HONG KONG, Dec. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Shopping malls play a major role in Hong Kong's daily life, and improving their energy efficiency can significantly reduce carbon emissions. CLPe, Henderson Land Group (Henderson Land) and Chinachem Group (Chinachem) are teaming up for the first time to launch Cooling as a Service (CaaS) at Flora Plaza in Fanling, which is expected to save 500,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity a year by installing a new cooling system.
CLPe Managing Director Mr Ringo Ng (middle), Henderson Land’s Group Consultant Dr Ball Wong (left), and Chinachem Group Executive Director and CEO Mr Donald Choi (right) at the launch ceremony of the Cooling as a Service project at Flora Plaza in Fanling.
Flora Plaza is a private housing estate and shopping mall jointly developed by Henderson Land and Chinachem in the heart of Fanling's residential area. Its two-storey shopping mall covers an area of more than 150,000 square feet and has over 100 shops offering a diverse range of services to cater for the needs of residents in North District for almost 30 years. CLPe will provide funding along with design and engineering work for a new air-cooled chiller system under a 15-year Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) agreement. It will receive a monthly service fee from Henderson Land for the duration of the contract period.
The current cooling system at Flora Plaza has been in use since the mall first opened. CLPe will replace the nine condenser-less chillers with four air-cooled chillers, enhancing energy efficiency and saving space by integrating refrigeration and heat dissipation systems in one unit with a Variable Speed Drive function. The total capacity of the new chiller will also be enhanced to meet the mall's future business development needs.
The new system will be equipped with the artificial intelligence (AI) management system PlantPRO, which continuously collects and analyses operational data and automatically adjusts the cooling system according to external factors such as indoor temperature to create an optimal indoor environment. It is expected that the new system will improve energy efficiency by 50% and reduce its electricity consumption by 15%, saving around 500,000 kWh of electricity a year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of around 160 three-member households or a reduction of around 200 tonnes of carbon emissions.
Buildings account for 90% of Hong Kong's total electricity consumption and produce more than 50% of the city's carbon emissions according to the information released by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department. Air conditioning accounts for 28% of electricity consumption in the commercial sector, making it the primary source of energy usage. Therefore, switching to energy-efficient chillers equipped with AI technology to achieve optimal energy efficiency is a highly effective way to reduce carbon emissions from buildings.
Henderson Land's Group Consultant Dr Ball Wong said, "As a leading property developer, Henderson Land is committed to building green and smart cities through innovative technologies and sustainable building practices. This is why elements of smart technology and sustainability are palpable in our extensive portfolio of development projects, embodying our efforts to realise the Group's 2030 Sustainability Vision and to support the Hong Kong Government's 2050 carbon neutrality goal. We are honoured to be partnering with CLPe to jointly advance energy conservation, reduce carbon emissions, and elevate the shopping environment and experience for our customers. Results of this pilot programme will be reviewed and evaluated, and we look forward to more future collaboration opportunities to collectively contribute to a more sustainable future."
CLPe Managing Director Mr Ringo Ng said, "CLPe is committed to providing one-stop energy solutions to enterprises and accelerating their pace of carbon reduction. Our first partnership with Henderson Land and Chinachem to improve the energy efficiency of the cooling system of Flora Plaza sets a good example for similar shopping malls to follow. It applies the latest energy-saving and AI technology to improve the energy performance of the cooling system, and at the same time offers a service model that combines funding, installation and operation to reduce customer's capital investment. We will continue to extend this one-stop energy solution to shopping malls to encourage city-wide energy conservation and decarbonisation."
He further noted that CLPe and Henderson Land are in discussion over other strategic partnerships, including electric vehicle charging services, with a view to exploring more collaborations to promote energy conservation and carbon reduction.
Chinachem has launched Hong Kong's first zero-carbon chiller system at Nina Tower with CLPe earlier this year to improve the complex's energy efficiency and reduce its carbon emissions. Chinachem Group's Executive Director and CEO Mr Donald Choi applauded the project. He said, "With our commitment to ensuring sustainable development and promoting green buildings, our goal is to create a more livable city for future generations. Our CCG 3050+ carbon emission roadmap aims to reduce our 2020 Scope 1 and 2 CO2 emission intensity by at least 51.8% by 2030, aligning with our triple bottom line of balancing People, Prosperity, and Planet. We look forward to strengthening collaboration with CLP and other enterprises to overcome the challenges of climate change together."
The new cooling system is expected to go into service in the third quarter of 2024, saving energy and providing customers with a more comfortable shopping experience in time for the hottest months of the year when demand for air conditioning peaks.
Flora Plaza is a private housing estate and shopping mall co-developed by Henderson Land and Chinachem in Fanling. Its new cooling system will improve energy efficiency by 50% and reduce its electricity consumption by 15%, saving around 500,000 kWh of electricity a year, equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of around 160 three-member households or a reduction of around 200 tonnes of carbon emissions.
