ˇ° Introduction
Our CUHK campus with total areas of 134 hectares consist of over 130 building blocks is one of the largest electricity consumers in Shatin District according to the power company record. Consumed annual electricity of over 80,000 MWH in 1999 and foreseeing the continuous growth and development of our campus; the Management has initiatively set up an Energy Saving Task Force to formulate strategies for energy conservation on our campus both in long term and short term.
The Task Force is headed by our University Bursar, Mr. Terence Chan. Members meet regularly to formulate annual plans on energy conservation and motivating our colleagues, students and stakeholders to think, believe and act in the ways that promote culture of energy conservation on campus.
An Energy Policy is issued:
To ensure efficient use of energy in all University activities, we endeavor to continuously improve energy efficiency and to minimize, whilst satisfying the Universityˇ¦s needs for energy. We will also raise the energy conservation awareness among the staff and students so that University is building up a model for energy conservation education and management.
It is a long term goal to create a culture of conservation among our colleagues, students and stakeholders and reduce the campus peak demand gradually in a sustainable way. Short term goals may includes retrofit the campus hardware such as lightings facilities, replace air-cooler plant to water chiller-plants and exploring the application of renewable energy on campus.ˇ° Electricity Saving Measures
Upgrading of campus Infrastructures and Accessories;
CUHK initiatively commenced the lighting retrofit program on campus early in 1999 and gradually completed in 2008. This is one of the most successful energy saving project with prominent saving in our campus during these years. Almost 30% of lighting energy was saved after this retrofit program.
To improve the building energy operation and enhancing the energy conservation, we started to install Centralized Building Management System for the major academic buildings from 2002. The installation provides us means for reducing our energy operation by automation in remote control, as well as programmable settings.
Renewable Energy Applications;
CUHK is the earliest institution of implementing renewable energy installation on campus. Starting from the solar lightings installation on campus at bus shelters and further application of solar water pumps in the garden of Lady Shaw Building, we have now a solar roof garden feed by over 80% renewable energy in successful operations.
In 2006 we received a UGC grant for supporting the campus wide solar hot water heaters system in all student hostels. Over 1150 solar panels with total heating capacity over 750,000 watts is installed for the hot water supply system in 27 hostels, and also in changing rooms for three indoor sport halls and swimming pool which aim for reduction of over one million kWh power consumption per year. This is a very successful renewable energy installation on campus with generating capacity equivalent to over 4% of our total energy consumption. It demonstrates the value of the renewable energy source in our natural environment and convey important message of sustainability on our natural resources.
Innovative & Pioneer Projects:
There are many innovative ideas initiated and supported by the Energy Saving Task Force, such as the hammer ram pump installation for the irrigation system on campus. The hammer ram pump is an old technology of over 100 years ago but positively applied on our campus and performed perfectly in making use of hydraulic pressure to pump waters from low level to a higher level irrigation tank.
Our ˇ§water curtainˇ¨ from air stream evaporate water cooling system is also another innovative installation on campus. It helps to reduce the lead in air temperature by passing through a water curtain and evaporated heat from condenser more efficiently. This is a local (CUHK) design and fabricated by Estates Management Office colleagues. It proves to be more energy efficient than similar products imported from overseas.
Green roof application is also a pioneer project on campus. There are many similar successful examples in foreign countries. A green roof garden is retrofitted from roof since 2004 in Lady Shaw Building. After the green roof installation in Lady Shaw Building the air-conditioning power for the top floors has been reduced by 15%. Further pilot project on green roofs have been applied to our Romney Hut, for testing of vertical planting. The green roof applications help too maintain our green areas even though lands are occupied by buildings.
Building Operation Measures:
Estates Management Office conducted regular review and established monitoring system of managing peak demand by Demand Side Management on campus. Demand Side Management refers to reducing electricity demand during peak hours or shifting electricity use to off-peak hours. It is achieved by agreeing with users voluntary shut down equipments or scale back process in response to a request or automatic signal.
The replacement of the electric boilers in Shanghai Fraternity Association Research Building Cleaning Rooms by LP Gas had trimmed down the peak demand by 2% and saved electricity charges substantially. This is one of the successful demand side management projects on campus.
Limiting the thermostat temperature set point to 25.50 C (Blue Sky Action) helps to reduce the air-conditioning power usage in classrooms and lecture theatres and achieve energy saving. Total 500 energy-wise thermostats were installed in academic buildings which strengthen our commitment in energy saving.
Energy Conservation owned by Building Occupant
Our Incentive Building Energy Conservation Scheme is one of the innovative programs of involving our colleague, students and stakeholders their ownership and initiatives in energy conservation through their daily uses. It helps to promote our energy saving culture on campus which is gradually recognized by all stakeholders concerned. The scheme also brings out other environmental issues to our colleagues acting positively together to go through the global warming issue. It conveys another message of carbon reduction on campus to our colleagues, student and stakeholders.
In 2006, the appointment of 102 energy coordinator recruited from individual units has begun a new chapter on our campus energy saving culture. The coordinators bring back the update knowledge and information from the energy forum and share with the colleagues and contribute to energy conscious operation for buildings on campus. Culture on energy conservation is being enhanced.
Major achievement
In 2005 CUHK was awarded ˇ§Gold Award in Energy Efficiencyˇ¨ organized by the HKSAR. The award recognizes CUHK achievements in Energy Saving through comprehensive audit and review.
