G: GreenMAG Poon: Ir Dr Otto Poon
G: Do you think the "Hong Kong 3030"
programme target set forth by the HKGBC
is feasible? How high are its chances of
success?
Poon:
I think the goal is certainly achievable,
especially considering we still have 17
years to reach it. Many areas of technology,
ranging from lighting, refrigeration
and elevators to general energy-saving
technology produc ts, have matured
considerably in recent years. About 80-90%
of electricity consumption in the buildings
comes from these areas alone, so the scope
for reductions is enormous. Nowadays, we
have many types of high-efficiency lamps,
and there are many lighting control systems
available in the market. Take for example
the conference room we are currently in.
There is a small motion-sensing device
built at the entrance area. If we stay still for
ten minutes, the device will automatically
turn off the lights. Many air-conditioner
installations are centralised systems, a
significant improvement is to change from
air-cooled to water-cooled systems. There is
now more advanced “maglev” refrigeration
equipment, in which the rotating part of
the air-conditioner’s compressor is driven
by magnetic levitation. This reduces friction
during the compressor’s operation, and the
energy efficiency can therefore be increased
by some 20% . Elevators, too, are now able
to convert kinetic energy during their
operation into electricity and send it back
into the power grid. With such a wide range
of technological improvements already
available, a 30% reduction in electricity
consumption is feasible.
G: Globally, “renewable energy ” is
perceived as the solution of choice for
energy conservation. What are your views
on renewable energy?
Poon:
Scientists had stated that the Earth’s
ultimate energy source is the sun. Existing
natural resources, such as coal, natural
gas, petroleum and the like, all came from
plants and animals that absorbed the sun’s
energy millions of years ago. Interestingly,
if we could harness just 2% of the sun’s
energy that reaches the Earth’s surface it
would be enough to meet all of civilisation’s
energy requirements. Currently, in the large
deserts of the United States, Africa, and in
the Middle East, there is widespread use of
photovoltaic panels to generate electricity.
If transnational electricity grids are used to
collect and transmit these renewable energy,
it will accelerate its development.
To elaborate further on renewable energy
sources, wind and solar energy can
complement one another. During the
daytime, there is heat and light from the
sun. At night, the change of temperature
increases the air flow from sea to inland. As
such, one can rely on solar power with the
use of photovoltaic panels during the day,
and then harness wind power at night. If we
can develop a system that complementarily
generates electricity from both wind and
sunlight, we could have more reliable source
of renewable energy supply.
G: Do you think Hong Kong has the
potential to embrace renewable energy?
Poon:
Hong Kong’s first zero-carbon
building, the ZCB developed by the
Construction Industry Council, is a very
special case in that it simultaneously
generates electricity while using it. However,
regarding the actual situation in Hong Kong,
the potential to use renewable energy
sources is rather limited. For example, in a
40-storey building, only 1/40 of the building’s
total area is lit by sunlight. Even if that area is
packed with photovoltaic panels, it can only
be sufficient to generate enough electricity
to power the lighting in public areas, thus
ultimately rendering it an ineffective and
expensive solution.
G: Some foreign countries look to
hyd r og e n e n e r g y f o r a po t e n t i a l
“hydrogen economy”. Do you think this is
feasible?
Poon:
The hydrogen economy concept is
currently most popular in Iceland, where
it is fairly successfully applied. The reason
it works is because Iceland has lots of
geothermal power which can be used to
generate the electricity needed to separate
water into hydrogen and oxygen molecules.
In other places, this is not an ideal solution.
Pure hydrogen is dangerous to handle,
and presents great challenges in terms of
storage, transportation, and application.
Take hydrogen cars, for example. The gas
cylinders require special protective materials,
and additional safety device is necessary. For
a hydrogen economy, the world would have
to use nuclear power extensively to produce
hydrogen. In such a case, consumers
could just use nuclear power generated
electricity instead, and hydrogen would be
unnecessary.
I think the goal of
"HK3030" is certainly
achievable, especially
considering we still have
17 years to reach it. Many
areas of technology have
matured considerably in
recent years.
23
Feature
Interview:
Energy
Feature Interview: Energy
