To build a low-carbon future, you must start with the foundations. That means engaging with young people and nurturing a new generation of engineers who can manage the critical energy transition.
Energy providers worldwide are working closely with governments and educators to create the expertise that will lead us to a sustainable tomorrow and achieve the ambitious carbon reduction goals essential to combat global warming.
In Hong Kong, CLP Power teamed up with the city’s Vocational Training Council (VTC) in 2017 with a vision of promoting energy conservation and training a new generation of power engineering talent equipped to overcome the challenges ahead.
In June 2022, CLP Power and the VTC deepened their commitment by rolling out the first joint sustainability programme in support of Hong Kong’s long-term carbon reduction strategy.
Under the programme, engineers provided expert training for VTC students to carry out energy audits on 17 campuses of VTC member institutions, identifying potential energy-saving opportunities and proposing solutions to improve energy efficiency.
For the programme’s launch, CLP Power engineers provided three months of energy audit training covering theoretical and practical knowledge to around 100 VTC students majoring in health and life sciences and engineering.
CLP Power engineers acted as mentors, offering advice to the students as they conducted energy audits on facilities at 17 campuses of VTC member institutions, including chiller rooms, power plant rooms, and drinking water pump rooms.
The students checked the operational status of a variety of energy equipment, measuring ambient temperatures and reviewing equipment specifications and past electricity consumption records.
They then submitted energy-saving proposals to CLP Power’s energy specialists within one month of each site visit, and some students came up with impressively creative solutions to improve energy efficiency.
Lim Yuen Fung, a Year 3 student studying for the Diploma of Vocational Education (Mechanical Engineering) at Youth College of the VTC, suggested installing daylight sensors next to windows to control lighting levels and reduce electricity consumption and costs.
“The training enhanced my understanding of energy management,” Lim remarks afterwards. “Low-carbon and sustainable development are megatrends, and I look forward to working in these fields in future.”
Lam Pui Chi, a Year 2 student taking the Higher Diploma in Mechanical Engineering programme at the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education, says the training stimulated his interest in energy management technologies.
“It has taught me that replacing equipment is not the only way to save energy. Retro-commissioning, combined with the use of Internet of Things or AI technology, is a more cost-effective way to adjust air conditioning system settings and equipment operation,” Lam says.
The partnership with the VTC has laid the foundations for CLP Power to nurture future talent and build a workforce with the right skills to capture the opportunities presented by the global energy transition.
Hong Kong needs power engineering professionals capable of finding solutions to energy issues that make our future more sustainable. CLP Power and the VTC are playing a part in this process through their successful partnership.
CLP Power Senior Director of Customer Success and Experience Ms Lena Low says: “Demand for energy management professionals is rising rapidly because of the Hong Kong SAR Government’s target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
“CLP Power aims to nurture young energy management professionals for Hong Kong by passing on expertise in energy audits and other energy management techniques to students.”
VTC Deputy Executive Director Eric Liu says the collaboration had multiple benefits. “The VTC has implemented a series of initiatives and programmes that encourage students and teachers to go green. And by allowing students to participate in carbon-reduction programmes at scale, this partnership with CLP Power also helps to broaden their horizons,” he explains.
In support of the VTC’s energy-saving initiatives, CLP Power is providing a series of subsidies from schemes including the Eco Building Fund and the Electrical Equipment Upgrade Scheme to help the institution shorten its investment payback periods and reduce costs in the long run.
CLP Power and the VTC are in the frontline of the battle to build a low-carbon future and will continue to work together to encourage creative talent and bring about the meaningful changes that will help Hong Kong achieve its sustainability goals.
