Infra-red thermography provides the opportunity to explore beyond a visual inspection, it supports preventive maintenance and energy efficiency. However it only one tool of many tools energy auditors need to be able to conduct a useful energy audit.

The cost of electricity in Kowloon served by CLP will increase by 5.9% and Hong Kong Island served by HKE by 2.3% in 2013 it’s reported in the SCMP (see above). However, the full details are not revealed as yet.

Ultra low users, those consuming less than 400 kwh over two months, should enjoy a reduced cost in 2013, but I suspect there will not be many customers that fall into that category. 400 kwh equates to 37 18 watt CFL’s operating 10 hours per day.  And heavy users will be penalised.

As energy costs rise firms with active energy management projects are leading the charge to lower costs. Whilst many organisations are still seeking silver bullet solutions, the real progress has been made improving operations.

It’s worth remembering that although a building might appear as a fixed edifice from the outside, internally churn is constant. It’s one reason why we suspect owners don’t engage, the building looks the same as before,  nothings changed.

But nothing could be further from the truth, technicians should be maintaining and repairing you’re E&M systems but often maintenance is deferred.  We have found and identified countless defects in buildings including leaking ducts, leaking air handlers, blocked cooling coils, air locked chilled water pipes, broken control valves, tampered set points, sensors in the wrong location, to name just a few.  Most people seem to be banking their hopes on some new technology, but that is not the solution, on ground in plant rooms most fear to tread we have found solutions to lower operating costs. You’re competitors have progressed, are you?

It’s the summer, and it’s hot, and humid, over the last few days it have been around 32 Deg C. And air conditioning systems across the region will be working overtime to keep your building cool.

In Hong Kong and sub-tropical regions, Air Conditioning is the largest and most expensive portion of energy expenditure, it can be 60% of the energy cost for a building owner.

We investigated the central chilled water system operation, and the neat chart above clearly illustrates our findings, the second chiller (BLACK LINE) was found to be frequently stopping and re-starting throughout the day,  no wonder the energy costs were rising. Our energy audit uncovered this no cost EMO that it will save approx. 1.2 million Hong Kong dollars per year.

Using the conversion factor (Hong Kong) of 0.7 kgCO²e/kwh that equates to saving approximately 1,400 tonnes CO²e  (carbon equivalent)  but really, what does that figure mean? That is equivalent to planting 60,000 trees per year.

It’s a good example for the 30% club, there countless organisations and individuals who tout upto 30% savings to entice more sales, and not something we would ever subscribe.

Sure, 30% might sound like an impressive number, its a marketing gimmick, because no baseline is given. If your commercial building consumed 3GJ/sqm/pa would a 30% saving a good deal? To find out the answer, ask energyLAB experts!

In this case, hard work, on site, delivered real results, with real savings, without vague possible savings promises.

Of course, the HKSAR’s 2015  reduced emissions target will demand generators to burn cleaner fuel, but we are not alone.  Following Fukushima global demand for cleaner fuel is increasing Germany and Japan have ceased nuclear generation driving the demand and cost for clean fuel higher and with it the cost of electricity.

However, electricity is a manageable not a fixed cost, most building in Hong Kong have opportunities to lower their operating cost, the worst performers will save millions. Optimising the HVAC and the lighting systems yields the fast results, it depends on the extent of the investment.

For example, we audited a building in Hong Kong, and quickly identified a HK$ 670,000 per year saving with ZERO capital expenditure! the opportunities exist.

— John Herbert, Consultant

2012 will bring another tariff hike for electricity customers in Hong Kong,  CLP and HKE governed under the  Scheme of Control  agreement with the HKSAR Government, CLP and Hongkong Electric propose 9.2 percent and 6.3 percent tariff increases respectively last week.  Criticized by all sectors, it should be no surprise that some “concessions” have been offered as an effort to placate government officials and the public. HKE’s latest proposal is 4.97 % increase for domestic users, and 6.08 % for businesses.  CLP is offering a 7.4 % increase.  However, as last with years hike, the structure of the proposal is more important than the actual percent figure cited, eventually somebody will have have to pay for the increased cost of fuel, if not this year, then next year.

UPDATE: CLP has reduced the electricity from tariff increase to 4.9%  [link]. However, looking at the details you should budget for a significant tariff increase in 2013.

- John A. Herbert, energyLAB Consultant

The AHU pictured above is failing to deliver adequate service, We found the entire surface of the unit and frame is covered in condensate, forget about the mess, it is expensive wasting energy 18 hours per day instead of cooling the air inside the unit. In fact it is the first step of every energy audit,  evaluate the equipment! Sure it’s hard work, and therefore often overlooked.  Take a closer look examine the inside of the AHU’s, we have identified numerous problems including loose drive belts, blocked cooling coils, missing air filters, missing door seals, air duct leakage, perished flexible connections, code violations, combustible materials and much more.

The important issue for an energy auditor is to identify and record any deficiency that lowers the operating efficiency of the air conditioning plant and fix it……….so what is the condition of  your AHU plant?

– John A. Herbert, Consultant

The Australian News is flooded with the senates decision to apply a tax on Carbon, pundits rail for and against, but accountable carbon is leading the way for consumers to pay the true cost of using limited resources.  A $23-a-tonne price will be imposed on about 500 businesses, the biggest polluters starting from July 2012, to be followed with a carbon trading scheme.

The carbon exchange rate, known as the emission factor varies depending on the fuel mix used, which varies between the different territories for the worst case Victoria the power generation emission factor is 1.23  (source National GreenhouseGas Account  Factors)  due the the larger proportion of coal fired power generation plants in Australia is significantly higher than Hong Kong’s 0.7 emission factor.

A small business in Victoria lets say uses 200,000 KWH of electricity per year, she would need to pay an extra carbon tax of approx. $ 5658 per year,  or put it another way, a 13.2% increase.  The key question will the increased cost provide sufficient financial incentive to encourage improved energy efficiency? Certainly, and any large businesses that hasn’t yet engaged an energy consultant they had better issue that RFP asap!

— John Herbert, Consultant, EnergyLAB

This is your chance to add your voice to the ban the bulb debate!  The estimated annual electricity consumption for non-reflector type Incandescent Light Bulbs (ILB) meaning GLS lamps, candle shape, fancy round and other decorative lamps, and tungsten halogen lamps is a staggering 900 GWh (2008) that is equivalent to approx. 2% of Hong Kong’s total electricity consumption.  The Hong Kong Government’s public consultation paper closes on 11 November 2011.

Here is link to download the consultation paper which outlines the Government’s proposal to restrict energy-inefficient incandescent lamps.  It is boiled down for easy consumption, in to three key questions:

1. Should Hong Kong restrict the supply of energy-inefficient Incandescent Light Bulbs (ILB) by mandatory scheme, voluntary measures or leaving it to market forces?

2. What types of Incandescent Light Bulbs (ILB) should be restricted if a mandatory scheme is introduced to restrict the supply of ILB?

3. Should Hong Kong adopt the MEPS approach in phasing out Incandescent Light Bulbs (ILB)?

Have your say before the deadline 11 Nov. 2011 deadline.

Will Hong Kong join the growing list, Australia and Europe? It’s difficult to judge, some types of decorative incandescent lamps are very popular here, and with no viable CF alternative, perhaps LED will provide the alternative? Banning the all type of Incandescent lamp may just open the door for alternative sources from across the border. As noted previously although Hong Kong is small place,yet it is without the means the handle mass fluorescent lamp disposal.

It also interesting that this consultation has been conducted by the Environmental Bureau, and no word from friends at EMSD.

SAMPLE CHINA LIGHT POWER Electricity bill from www.clpgroup.com

From the professional energy management perspective monthly billing is too coarse, over the billing period there are too many variables to consider. We recommend weekly monitoring,  and predictions of next weeks energy consumption.

Let me share a true story from here in Hong Kong,  a property management company managed a high rise residential property. Bills arrived (for the common areas) and were paid.  Then they received a water bill  approx. HK$ 160,000 – many  times higher than normal.  Shocked and certain it was not their problem they requested the Water Authority to check there water meter – that was the second mistake to assume it must be a meter problem, the first mistake was not monitoring consumption.

Time passes, the next water bill arrived it was higher, HK$ 220,000, again much higher than normal. Eventually, the Water Authority reported back, no fault with the metering or billing.   You have probably guessed, it was a water leak within the development after the meter. It’s a timely reminder to encourage closer monitoring of all utilities bills, every week, and don’t assume that an abnormally high consumption is a metering problem.  Beyond the professionals in the industry, people automatically assume that it must be a metering problem! Whereas 21st century metering does not suffer from the problems your parents suffered through,  indeed today meters are robust and accurate.

~~~ John Herbert, Consultant

Improving the energy efficiency of lighting systems is a no brainer, the obvious gain is lower the lighting energy consumption. But in air conditioned areas the second benefit results from the lower heat output, because means reduced bills for the air conditioning too.

Let say your air conditioning system has a COP of 3, then reducing the lighting consumption by 1 kW also means lowering the load of the air conditioning system power consumption by approx. 0.333. So together, a lighting improvement will save 1.33 kW.

Concealed uplighting, as pictured above, is the ideal candidate for lighting upgrades, replacing those tired T8/T12 lamps with energy efficient T5 lamps today!

— John Herbert, REA, Energy Consultant