ENG-2016 — Page 296

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The Environment

energy management methods. Its Mandatory Energy Efficiency Labelling Scheme requires prescribed products to bear energy labels informing consumers of the products' energy efficiency performance. The scheme covers room air conditioners, refrigerating appliances, compact fluorescent lamps, dehumidifiers and washing machines of 7kg or less in washing capacity. Grading standards for room air conditioners, refrigerating appliances and washing machines, implemented in 2015, save annually an estimated 300 million kilowatt-hours in electricity use and about $350 million in electricity expenses. The scope of the scheme will be extended to cover more electrical products.

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. Phase 3 is under construction.

The government recognises the importance of renewable energy and the two power companies use clean energy to produce electricity. HK Electric operates an 800kW wind turbine on Lamma and a 1MW thin film photovoltaic system at Lamma Power Station, while CLP Power runs a 200kW renewable energy generation system of solar panels and wind turbines on Town Island in Sai Kung.

Energy-efficient Buildings

Buildings account for about 90 per cent of electricity consumed, so 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 Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance's Building Energy Code, under which minimum energy efficiency standards were upgraded in 2015. 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. Energy savings from all new buildings are expected to amount to about 5 billion kWh by 2025.

The bureau's Energy Saving Plan for Hong Kong's Built Environment 2015-2025+, published in 2015, is Hong Kong's first energy saving blueprint. It sets a target of reducing energy intensity by 40 per cent by 2025, and gives the policy, strategy, targets and key actions that can help achieve that target. The bureau will work with stakeholders in the built environment sector through dialogue to foster energy saving.

Pollution Prevention

Air Pollution

The government is working to broadly attain its air quality objectives, set in 2014, by 2020. It has a legal obligation to review the objectives at least once every five years, and the bureau in 2016 embarked on a review that was expected to end in 2018.

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