Building Greener Tomorrows

Buildings are like athletes: Their performance gradually declines as they get older. With the right care and attention, however, they can stay at the top of their game for longer. CLP Retro-Commissioning Charter Programme helps them do just that in a smart, cost-effective way.

Building Greener Tomorrows

 

Age takes its toll on everyone and everything, and buildings are no exception. Utility costs creep steadily higher, things go wrong more often, and temperatures gets increasingly uncomfortable and erratic as energy efficiency declines.

 

Owners are eventually forced to address issues, and their instinct is often to replace a building’s lighting or air-conditioning system – projects that can involve a huge investment cost and a long construction period.

 

But there is a cheaper, intelligent alternative that is faster and yet just as efficient – and for many buildings, retro-commissioning is the key to a longer, healthier life. 

 

Retro-commissioning is a systematic process to optimise a building’s operational performance without the need to replace existing equipment. It allows businesses to save energy in buildings more quickly with a shorter investment payback period.

 

Revitalising urban skylines

CLP introduced its Retro-Commissioning Charter Programme in May to encourage more businesses to implement retro-commissioning solutions in their properties and contribute to long-term urban decarbonisation. 

Watch the video to see how the CLP Retro-Commissioning Charter programme can help businesses save energy and costs.

Under the programme, businesses learn about different retro-commissioning solutions and techniques. They are invited to set energy-saving targets for their properties, and monitor and analyse existing energy efficiency against the building usage, environmental factors and actual needs. 

 

Leveraging on big data analysis, adjustments are proposed to optimise the building’s performance. Owners can consider whether the new settings will achieve energy-saving targets without compromising the comfort of occupants.

 

For both new and existing buildings, retro-commissioning can be done while the building is in use, making it less obtrusive and giving owners the chance to increase efficiency at a lower cost.

Key Benefits of CLP Retro-Commissioning Charter Programme

• It Reduces Consumption and Costs: Retro-commissioning identifies hidden opportunities to save energy and costs, and extends an equipment’s life. Eligible retro-commissioning projects can be supported by the CLP Eco Building Fund, with subsidies of up to 100% of the total project cost.   

• It Includes Effective Training: A tailored 1.5-day retro-commisioning training course, fully sponsored by CLP, is offered to employees from each particpiating business to educate them about the latest energy-saving solutions and technologies.

• It Helps Build a Positive Corporate Image: Participating businesses can fulfil their corporate social responsibility and sustainability goals by taking part in retro-commissioning promotional activities.

Lessons in efficiency

CLP has set aside HK$1 million from the CLP Community Energy Saving Fund to provide training in retro-commissioning to 300 energy management professionals from 100 businesses.

 

The programme allows participants from different industries to take part in the tailor-made retro-commissioning training sessions and to familiarise themselves with solutions through classroom sessions and field visits. 

Nathan Chan, Assistant Technical Manager - Service Delivery at Hang Lung Properties Limited, joined one of the training courses. As well as learning about retro-commissioning, he got to exchange energy-saving ideas with other participants.

 

His team is now preparing to carry out a number of retro-commissioning works for one of their shopping malls, including the installation of variable speed drives for the central chilled water pump and condensing water pump to improve the energy efficiency of the air-conditioning system. 

 

“Sustainability is at the heart of our operations, and we have been implementing various measures to reduce our environmental impact over the years," he explains. "We are now looking to achieve a double-digit reduction in the electricity consumption of the air-conditioning system."

Nathan Chan
Assistant Technical Manager - Service Delivery at Hang Lung Properties Limited Nathan Chan (right) says the training course helped him learn and apply new energy management techniques.

The programme has received an overwhelming response from professionals in a range of sectors, including banking, property management and information technology. 

 

More than 57 organisations have already committed to carry out retro-commissioning works on more than 100 buildings. Around 15 gigawatt hours of electricity will be saved by the works, reducing carbon emissions by around 5,600 tonnes – equivalent to planting some 240,000 trees. 

 

Buildings consume around 90% of the electricity used in Hong Kong, so businesses have an important role to play in improving the energy efficiency of buildings and helping to create a low-carbon city. Retro-commissioning is a smart way for businesses to make a positive and lasting impact on the environment.