers to design buildings to comply with the Energy Efficiency Regulations, has just been put on sale at the Government Publications Sales Centre.
Professionals involved have co-operated with the Government in drawing up these requirements and they welcome the move.
Developers are being encouraged when planning their next building to ensure that it meets all the up-to-date energy saving features that are now used worldwide.
Mr Ng emphasised that the Government are continuing to promote energy efficiency and will be monitoring the effectiveness of these requirements.
Lighting and air-conditioning requirements are also being considered as part of the comprehensive building energy code, he added.
End/Friday, April 21, 1995