Design Guide for Attaining

Sustainability in Building
Services Installations

Objective

The primary purpose of this Design Guide is to

gather and present factual materials in such a
Building Services Branch manner that project officers, both professional and
Architectural Services Department technical, could obtain a common reference of the
various criteria and principles involved in the current
sustainability design of varies building services
installations in building projects undertaken by the
Building Services Branch of the Architectural
Services Department. It is also the aim for this
Manual to be used as a checklist during the design
process.

Disclaimer

This Guide is solely compiled for the attainment of

sustainability in building services installations carried out for
or on behalf of the Architectural Services Department
(ArchSD) in Government buildings of the Hong Kong Special
Administrative Region (HKSAR). Whilst the ArchSD
endeavours to ensure the accuracy of the contents in this
Guide, no expressed or implied warranty is given on the
accuracy of any of its contents and there are no
representations either expressed or implied, as to the
suitability of the said information and data for any particular
purpose. It is hereby stated expressly that the department
does not approve, recommend, endorse or certify the use of
any of the information and technologies contained in or in
connection with this Guide.

There are no representations, either expressed or implied, as

to the suitability of this Guide for purposes other than that
stated above. Users who choose to adopt this Guide for
their works are responsible for making their own
assessments and judgement of all information contained
here. The ArchSD does not accept any liability and
responsibility for any special, indirect or consequential loss
or damages whatsoever arising out of or in connection with
the use of this Design Guide or reliance placed on it.

The ArchSD reserves the right to omit, edit or update the

Guide at any time in its absolute discretion without any prior
notice.
 Table of Contents

1. Introduction 3

2. Sustainability Strategy 3

2.1 Site Aspects 3

2.2 Materials Aspects 4
2.3 Energy Use 6
2.4 Water Use 7
2.5 Indoor Environmental Quality 8

3. Building Services Sustainability Design 10

3.1 Energy Efficiency 10

3.1.1 Energy Efficiency in Air-conditioning Installation 11
3.1.2 Energy Efficiency in Electrical Installation 15
3.1.3 Energy Efficiency in Lift and Escalator Installation 18
3.1.4 Energy Efficiency in Lighting Installation 20
3.1.5 Energy Efficiency in Plumbing Installation 23
3.2 Renewable Energy 26
3.2.1 Small Wind Turbine Installation 28
3.2.2 Photovoltaic (PV) Installation 32
3.2.3 Solar Hot Water System 36
3.3 Rainwater/Grey Water Recycling Installations 41
3.3.1 Rainwater Recycling Installation 41
3.3.2 Grey Water Recycling Installation 47
3.4 Indoor Environmental Quality 51

4. Review, Evaluation and Improvement 64

4.1 Commissioning and Re-commissioning 64

4.2 Performance Evaluation 66
4.3 Facilities Engineering, Operation and Maintenance 67
4.4 Energy Management 69
4.5 Minor Works and Re-engineering Systems 70
4.6 Building Assessment System 70

Appendix A 73

References 80

Building Services Branch, ArchSD Page 2 of 80 Author: KFH/hks

Design Guide for Attaining Sustainability in BS Installations
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1. Introduction
This Design Guide provides general guidelines, reference and requirements in the
sustainability design for building services (BS) installations in building projects undertaken
by the Architectural Services Department.

This Design Guide should not be regarded as exhaustive. The designers are
recommended to check and incorporate into the building design other appropriate
requirements and the latest technologies for BS sustainability design.

2. Sustainability Strategy
The intention of sustainability design is to eliminate negative environmental impact
through skilful and sensitive design. The designers have influence over the energy use,
greenhouse gases emissions, water use, thermal comfort and other sustainability
outcomes of buildings. Hence, there is increasing pressure to address sustainability issues
and to understand how engineering decisions can deliver a more sustainable built
environment.[1] To address the sustainability issues in a comprehensive and coherent way
and as far as building services installations are concerned, the sustainability strategies for
site aspects, materials aspects, energy use, water use and indoor environmental quality
would be considered separately below.

2.1 Site Aspects

Site aspects would focus on the site upon which the building is to be built, the land use and
its location with respect to local transport and amenities, planning and design for the site
to take account of both beneficial and negative impacts on neighbours and the
development itself, mitigation of ecological impacts and emissions from the site over the
building’s lifetime, and aspects of site management.
The strategy of site aspects would include:[2]

(a) Location, orientation and design of the building,

(b) emissions from the site, and

(c) site management.

The designers have to undertake the initial review of

the opportunities and constraints of the site from an
engineering perspective, and to provide advice to the
project team on key issues about the location, site
layout, building form, orientation and building fabric,
etc. The initial review would cover issues such as:[1] Figure 1: Site Opportunities & Constraints[1]

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 (a) sources of light, noise or air pollution,

(b) prevailing wind and wind resource,

(c) sun path and shading from other buildings,

(d) potential biomass, e.g. waste food, resource,

(e) ground conditions for ground source heat pumps for heating/cooling, and

(f) constraints of existing buildings.

The initial review can also help to provide information for the strategies of energy use and
water use, e.g. potential energy resources and drainage constraints. To implement the
strategy of site aspects, the designers might have to:[2]

(a) apply adequate mitigation measures for dust and air emissions during the
construction as recommended by the Environmental Protection Department e.g.
using pre-fabricated air duct and storage areas to maintain a cleaner and tidier site
condition.

(b) provide adequate mitigation measures for construction noise for all Noise Sensitive
Receivers.

(c) undertake adequate measures to reduce water pollution during construction.

(d) reduce visual impact to the building neighbourhood through a careful choice of plant
and plant room locations e.g. cooling tower and chimney location.

(e) take into account effect of project to daylight of neighbouring sensitive buildings at
early planning stage, and ensure that the access to daylight of neighbouring sensitive
buildings is maintained to an acceptable level.

(f) demonstrate that the level of the intruding noise at the façade of the potential noise
sensitive receivers is in compliance with the criteria recommended.

(g) demonstrate that obtrusive light from exterior lighting meets the specified
performance for the environment in which the building development is located.

2.2 Materials Aspects

The amount and range of materials used in the construction, operation and maintenance
and fitting-out of buildings represents a significant use of natural resources, in terms of
extracted raw materials, emissions, and embodied energy. There are opportunities to
reduce environmental impacts through improved design, improved materials management,
choice of materials and installation methods, e.g. modular designs allowing off-site

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 prefabrication, lean construction methods, etc., and on-site sorting to reduce waste
generation and construction costs. The strategy of materials aspects involves:[2]

(a) selection of materials,

(b) efficient use of materials, and

(c) waste disposal and recycled.

The designers have to develop strategies for sustainable material management and waste
management. A sustainable material management should reduce the embodied lifetime
environmental impacts by selecting on the basis of environmental preference. The
principles for the selection of sustainable materials and equipment are:[1]

(a) selecting materials and equipment from sustainable sources,

(b) selecting materials and equipment with the lowest in-use environmental impacts,

(c) selecting materials and equipment with high recycled content, and

(d) selecting materials and equipment with the lowest embodied environmental impacts.

Hence, the designers should use more rapidly renewable materials, recycled materials
and/or regionally manufactured materials; say locally within 800km from the site. The
designers should also use non-chlorofluorocarbon (CFC)-based refrigerants in HVAC
systems and avoid the use of ozone depleting substances.[2]

A sustainable waste management plan should reduce the production of waste arising from
the construction and operation of buildings to a minimum. Disposal should be considered
a last resort. The principles for managing waste are:[1]

(a) reducing waste,

(b) reusing materials and equipment (and facilitate future reuse),

(c) recycling waste (and facilitate recycling),

(d) composting biodegradable waste, e.g. food waste composting system, and

(e) recovering energy from waste (and facilitate energy recovery from waste).

Hence, the designers should aim to reduce the amount of construction waste by recycling
waste, reuse more existing plant or equipment, use more off-site prefabricated building
services elements, adopt flexible design of services that can adapt to changes of layout and
use, and provide facilities for the collection, sorting, storage and disposal of waste and
recovered materials.[2]

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 In ArchSD, we have a software tool to conduct integrated study on Life Cycle Energy
Analysis (LCEA) and Life Cycle Costing (LCC). LCEA and LCC attempt to quantify the
environmental burdens associated with a product, process or activity from its manufacture,
through its useful life, re-use, recycling and final disposal, and address all cost elements to
produce a spend profile of a product over its anticipated life span from “cradle to grave.”
The software tool is an integrated LCEA – LCC decision support tool to facilitate the project
assessment of building designs of 3 major building components/systems, i.e. internal
finishes (floor/ceiling/wall), external building envelope and HVAC system, in an
environmentally conscious and cost effective manner in a Whole Life Cost perspective.
Two environmental indicators, i.e. embodied energy and global warming potentials, will be
produced. The designers might use the integrated LCEA – LCC software tool as a
reference to develop the strategy for material aspects as well as the strategy for energy use
in the next section.

2.3 Energy Use

The main objective of the energy strategy should be to reduce CO2 and other emissions
related to building energy use (e.g. NOx and SOx) as well as the use of finite, non-renewable
resources (fossil fuels) by applying energy efficient design principles and utilizing low or
zero carbon technologies. The considerations of energy strategy include:[2]

(a) annual CO2 emissions or energy use,

(b) energy efficient systems and equipment, and

(c) energy management.

The principles for developing an energy strategy are:[1]

(a) reducing demand,

(b) meeting end-use demand efficiently,

(c) supplying from low carbon sources,

(d) supplying from renewable sources, and

(e) enabling effective energy management.

The designers are encouraged to adopt more renewable energy systems, e.g. wind turbines,
PV panels and solar hot water systems, and energy efficient appliances and equipment that
will be discussed in Chapter 3. The following might also be considered:[2]

(a) reducing the heat transfer from the outside to the interior through the building
envelope or in other words to minimize the designed OTTV value (OTTV reduction).

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 (b) reducing the peak electricity demand of a building by carefully planning the starting
& operating characteristic of the building services equipment, e.g. to reduce the
starting current by using variable speed drives (VSD) for AC plants and pumps, or to
avoid simultaneous starting of a group of plants such as chillers, a group of AHUs and
pumps by programming the staring sequence of these plants.

(c) assessing the embodied energy in the major elements of the building through a Life
Cycle Assessment (LCA) and ensuring that the major materials with low embodied
energy are used in the project. In this case, the designers might use the integrated
LCEA – LCC software tool as described in the previous section as a reference to assess
the embodied energy.

(d) examining the energy efficient building layout by

i. consideration of built form and building orientation,

ii. consideration of optimum spatial planning,

iii. consideration of building permeability provisions of building features to

enhance the use of natural ventilation,

iv. provision of fixed or movable horizontal/vertical external shading devices,

v. provision of movable external shading devices for major atrium facade

windows or skylights.

2.4 Water Use

Hong Kong has long enjoyed a reliable and economic supply of most of its fresh water
needs from the Mainland. However, with increased industrialisation of Guangdong
Province, there is likely to be greater competition for water supply, meaning that water
conservation will become a significant issue for Hong Kong in the future. The designers
should look for means to improve the utilisation and conservation of water resources.
Hence, the aspects of water use should include quality and features that improve
utilization and reduce effluent, i.e.:[2]

(a) water quality,

(b) water conservation, and

(c) effluent discharges.

The principles underlying a water strategy are:[1]

(a) reducing demand (and waste),

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 (b) meeting demand efficiently,

(c) supplying collected rainwater or recycled grey water,

(d) recycling black water close to the point of use, if appropriate, and

(e) enabling efficient water management.

Besides ensuring that the quality of portable water meets the referenced drinking water
quality standards at all points of use, the designers should install water efficient
devices/appliances and monitoring devices to:[2]

(a) automatic shut-off the devices for the purposes of water conservation,

(b) monitor water leakage within the fresh water distribution system, and

(c) monitor water flow at main supply branches for audit purposes .

The designers should also consider highly efficient irrigation technology and/or the use of
harvested rainwater and/or recycled grey water to reduce water consumption. The
design of rainwater/grey water recycling installations will be discussed in Chapter 3.

2.5 Indoor Environmental Quality

Indoor environmental quality (IEQ) includes those aspects of building performance that
impact on the health, comfort or well-being of the occupants, as well as aspects of
performance that improve quality and functionality. Poor indoor environments can
impact on productivity and may impose health risks to users. The design, management,
operation and maintenance of buildings should seek to provide good quality indoor
environments, but with optimum use of energy and other resources.[2]

The objective of IEQ strategy is to provide a healthy and comfortable internal environment
as well as an accessible and inclusive environment. The aspects of IEQ include:[2]

(a) safety,

(b) hygiene,

(c) indoor air quality (IAQ) and ventilation,

(d) thermal comfort,

(e) lighting,

(f) acoustics and noise, and

(g) building amenities.

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 The principles to apply to IEQ strategy are:[1]

(a) satisfying all statutory health and safety obligations,

(b) applying good practice in providing for the widest practical range of accessibility needs,

(c) avoiding and reducing health risk factors, and

(d) providing comfortable internal conditions.

To develop the IEQ strategy, the designers might consider the following:[2]

(a) providing adequate security measures and facilities;

(b) reducing the potential for transmission of harmful bacteria, viruses and odours
through plumbing and drainage systems;

(c) following the recommendations given in the Code of Practice – Prevention of

Legionnaires Disease in air-conditioning and ventilation and water systems;

(d) providing a hygienic refuse collection system;

(e) providing adequate ventilation system especially for all enclosed common areas in a
building and rooms/areas where significant indoor pollution sources are generated;

(f) providing a general exhaust system for future tenants;

(g) maintaining good IAQ;

(h) maintaining thermal comfort in air-conditioned and naturally ventilated premises;

(i) providing adequate natural lighting and good interior lighting performance; and

(j) providing airborne noise isolation between rooms, spaces and premises, and
maintaining the intruding noise level and mid-frequency reverberation time to meet
the prescribed criteria; etc.

More details of the IEQ strategy will be discussed in Chapter 3.

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Design Guide for Attaining Sustainability in BS Installations
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3. Building Services Sustainability Design
This section will set out how BS sustainability design can influence the building design and
refurbishment. The last three aspects of the previous chapter on energy use, water use
and IEQ would be more BS oriented, and thus the design guides on energy efficiency,
renewable energy, rainwater/grey water recycling installations and IEQ would be
elaborated separately as below:

3.1 Energy Efficiency

In respect of energy efficiency, the design should comply with the latest edition of the
following documents and their latest updates issued subsequently from time to time as a
minimum. As the Government is to play an exemplary role in promoting energy efficiency,
designers shall aim to achieve a performance better than the statutory requirements as
much as possible.

The following list of documents should however not be regarded as exhaustive. Designers
are recommended to also follow other documents in relation to energy efficiency issued by
the relevant authorities from time to time, if any.

(a) Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance, Cap 610 (enforced by EMSD)

(b) Building Energy Code (BEC) issued by EMSD

(c) Waterworks Ordinance, Cap 102 and Waterworks Regulations, Cap 102A

(d) Hong Kong Waterworks Standard Requirements for the Plumbing Installation in
Buildings

(e) Water Supplies Department Circular Letters issued to Licensed Plumbers and
Authorized Persons

(f) Building (Standards of Sanitary Fitments, Plumbing, Drainage Works and Latrines)
Regulations, Cap 123I

(g) Environment, Transport and Works Bureau Technical Circular (Works) No. 16/2005
“Adoption of Energy Efficient Features and Renewable Energy Technologies in
Government Projects and Installations”

(h) Development Bureau Technical Circular No. 5/2009 / Environment Bureau Circular
Memorandum No. 2/2009 “Green Government Buildings”

(i) BSB Circular No. 14 of 2008 “Guidelines on Metering Facilities for Energy and
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring/Audit Purpose”

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 (j) ArchSD Operational Instruction No. 04/2009 “Green Government Buildings”

(k) Environment Bureau Circular Memorandum No. 5/2009 ―Ceasing of Procurement of

Tungsten Filament Lamps”

(l) BSB Circular No. 25 of 2009 ―Energy Efficient Lighting Design for Offices – Task
Lighting Approach”

(m) BSB Circular No. 15 of 2012 – Design Guides for Energy Efficiency in Building Services
Installations

(n) BSB Environmental Targets promulgated via BSB Circular yearly

(o) Various Design Guides, General Specifications and Proforma Specifications issued by
ArchSD

3.1.1 Energy Efficiency in Air-conditioning Installation

3.1.1.1 Brief Description

The air-conditioning system will maintain a comfortable and healthy indoor

environment by responding to the loads imposed by building envelop design and
occupant activities. Proper design of the control schemes for the system that heats
and cools the interior spaces, provide appropriate supply of fresh air for the
occupants and remove contaminants from the building will ensure that the
air-conditioning system can operate at its optimum point with minimum building
energy consumption. As energy consumed by air-conditioning installation makes up
a major portion of the total energy consumption in a building, various cost effective
and energy efficiency design and equipment should be specified in the building
projects wherever applicable.

Energy efficient design in air-conditioning installation can be achieved through:

(a) proper sizing of air-conditioning equipment and systems by setting design

conditions and imposing load estimation procedures;

(b) reducing air side distribution losses through imposing limits on air distribution
system fan motor power, ductwork leakage, duct friction loss, enhancing fan
efficiency and identifying conditions warranting separate distribution systems;

(c) reducing water side distribution losses through imposing limits on pipe friction
loss, enhancing pump efficiency and identifying conditions warranting variable
flow;

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 (d) reducing energy consumption in chillers and unitary air-conditioners through
minimum allowable coefficients of performance;

(e) reducing heat losses in pipework, ductwork and AHU casing through minimum
allowable thickness on insulation thereto; and

(f) reducing the use of energy through efficient controls and monitoring facilities
for energy consumption.

3.1.1.2 Design Considerations

(a) System Load Calculation

Design with suitable environment comfort for specific operational needs can
enhance energy efficiency. When identifying air-conditioning system zones,
the following should be considered:

i. separate systems serving office areas from those serving special areas,
such as wards, laboratory or process areas;

ii. separate areas with relatively constant and weather-independent loads

(e.g. interior offices) from perimeter zones; and

iii. separate areas with special temperature or humidity requirements (e.g.

computer rooms) from those areas that required comfort heating and
cooling.

A thorough analysis of the peak load often leads to design solutions that
further decrease building energy consumption.

(b) Air Distribution Ductwork Limit

At least 25% in area of ductwork designed to operate at static pressure

exceeding 750 Pa should be leakage-tested in accordance with DW143 and
should be lower than the corresponding maximum allowable air leakage limit
given in the BEC.

(c) Air Distribution System Fan Power

The system fan motor power required for a constant air volume (CAV) air
distribution system and a variable air volume (VAV) air distribution system for a
conditioned space should not exceed the corresponding limits in terms of Watt
per litre per second (L/s) of supply system air flow given in the BEC.

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 (d) Chiller Plant Selection and Air-conditioning Equipment Efficiency

Water-cooled refrigeration plants should be adopted whenever situations

permit, if its cooling capacity exceeds 350kW (100 RT). On the other hand,
district cooling system (DCS), if available, should be adopted as the first priority
to optimize the plant efficiency and capital investment cost.

Chillers equipped with oil-free type centrifugal compressors can deliver higher
Integrated Part Load Value (IPLV) efficiencies than conventional oil-lubricated
centrifugal, reciprocating, scroll or screw compressors. The designers should
note that the capital cost of oil-free chillers is much higher than that for
conventional chillers and, as a result, sufficient fund should be allowed in the
cost estimation. Chillers with variable frequency drive device also provide
high IPLV with a lower capital investment when comparing to that for oil-free
chillers.

(e) Pumping System Variable Flow

The two most common and efficient types of water distribution systems within
a building are primary-secondary and all-primary pumping systems. For
primary-secondary pumping system, separate pumps serve the primary circuit
(central plant) and the secondary circuit (distribution system to terminal units)
whereas for all-primary pumping systems, the same pumps serve both the
central plant and the distribution system supplying the terminal units. The
primary-secondary systems provide energy-saving opportunities through
variable flow (only pumps the water actually needed to meet the required
loads) and elevates the return-water temperature. Hence, the
primary-secondary pumping systems category is more energy efficient than the
all-primary pumping system and the designers should adopt the
primary-secondary pumping systems as far as practicable.

(f) Friction Loss of Water Piping system

Water piping should be sized for frictional loss not exceeding the limits in terms
of Pa/m andm/s (water flow velocity) given in the BEC.

(g) System Control

Appropriate temperature, humidity and zone control devices should be

designed in accordance to the BEC. Also, the following system control should
be adopted as appropriate.

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 i. Fresh Air Supply

ii. Demand Control

iii. Off-hours Control and Occupancy Control

(h) Thermal Insulation

A good energy efficiency design will reduce heat losses in pipework, ductwork
and AHU casing through insulation. All chilled water pipes, condensate drain
pipes, low pressure hot water pipes, refrigerant pipes, ductworks and AHU
casings should be insulated with a minimum insulation thickness in accordance
with the BEC.

(i) Energy Metering

Sufficient metering facilities should be provided in various distribution

branches and major equipment to cater for energy and greenhouse gas
emissions survey, audit and monitoring purpose. The metering facilities may
be connected to Central Control & Monitoring System (CCMS) to enable remote
monitoring and automatic data logging. The designers should refer to the BEC
and BSB Circular No. 14 of 2008 on “Guidelines on Metering Facilities for
Energy and Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring/Audit Purpose” for the
detailed requirements.

(j) High Efficiency Electric Motor

Please refer to the “Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Electrical Installation”
issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD for the requirements on minimum
allowable motor efficiency and high efficiency electric motors.

(k) Central Control & Monitoring System (CCMS)

A CCMS is an integrated network of sensors, controllers, actuators and software.

CCMS can improve the overall management and performance of building
significantly. In a more sophisticated building management system, the CCMS
can perform interactive calculations to determine the most efficient operating
conditions by taking into account cooling plant layout, the number of series
and parallel chillers etc. CCMS saves energy by:

i. optimizing the equipment start and stop times (e.g. turning fans off
during unoccupied hours)

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 ii. operating the equipment at the minimum capacity necessary (e.g.
running the fans in a VAV system at the minimum speed needed)

iii. limiting peak electric demand

(l) Free Air Cooling Mode

Free cooling operation mode should be considered for areas requiring 100%
fresh air with 24-hour operation such as isolation wards and laboratory in order
to save energy during winter period. The designers should be aware of the
criteria for the sizing of free cooling air duct and air handling units.

3.1.1.3 For more details, readers are advised to refer to the “Design Guide for Energy
Efficiency in Air-conditioning Installation” issued by Building Services Branch,
ArchSD.[4]

3.1.2 Energy Efficiency in Electrical Installation

3.1.2.1 Brief Description

Energy efficiency for electrical installation can be classified into active and passive
ways. Passive energy efficiency is achieved by such measures as reducing heat
generation and using equipment which requires less energy. Active energy
efficiency is achieved by putting in place an infrastructure for measuring, monitoring
and controlling energy use with a view to making lasting changes.

3.1.2.2 Design Considerations

(a) High efficiency motor

The motor efficiency should meet the minimum allowable values stipulated in
the BEC, which are comparable to Class IE2 of EN 60034-30:2009. This
standard defines the following efficiency classes of low-voltage three-phase
asynchronous motors in the power range from 0.75 kW to 375 kW.

i. IE1 = Standard Efficiency (comparable to EFF2)

ii. IE2 = High Efficiency (comparable to EFF1)

iii. IE3 = Premium Efficiency

iv. IE4 = Super-Premium Efficiency

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 Figure 2: Electric Motors Efficiency Classes

(b) Power distribution system

Distribution transformers and main LV switchboards shall preferably be sited at

their load centres rather than at the periphery of the buildings, provided that
all local supply rules and fire regulations etc. could also be complied with. In
order to reduce the LV distribution loss, the transformers and main switchroom
should be located at the mechanical floor especially on super high rise
buildings. However, problems include cable separation, EMI issue and fire
protection need to be considered.

The copper loss, expressed in terms of a certain percentage of the total active
power transmitted along the circuit conductors at rated circuit current, of every
main distribution circuit connecting the distribution transformer and the main
incoming circuit breaker of a LV switchboard should be minimized by means of
either:

i. Locating the transformer room and the main switchroom immediately

adjacent to, above or below each other, or

ii. Restricting its copper loss to not exceeding the maximum allowable value
stipulated in the BEC.

Sub-main distribution circuits include feeder circuit, sub-main circuit and final
circuit. The copper loss in each type of the sub-main distribution circuits
should not exceed the respective maximum allowable values stipulated in the
BEC and Electrical Design Guide of BSB. However, the designers should
consider cable sizes larger than the said minimum values for of the following
reasons:

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 i. allowing cables to run cooler and save energy;

ii. nearest standard size up;

iii. standard fuse rating requiring larger cable for safety in overload
conditions; and/or

iv. allowing for future expansion in demand.

(c) Power Quality

The presence of harmonics on the power distribution system affects the energy
efficiency of the system. Typical problems include overheating distribution
transformers, overloading neutral conductors, overheating rotating machinery,
unacceptable neutral-to-earth voltage, distorted supply voltage waveform,
communication interference due to electromagnetic interference (EMI),
capacitor banks failure, incorrect tripping of fuses and circuit breakers,
malfunctioning of electronic/computing equipment, and most importance of all,
inefficient distribution of electrical power. Hence, the total harmonic
distortion (THD) of current for any circuit should not exceed the appropriate
figures as per IEEE 519-1992, BEC and supply rules of the power supply
companies.

According to the BEC, the design total power factor for a circuit at or above
400A (based on circuit protective device rating), single or three phase, at
designed circuit current should not be less than 0.85. Power factor correction
using the conventional capacitor bank must be carefully designed to avoid
overcurrent and resonance in the supply networks with high contents of
harmonics. Power factor for non-linear circuit can only be corrected by
appropriate harmonic filters.

(d) Power Consumption Monitoring System

Power consumption monitoring system is an important tool to help energy

saving. Power consumption monitoring system comprises of energy meters that
have the capability to measure and record interval data (at least hourly for
electricity), and communicate the data to a remote location in a format that
can be easily integrated into an advanced metering system. The metering
installation for monitoring the electricity consumption in a building should
meet the requirements of BEC as a minimum. The designers shall follow BSB
Circular 14 of 2008 – Guidelines on Metering Facilities for Energy and
Greenhouse Gas Emissions Monitoring/Audit Purpose.

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 3.1.2.3 For more details, readers are advised to refer to the “Design Guide for Energy
Efficiency in Electrical Installation” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD. [5]

3.1.3 Energy Efficiency in Lift and Escalator Installation

3.1.3.1 Brief Description

In general, the principles for achieving energy efficiency for lift/escalator installations
are:

(a) Specify energy efficiency equipment for the installation

(b) Do not over design the installation
(c) Suitable zoning arrangement
(d) Suitable control and energy management of lift equipment
(e) Using light weight materials for lift car decoration
(f) Institute for good house keeping measures

The selection of speed and rated load of lifts are also the factors to be considered to
optimize the energy efficiency design without sacrifice the performance of lift traffic.

3.1.3.2 Design Considerations

(a) Use of Electric Traction Lift

Hydraulic lift is in general not energy efficient due to the reason that the dead
weight of the lift car is the predominating factor on its maximum running
power as there is no counterweight to balance its dead weight. The designers
should always consider using electric traction lift before going to the hydraulic
lift option

(b) AC Variable Voltage Variable Frequency (ACVVVF) Controller

AC Variable Voltage and Variable Frequency (ACVVVF) drive adopted in lift

installation could capitalize on the optimum frequency to produce the desired
performance. This could have low starting current, high power factor and
efficiency in addition to the improved ride quality and floor levelling.

Variable voltage converter adopted in escalator or passenger conveyor motor

could regulate the load in conjunction with a passenger detector and load
simulating electronic system. The frequency and voltage of the converter are
automatically adjusted in response to escalator speed.

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 (c) Utilization of Power

The electrical power of the motor drive of the lift, escalator and passenger
conveyor installation should not exceed the corresponding maximum allowable
value given in the BEC.

The total power factor of the motor drive of a lift and escalator at the isolator
connecting to the building’s electrical supply circuit should not be less than
0.85 as stipulated in the BEC when the lift is carrying a rated load at its rated
speed and traveling in an upward direction and when the escalator is operating
under its brake load condition at rate speed, with the steps or pallets moving in
an upward direction.

The maximum allowable total harmonic distortion (THD) should also be limited
to the corresponding maximum allowable value given in the BEC.

In order to satisfy these requirements, a power factor correction device and

harmonic correction device may be installed at the motor control centre of the
motor drive to give the necessary compensation.

(d) Lift Decoration Load

The decoration load in a lift should not exceed the corresponding maximum
allowable value given in the BEC.

(e) Lift Parking Mode

In accordance with the BEC, under normal operating status, at least one lift of a
lift bank should be in parking mode during the periods when the traffic
demand on vertical transportation system is low. Under parking mode, a lift
should not respond to passenger calls until it returns to the normal operation
mode.

In accordance with the BEC, the ventilation and air-conditioning, if any, of lift
car should be shut off automatically when the lift car is idling for certain
periods until the lift is activated again by passenger call. The automatic
shutoff requirements of ventilation and air-conditioning are different. Please
refer to the BEC for the details. Moreover, the automatic shutoff of
air-conditioning shall not apply to observation lift which travels through non
air-conditioned space or with its lift well located in unconditioned space
(usually the one travelling at the building façade).

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 (f) Service on Demand Design for Escalators and Passenger Conveyors

The escalators and passenger conveyors should be equipped with

service-on-demand (SOD) feature for on-off or 2 speed control and provided
with approach sensor or presence sensor so that the escalators and passenger
conveyors will be active only when people arrive and stop after people leave
the escalators for a pre-determined period of time. The application of SOD
feature on escalators and passenger conveyors can save energy; the amount of
which depends on the traffic pattern.

(g) Metering and Monitoring Facilities

In accordance with the BEC, either metering devices or provision for

measurement should be provided in the electrical supply circuit for the motor
drive of each lift, escalator or passenger conveyor, for the measurement of
voltages (all phase-to-phase and phase-to-neutral), currents (three phases and
neutral), total power factor, total harmonic distortion, energy consumption
(kWh), power (kW) and maximum demand (kVA). The metering devices shall
be connected to Building Energy Management (BEM) System if provided under
the project to calculate the power consumption.

(h) Lift Regenerative Power

Regenerative power is the recovering of braking energy of a lift system and

converting it into electricity. Therefore, there will be energy saving through
the use of a lift regenerating system. A power-regeneration module consists
of a regenerative converter that can be added to most conventional
motor-control inverters to regulate the power back to the power distribution
network in the building. In addition, the power-regeneration module has the
added advantage of reducing the harmonic currents.

3.1.3.3 For more details, please refer to the “Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Lift and
Escalator Installation” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[6]

3.1.4 Energy Efficiency in Lighting Installation

3.1.4.1 Brief Description

The objective of the lighting design is to achieve good visual environment at a

lighting power density in compliance with or better than the BEC requirements.
The following factors should also be considered by the designers in their design:

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 (a) Don't over-lit the space

(b) Choose the proper lighting level for the activity to be carried out

(c) Choose energy efficient lighting fittings and/or lamp source with high lumen
efficacy (lumen/watt)

(d) Choose proper control of lighting fittings.

3.1.4.2 Design Considerations

(a) Lighting Power Density

Lighting Power Density (Unit: W/m2) means the electrical power consumed by
lighting installations per unit floor area of an illuminated space.

The maximum allowable lighting power density of general lighting for various
spaces should comply with the relevant requirements stipulated in the BEC.

(b) Lighting Control Points

The minimum number of lighting control points (such as manual lighting switch,
occupancy sensor, daylight sensor and other lighting switching devices etc.) for
an office should comply with the relevant requirements stipulated in the BEC.

For each functional activity in a multi-functional space, separate lighting control

points should be provided so that the number of luminaires in operation should
correspond to the need of the activity.

The lighting fittings near windows should have control separate from those for
the interior space. For corridor, separate lighting control should be provided
to cater for different activity, such as normal circulation, low circulation and
cleaning/security purpose.

Lighting control points for the general lighting should be separated from the
decorative lighting, so that these two categories of lighting installation may be
switched on/off independently.

(c) Task Lighting

Task lighting implies providing the good illuminance only in the actual area
where a task is being performed, while the general illuminance of the area is
kept at a lower level. Energy saving takes place because good task lighting can
be achieved with low wattage lamps. The concept of task lighting if sensibly
implemented, can reduce the number of general lighting fixtures, reduce the

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 wattage of lamps, save considerable energy, provide better illuminance and
also reduce visual impact to the building neighbourhood through a careful
choice of plant and plant room locations e.g. cooling tower and chimney
location.aesthetically pleasing ambience.

(d) Choose of Lamp Type to Achieve Energy Efficiency Lighting Design

i. Induction lamp

Inductive fluorescent lamps are white light sources with very good color
rendering and color temperature properties. These lamps are energy
efficient and offer extremely long life (over 100,000 hours), good lumen
maintenance characteristics, instant-on capability and dimming is also
possible. They are excellent for lighting large surfaces.

ii. LED lamp

LED lamps are the newest addition to the list of energy efficient light
sources. While LED lamps emit visible light in a very narrow spectral
band, they can produce "white light". LED lamps last for 40,000 to
100,000 service hours depending on its color. The current challenges of
the LED source are low Color Rendering Index (CRI). LED lamps have
made their way into numerous lighting applications including spot lights,
exit signs and various decorative applications.

iii. Fluorescent lamp

Fluorescent T5 tubes are now used in many high bay applications in place
of high-intensity discharge (HID) lamps. The long and diffuse nature of
these lamps provides excellent surface lighting, and the smaller lamp
diameters contribute to better optical performance in many luminaires.
Indirect/direct linear fluorescent pendants and wall-mounted uplights are
typical applications of these sources.

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL) are often used as simple substitutes for
incandescent lamps due to their compatibility with existing luminaires,
their significantly longer life and better energy efficiency. Due to the small
size and the diffuse nature of the CFL lamp, CFL lamp is a good choice for
downlighting and wall lighting.

iv. High intensity discharge lamp

HID lamps are still one of the best performing and most efficient lamps

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 for lighting large areas or great distances. Metal halide (white light) lamps
are replacing high pressure sodium lamps in many outdoor applications.
Pulse initiated, or "pulse-start" metal halide lamps provide better color
stability and longer life than previous technologies. PAR metal halide
lamps with ceramic arc-tube enclosures are commonly used for accent
lighting and highlighting of large spaces, and are now commonly used in
retail applications. The small size of the metal halide arc-tube allows for
excellent optical control. However, the extreme brightness of the metal
halide lamp requires careful shielding and design.

(e) Choose of Occupancy and Daylight Sensors to Achieve Energy Efficiency

Lighting Design

Occupancy sensors can reduce a building‘s lighting energy by turning lights off
in unoccupied spaces. Energy savings may not be realized if the sensors are
improperly installed.

The use of daylight sensors in lighting systems can save energy with the parallel
use of dimmers. Daylight sensors are usually mounted to detect the lighting
level near the working area adjacent to the windows of a building. The
effectiveness of daylight dimming relies on daylight sensor placement, the
amount of window area as well as the available ambient light.

3.1.4.3 For more details, please refer to the “Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Lighting
Installation” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[7]

3.1.5 Energy Efficiency in Plumbing Installation

3.1.5.1 Brief Description

Plumbing system consists of pumps, fitments, pipework and calorifier etc. Among
these, pump and calorifier are the most energy consuming equipment. This manual
will outline the major energy efficiency design techniques for plumbing installation.

3.1.5.2 Design Considerations

(a) High efficiency pumping system

In designing a pumping system, enhancement of pump efficiency should

achieve a certain amount of energy savings. However, pump is only one of
the elements that will determine the overall efficiency of a plumbing system.
Additional components and elements of importance are:

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 i. Water supply systems (see Table 1)

ii. Boiler or heat exchanger

iii. Piping size and design (to reduce friction losses)

iv. Valve losses

v. Radiation efficiency

vi. Water temperature in a heating system (which should vary with outside
temperature to reduce heating/cooling costs)

vii. Motor efficiency, pump size and use of variable speed control to match
the system load conditions

Increasing the overall efficiency of the pumping system can achieve significant
energy savings. Overall pump system efficiency depends on the efficiency of
the motor, the pump, and the design of the piping layout.

System Characteristic Energy consumption

Direct water supply system No water pump is required Most energy efficiency
(For low rise private homes
using water main pressure
only)
Indirect water supply system The system detects levels of Less energy efficiency
the water in the elevated
water tank and switches the
constant –speed pump on or
off accordingly. Booster
pump aiming to maintain
the system pressure for the
top most floors may also be
needed.
Table 1: Comparison on Different Water Supply Systems

(b) High efficiency hot water system

There are generally two types of systems for hot water heating

i. Instantaneous (non-storage) heating system

ii. Storage heating system

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 Instantaneous (non-storage) Storage heating system
heating system
System operation The cold water passes through Storage tanks with heating elements
boiler heat-exchanger and is or heat exchanger are used to hold a
heated up to the required large volume of heated water to
temperature and supplied meet the relatively short period of
directly to the demand. peak demand. Supply hot water is
drawn from the storage tanks to the
demand.
Boiler sizing Boiler capacity is calculated based Boiler capacity is calculated based on
on the momentary maximum the block load, the capacity and
demand of space heating and hot number of boiler can be reduced.
water supply.
Operation Inefficient operating of boilers as More efficient operating of boilers as
efficiency they operate at full load for a the peak demand is eased off by the
short time to meet the peak heated storage water.
demand. For other times,
boilers operate at part load.
Boiler operating 24 hours operation of boiler even Small demand can be covered by the
time when a minimal demand of hot stored hot water. The boilers need
water is required. not operate during part load periods.
Energy efficiency Less energy efficiency More energy efficiency
Table 2: Comparison on Different Hot Water Systems

In practice, instantaneous type water heaters are used only when there is a
demand for steady, continuous supply of hot water. The storage type water
heaters are commonly used for meeting unsteady and large water demand
because the stored water can be used to meet period of peak demand and
more energy efficiency. The designers should also consider the thickness of
insulation to reduce the heat loss of the pipework, fitting and vessels to reduce
the energy consumption of the boiler.

(c) Water efficiency labeling scheme

Reduce water consumption is another way to reduce the energy consumption

of the pumping system. The designers may specify water saving plumbing
fixtures under the voluntary water efficiency labeling scheme.

Water saving devices for plumbing system included:

i. Low-flow showerheads

ii. Taps with flow restrictors

iii. Flow control valves

iv. Low-water and pressure flushing cisterns

v. Dual-flush toilet cisterns

vi. Urinal controls

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 vii. Washing machines & dish-washers with high water efficiency

viii. Water plugs, self-closing taps, spray taps, aerators

By using water efficiency labelled plumbing fixtures, the building can obtain
credits (according to annual saving of the devices) for BEAM-Plus certification
scheme.

(d) Thermal Insulation for Hot Water Supply System

Thermal insulation for hot water supply system plays an important role in
energy saving in hot water system. Thermal insulation reduces the heat loss
from the hot water pipes and fittings to the surroundings. All hot water pipes
and fittings of the system shall be fixed with thermal insulation. Designers
shall refer to the A/C General Specification for requirements on thickness and
types of thermal insulation applicable to hot water system.

3.1.5.2 For more details, please refer to the “Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Plumbing
Installation” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[8]

3.2 Renewable Energy

The provision of renewable energy installation aims to generate clean energy and thus
reduce traditional electricity/gas consumption, which is usually generated from fossil fuel.
It can also serve education and demonstration purposes for environmental awareness.

In general, certain specified government building types should be designed to outperform

the Building Energy Code issued by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department
(EMSD) by certain percentages as stipulated under the Development Bureau Technical
Circular No. 5/2009 or Environment Bureau Circular Memorandum No. 2/2009 or the latest
BSB Circulars whichever is more stringent. The provision of renewable energy installation
may also help to achieve such target.

Installation of renewable energy installation in buildings is not a statutory requirement,

however, designers should take into consideration the requirements stipulated in the
following documents in their design:-

(a) DEVB Technical Circular No. 5/2009 / ENB Circular Memorandum No. 2/2009 –
“Green Government Buildings”

(b) ETWB Technical Circular (Works) No. 16/2005 - “Adoption of Energy Efficiency
Features and Renewable Energy Technologies in Government Projects and
Installations”

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 Other relevant publications or sources of information are:

(c) General Specification for Electrical Installation in Government Buildings of the HKSAR
issued by the Architectural Services Department (ArchSD)

(d) General Specification for Air Conditioning, Refrigeration, Ventilation and Central
Monitoring & Control System Installation in Government Buildings of the HKSAR,
issued by ArchSD

(e) General Specification for Building issued by ArchSD

(f) Code of Practice for the Electricity (Wiring) Regulations issued by the Electrical and
Mechanical Services Department (EMSD)

(g) Code of Practice on Wind Effects in Hong Kong issued by the Building Authority

(h) Supply Rules of relevant Power Utility Company, (i.e. HEC or CLP)

(i) Technical Guidelines on Grid Connection of Renewable Energy Power Systems issued
by EMSD

(j) IEC 61400-SER: Wind Turbine Generator Systems – All Parts

(k) General Requirement for Electronic Contracts Specification No. ESG01 issued by
Electronics Division, EMSD

(l) IEC 61215 - Crystalline silicon terrestrial photovoltaic (PV) modules – Design
qualification and type approval

(m) IEC 61730 - Photovoltaic (PV) module safety qualification

(n) IEC 61427 - Secondary cells and batteries

(o) Construction Site Safety Manual issued by the Development Bureau (formerly the
Environment, Transport and Works Bureau)

(p) BS EN 12975-1: Thermal solar systems and components-collectors – Part 1: General

Requirements

(q) BS EN 12975-2: Thermal solar systems and components-collectors – Part 2: Test

Methods

(r) BS EN 12976-1: Thermal solar systems and components-collectors – Factory Made

Systems – Part 1: General Requirements

(s) BS EN 12976-2: Thermal solar systems and components-collectors – Factory Made

Systems – Part 2 – Test methods

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 (t) AS/NZS 2712: Solar and heat pump water heaters – Design and construction

(u) Hong Kong Water Works Standard Requirement for Plumbing Installation in Buildings
issued by Water Supplies Department

(v) Handbook on Plumbing Installation issued by Water Supplies Department

(w) BSB Circular No. 8 of 2012 – Building Services Design Guides for Renewable Energy
Installations

(x) Pamphlet – “Know More about Solar Water Heating Energy” issued by EMSD,
http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/eng/pee/nre.shtml

(y) Pamphlet – “Solar Thermal Collectors for Water Heating” issued by EMSD,
http://www.emsd.gov.hk/emsd/e_download/pee/EMS8313_waterheating(low-res).pdf

(z) EMSD’s “HK RE Net”: http://re.emsd.gov.hk/english/wind/small/small_to.html

3.2.1 Small Wind Turbine Installation

3.2.1.1 Brief Description

Small wind turbine is a distinct category of wind turbine that can be defined as small
machines with a rated power in the range of a few hundred watts to a few tens of
kilowatts. These machines are generally intended either for battery charging to
meet small loads remote from a grid supply or, at the larger end of the range, for
connection directly into a distribution grid. Recently there are some wind turbines
with less than 100 watts output and are regarded as micro wind turbine.

Due to their small size, these machines generally produce power at a higher unit cost
than that from large (several hundred kW and up) machines utilized in wind farms.

The “Study on the Potential Applications of Renewable Energy in Hong Kong”

published by the EMSD in 2002 suggests that the maximum rating for rooftop small
wind turbine is 40kW and the annual output should not be more than 100,000 kWh
(i.e. 2,500 kWh per kW per year). For small wind turbine of rating in the order of 1kW,
a conservative estimation in annual energy output would be around 1000 kWh only.

3.2.1.2 Design Considerations

(a) Wind Resource

Chapter 6 of the “Study on the Potential Applications of Renewable Energy in

Hong Kong” published by EMSD, illustrate the computer simulation results on
the wind power density on land areas of Hong Kong. There is also an “Annual

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 Energy Production Calculator” website (http://wind.emsd.gov.hk/
Wind_Resource_Mapping.html) maintained by EMSD which designers may
make reference in the design stage. The Hong Kong Observatory (HKO) also
provides useful information related to wind speed at various weather stations.
The elevation of their measuring device is also shown and designers may
preliminarily assess the on-site mean wind speed based on data of nearby
weather stations or from EMSD’s website.

(b) Blade

Fibre-reinforced plastic is a good choice of material for small wind turbine

blades. Theoretically, more blades will have a higher starting torque and
hence a lower cut-in wind speed. However, it will be heavier and have higher
burden on the bearing. There was one overseas public survey which
suggested that 3-blade small wind turbines are perceived to be more balanced
and aesthetically pleasing.

(c) Rotation Axis

Generally, vertical axis small wind turbines have a higher rated wind speed as
compared with horizontal axis small wind turbines of the same rating. It may
also take up less space as it exploits energy from winds of all directions. Some
people may regard vertical axis small wind turbine more aesthetically pleasing
than horizontal axis small wind turbine.

Designers may base on actual project requirements to determine whether

horizontal or vertical axis small wind turbine is to be deployed. The factors to
be considered include:-

i. Aesthetic appearance to match building architectural design

ii. Cost
iii. Available space
iv. Maintenance

(d) Alternator

Alternator is for converting the mechanical energy exploited from wind into
electrical energy. For small wind turbines, normally the output voltage is DC
which is favourable for both grid-connected or standalone (battery charging)
small wind turbine systems. Brushless permanent magnet type alternator is
common in small wind turbine.

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 (e) Pole

Normally, the higher the elevation, the higher will be the wind speed. So, for
horizontal axis small wind turbine, it is usually supported by a long pole.
Designers shall take into account the wind speed-up effect at the installation
location to determine the pole height. However, vertical axis small wind
turbine system generally does not require a long supporting pole.

(f) Siting

According to ETWB TC No. 16/2005, installation of small wind turbine shall be

considered if the on-site wind power density is greater than 200W/m2 and
without nearby obstruction. For building integrated small wind turbine,
turbulence flow around the building is quite likely and the speed-up effect,
either positive or negative, should be considered. Generally, flat roof
buildings tend to give greater wind speed-up than pitched roof and are more
favourable for small wind turbine installation.

(g) Sizing

Since the purpose of including small wind turbine installations in ArchSD

projects is mainly for demonstration and education purposes, the scale of the
small wind turbine installation is not an important factor except that due
consideration shall be taken on the requirements stipulated in the DEVB TC
5/2009/ENB CM 2/2009 titled “Green Government Buildings”.

(h) Structural Assessment

When the rating and the type of rotational axis of small wind turbine
installation are determined, designers may estimate the dead weight of the
small wind turbine based on the table below which is drawn up based on a
number of products available in the international market. Designers should
then consult Structural Engineer on the construction of the supporting pole
based on the architectural layout on roof-top of the concerning building.
Rated Power (W) 350 485 1000 1900 2500 6000 1000
Axis H H H H H H V
Weight (kg) 17 25 34 93 190 600 250
No. of Blade or Height of 3 3 3 3 3 3 6.1m
Vertical Axis
Overall Rotor dia. (m) 1.2 1.4 2.0 3.72 3.5 5.5 0.61
Cut-in Wind Speed (m/s) 2.5 – 3.5
Rated Wind Speed (m/s) Around 12
Max Wind Speed (m/s) 45 60 54 63 70 70 45
Bending Thrust Min. Min. Min. Min. 5 kN 10 kN N.A.
Table 3: Characteristics of Different Rating of Wind Turbine

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 (i) Grid-connection/Standalone System

For better utilization of the exploited wind energy and maintaining steady
supply to loads, grid-connection system shall be deployed. For standalone
systems, the system efficiency may be just around 60% of that of
grid-connected system and typically, standalone systems are deployed for
non-critical loads such as for irrigation of slope or green roof.

i. Grid-connection System

Designers shall place a power distribution board close to the small wind
turbine installation for grid-connection. All technical issues and safety
requirements should refer to the “Technical Guidelines on Grid
Connection of Renewable Energy Power Systems (2007 Edition) published
by the EMSD. Designers may consider whether a performance
monitoring and logging system for promotion purpose should be included
in the small wind turbine installation.

ii. Standalone System

If grid-connection system is considered not suitable or there will be

designated loads for the small wind turbine installation, standalone
system may be deployed. Sizing of battery system shall be based on the
loading profile as well as the availability of wind energy. Battery of deep
discharge type shall be employed. Designers should also consider actual
site constraints, i.e. the consequence if no supply from small wind turbine
is available for sizing the battery for each small wind turbine installation.

(j) Other Considerations

Other considerations include noise treatment and lightning protection.

Designers shall take into account whether there will be nearby “Noise Sensitive
Receivers” and provide necessary noise abatement measures. Additional
lightning protection shall be incorporated if such small wind turbine could not
be covered by the building lightning protection system.

3.2.1.3 More details should refer to the “Design Guide for Small Wind Turbine Installation”
issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[9]

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 3.2.2 Photovoltaic (PV) Installation

3.2.2.1 Brief Description

Photovoltaic utilize the sun’s protons or light to create electricity. The amount of
power available from a PV device is determined by:

(a) The type and area of the material

(b) The intensity of the sunlight (insolation); and

(c) The wavelength of the sunlight

The output of a PV panel depends on the type and structure of solar cell, which is
temperature dependent. Higher cell temperatures lead to lower output, and hence
lower efficiency. The efficiency indicates how much of energy is converted into
useable electrical energy. The four most common cell types are as follows:

Type of Cell Characteristic

Monocrystalline Silicon i. sliced from single-crystal ingot silicon,
(m-Si) highest conversion efficiency among all
technologies
ii. dark blue, black with anti-reflection
(AR) coating, grey without AR coating
Polycrystalline Silicon i. sliced from blocks of cast silicon, less
(p- Si) efficient and expensive than m-Si
ii. blue with AR coating, silver-grey
without AR coating

Amorphous Silicon i. thin-film type, non-crystalline form of

(a-Si) silicon, slightly less efficient and
cheaper than p-Si
ii. transparent and visibility varies
between different manufacturers
iii. red-blue, black
Copper Indium i. a thin-film technology using materials
Diselenide (CIS) other than silicon, close to the cost of
a-Si
ii. black

Table 4: Most Common Types of PV Cells

There are two main types of PV system configurations, namely stand-alone system
and grid-connected system. Grid connected system should take preference over
standalone system as the latter requires additional plant room space for battery and
the disposal of batteries may cause other environmental problems. In addition,
standalone system usually has higher O&M cost than a grid connected one.

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 (a) Typical Stand-alone PV System

DC power system is applied in small scale application such as street lamp, a

clock, a radio, a road sign, etc. AC power system is applied in areas with no
electric power supply such as remote and isolated places on islands and among
mountains.

Figure 3: Typical DC Power Stand-alone PV System Figure 4: Typical AC Power Stand-alone System

(b) Typical Grid-connected PV System

Grid-connection system shall follow the requirements laid down in “Technical

Guidelines on Grid Connection of Renewable Energy Power Systems”
established by EMSD. Meanwhile, the project team shall allow sufficient time
to process the Agreement with the power company for grid-connection.

Figure 5: Typical Grid-connected PV System

(c) PV System with Sun-tracking System

Sun tracker is a technology for turning the orientation of PV panel such that it
can always face the sun at a very small incident angle so that the energy yield
can be enhanced. Sun trackers can be grouped into classes by the number of
the tracker’s axes. Typically, they can be classified as one-axis tracking and
two-axis tracking. The increase in monthly yield by adding a sun tracker
ranged from 5% to 32% with average increase of 19% on annual basis for PV
system with sun tracker.

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 Compare to typical non-tracking PV system, special care shall be paid on the
wind loading, space, lightning protection, etc. As the PV panels are movable,
they are more vulnerable to wind stress. Therefore, consultation from
structural engineer regarding the wind load should be obtained in advance.
Regarding the space required for the sun tracking system, it would require
around 25% more space for installation compared to a typical non-tracking PV
system of the same capacity.

3.2.2.2 Design Considerations

(a) Stage 1: Preliminary site evaluation

The performance of the PV/BIPV system depends mainly on the availability of

solar radiation. Therefore, it is desirable to consider ways to optimize solar
access and to avoid unnecessary obstructions that would shade the solar rays.
Some quick rules of thumb are as follows:

i. avoid shading from the building element such as facades, parapets, vent
pipes, flues, landscapes, etc. or adjacent buildings

ii. provide adequate ventilation to the back of the modules

iii. weather-tightness

iv. extra weight imposed to the building structure

v. wind loading

vi. there should be no plan to develop adjacent sites which might

substantially shade the solar arrays later

vii. spatial requirement

(b) Stage 2: Selecting the type of PV material and sizing of area for PV/BIPV panels

The typical efficiency and required panel area of different types of photovoltaic
cells are as follows:
Typical cell efficiency Required panel area (m2)
to mount 1 kWp PV
Mono-crystalline silicon (m-Si) 15% 7 to 9
Poly-crystalline silicon (p-Si) 10 – 15% 8 to 11
Amorphous silicon (a-Si) 4 – 7% 16 to 20
Copper Indium Diselenide (CIS) 9 – 12% 11 to 13
Table 5: Typical Efficiency and Required Area of Different Types of PV Cells.

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 In designing PV array, shading effect between PV panels shall be avoided to
maximize the efficiency.

PV modules are actually more efficient at lower temperatures. To ensure that

they do not overheat, it is essential that they are mounted in such a way so as
to allow air to move freely around them. This is a particularly important
consideration in locations that are prone to extremely hot midday
temperatures. The ideal PV generating conditions are cold, bright, sunny
days.

(c) Stage 3: Roof mounting or façade mounting

Photovoltaic panels can come in modular panels which can be mounted on

racks installed on top of flat roof or shingles which are an integral part of the
roof covering (looking similar to normal roof tiles). Photovoltaic cells can also
be integrated with other building elements such as the glazing or building
cladding. In general, they can be classified as roof or façade mounting with the
following characteristics:-

i. Roof mounting

 less likely to be shadowed

 better performance as optimum tilt angle could be achieved easier
 easier to install
 for PV panels installed in existing building roof, waterproofing
membrane may need to be modified

ii. Façade mounting

 may subject to shadow from nearby buildings

 may have poor performance
 may serve dual purpose such as sun shading/ rain-screening, in
addition to generation of energy

(d) Stage 4: Efficiency of PV mounting in different orientation and tilting angle

In order to capture as much solar energy as possible, the photovoltaic cell must
be oriented towards the sun. If the photovoltaic cells have a fixed position,
their orientation with respect to the south (in northern hemisphere), and tilt
angle, with respect to the horizontal plane, should be optimized.

The optimum tilt angle lies within a range of approximately 15 degrees of the
site latitude, where latitude of Hong Kong is 22.32oN. For PV systems in Hong

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 Kong, the optimum tilt angle is in the range between 14 and 22 degrees. The
change of tilt angle from 0 degree to 45 degrees will lead to less than 10% loss
of the maximum yield. However, dust & stain problem on PV panels tilt at
lower degree will exist.

(e) Stage 5: Estimating the output of the PV system

As a rough rule of thumb, a typical roof mounted, grid connected system in

Hong Kong could be expected to produce between 700 – 1000 kWh/year of
electricity for kWp each installed, depending on its location, orientation, cell
efficiency, module efficiency and inverter efficiency, etc.

3.2.2.3 For more details, please refer to the “Design Guide for Photovoltaic (PV) Installation”
issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[10]

3.2.3 Solar Hot Water System

3.2.3.1 Brief Description

Solar hot water system can be designed with different configurations. The basic
application is for preheating water in hot water system. The main components of
the system comprise solar collectors, a storage tank and interconnecting pipe work.
The solar collectors are usually mounted on roof of a building to capture solar
radiation. In Hong Kong, for maximum performance, collectors should ideally be
tilted up from the horizontal at an angle of latitude approximate 22o with an
orientation towards the south. Obstructions that could prevent the collectors from
getting adequate exposure to solar radiation should be avoided as far as practical to
maximize the year-round efficiency.

The basic configuration of solar hot water system is:

(a) Type of Solar Collectors

i. Flat-plate Collector

A flat-plate collector consists of an insulated metal box with glazing cover

and a dark-colored absorber plate. Solar radiation is absorbed by the
absorbed plate and transferred to a fluid that circulates through the
collector in tubes.

ii. Evacuated Tube Collector

Evacuated tube collector consists of parallel rows of transparent glass

tubes. Each tube contains an inner tube and outer glass tube covered

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 with special coating that absorbs solar energy well. The tube has the air
removed from the space between the inner and outer tubes forming a
vacuum to eliminate heat loss through convection and radiation.

Figure 6: Flat-plate Collector Figure 7: Evacuated Tube Collector

(b) Common Types of Solar Hot Water System

Direct (also called Open Loop) systems circulate water through the collector
while indirect (also called Close Loop) systems use heat exchanger that
separates the water from the fluid that circulates through the collector (heat
transfer fluid).

Figure 8: Direct System (Open Loop) Figure 9: Indirect System (Close Loop)

Both types of system can be either active or passive. Active system requires
circulation pump to circulate water or a heat transfer fluid. Whereas a passive
system relies on gravity and naturally circulate without the use of an electric
pump.

For active system, the designers may consider to provide an irradiance sensor
in the system for the purpose to enhance the effectiveness during the mild
weather condition. The irradiance sensor can be used to measure the level of
solar radiation to control the circulation pump for adjusting the water flow rate
through the solar panel. Besides, it is recommended to allow metering
provisions such as energy meter and flow meter in the control panel for data
logging and energy audit purpose.

A typical indirect system is shown in the following diagram:

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 Figure 10: Major Components of Indirect Solar Hot Water System

(c) Overheating Protection for Solar Collectors

Overheating in a solar hot water system may occur when the system generates
enormous of heat while the demand for hot water is at its low side. This
condition is commonly called “stagnation”.

The result of stagnation is a high pressure and high temperature condition

which can damage the system and even the situation will cause danger when
the system temperature and pressure increase beyond its design limit.
Preventive measure should be allowed to prevent stagnation, such as:

i. Pressure and Temperature Relief Valves (PT Relief Valves)

ii. Expansion Joint and Expansion Vessel

iii. Drain Back System

iv. Heat Dump Package

3.2.3.2 Design Considerations

(a) Assessing solar resources of site

In assessing the solar resources of the site, designers have to check and make
sure the location of the installation is free from external shading such as trees,
nearby high-rise structures etc.

(b) Estimating site hot water consumption and heating energy requirements

Designers should refer to plumbing and drainage design guides to estimate the
monthly hot water consumption of the site.

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 Pros Cons
Flat-plate - Lower heat loss to surroundings. - Higher cost compare with unglazed collector.
Collectors, - Capable to deliver moderate - Heavier collector weight
Glazed temperature hot water (e.g. hot - Glazing induces optical loss for solar radiation
water service, space heating, indoor
pool heating, process heating etc.)
- Lower cost when compared with
evacuated heat pipe collectors.
Flat-plate - Low cost - Large thermal loss to surroundings at high
Collectors, - Good at capturing energy from the fluid to air temperature differential and windy
Unglazed sun condition.
- Simple to lay on roof - Suitable for use for working fluid of low
temperature
- Not commonly used in Hong Kong
Evacuated - Extremely low heat loss to - Higher cost compare with unglazed/glazed
Tube surrounding. collector.
collectors - Capable to deliver moderate to high - Glazing induces optical loss for solar radiation.
temperature (60°C – 80°C) - The glass tubes are fragile.
- water (domestic hot water, space
heating, process heating, etc.)
Table 6: Comparison of Different Types of Solar Collector

(c) Selecting type of solar collector

The main advantage of flat-plate collector is lower equipment cost than that of
evacuated tube collector. In current market, the cost of flat-plate collector is
about 1/3 to 1/2 that of an evacuated tube collector. However, the evacuated
tube collector is more effective per unit area than flat plate collector and
out-perform flat plate collector for operating in high temperature applications
(e.g. temperature above 50℃).

(d) Selecting type of solar hot water system

Direct systems are simpler and cheaper than indirect systems. Direct systems
offer superior heat transfer from the collectors to the storage tank but they
have little overheat protection and their collectors will accumulate scale in hard
water areas. Besides, direct systems are often not considered suitable for
cold climates as damage of collectors may happen through freezing.
Moreover, the designers should be well aware of their design and equipment
selection to ascertain the system should be free from water contamination in
storage tank when any damage occurs at collectors or at water circuits.

Though indirect systems are slightly more expensive, the system very often
equipped with make-up water tank and/or chemical dosing tank. Indirect
system offer options of overheat protection and in cold climates “heat-transfer
fluid”, which typically is non-toxic propylene glycol, can be used to avoid
freeze-damage at collectors. More important, indirect system can eliminate

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 contamination of water in storage tank in event of pipe damage happened in
collectors circuit.

(e) Layout configuration of solar collector array

i. Piping Configuration

The design target of piping configuration is to maintain balanced flow

through each single solar collector in the array. This design target is
important and should not be over looked. Reverse return configuration
as shown in the following figure is recommended whenever feasible. If
reverse return is not feasible, designers should allow suitable balancing
valves at each collector row’s returning outlet to allow manual balancing
to be done.

ii. Separation between Rows of Array

For installation with large number of solar collectors connected in rows,

the row separation should be considered in order not to block solar
radiation.

Figure 11: Reverse Return Piping Configuration

(f) Sizing of solar collector area

The size of solar collector area is determined by the operating characteristic

and performance of solar collectors which is described in the “Design Guide for
Solar Hot Water system” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.

(g) Sizing of storage tank

The size of the storage tank is proportional to the collector area. Typical size
of storage tank is 75 - 100 litre/m2 of collector net aperture area. The tank
should be well insulated with design target to minimize thermal loss.

(h) Sizing of circulation pump

The flow rate requirement of pump is proportional to the collector area.

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 Designers should consult collector supplier for flow rate requirement of the
solar collector under consideration. Insufficient flow may result in very high
temperature in circulation circuit and increasing collector heat loss to the
surrounding. In extreme case local boiling may occur and the system may be
air locked. Too high temperature may also shorten the life of solar collector,
piping connection points or other pump seals etc. On the other hand, too
high a flow rate will increase the pressure drop across collector array and
induce excessive pump power. Typical flow rate requirement for solar
collector is 0.82 - 1.22 litre/min/m2 of collector aperture area.

(i) Sizing of heat exchanger

The size of heat exchanger can be determined as described in the “Design

Guide for Solar Hot Water system” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.

(j) Software application

Alternatively, there are various softwares available in the market for the
designers to evaluate system size, energy production and life-cycle costs etc.

3.2.2.3 For more details, please refer to the “Design Guide for Solar Hot Water system”
issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[11]

3.3 Rainwater/Grey Water Recycling Installations

3.3.1 Rainwater Recycling Installation

3.3.1.1 Brief Description

Rainwater recycling is one of the sustainable features in building design. Proper use
of recycled rainwater helps to reduce consumption of fresh water resources as well
as reducing storm water impact. The potential applications of recycled rainwater
for non-potable use may include:

(a) Toilet flushing

(b) Irrigation

(c) Floor cleansing

(d) Vehicle washing

(e) Cooling tower make-up

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 3.3.1.2 Design Considerations

(a) Criteria for Practical Application

The basic consideration for application of rainwater recycling installation is the

supply and demand of recycled rainwater. The supply of recycled rainwater
would depend on the available catchment area and the surface finish of the
catchment area. The demand of recycled rainwater would depend on the
usages, such as landscape irrigation, car washing, floor cleansing, toilet flushing,
evaporative cooling water making up in air-conditioning installation, etc. The
most common usage of recycled rainwater in Hong Kong is for landscape
irrigation.

As a rough guide, project adopting rainwater recycling system application for

irrigation should have a minimum catchment area of 50m2 and a minimum
planted area of 40m2 or equivalent demand in considering the economic
effectiveness. However, if there is recycled rainwater demand for other
purposes in a project, the designers can make corresponding adjustments in
the estimated demand and size the recycling plant.

(b) Catchment

Rainwater can be collected from the roof surface of building or other elevated
open spaces. The surface within the property boundary where the rainwater
can be collected without substantial loss of water through the bottom of the
surface before it is directed to the rainwater collection tank is called the
catchment.

i. Selection of Catchment

 Specific catchment and its associated down pipes should be designed

for the sole collection of rainwater for recycling. The diverting of
rainwater from conventional catchment is not recommended.
 The selected catchment should be away from flue gas exhaust outlets
of diesel generator or boiler.
 The selected catchment should be away from overflows or discharge
pipes of roof mounted air-conditioning units such as evaporative air
conditioners or hot water systems.
 Catchment at roof is more suitable for rainwater collection than
catchment at lower levels, for which the chances of pollution by
human activities is relatively high.

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 ii. Catchment and Roofing Materials

Catchment and roof for the collection and diversion of rainwater may be
constructed from a variety of materials such as cement or soil tiles,
galvanized iron, polycarbonate or fiberglass sheet. However, the
designers should advise the architect that use of the following paints and
coatings in catchment and roof are not suitable:

 Lead-based paints (including primers)

 Acrylic paints
 Bitumen-based materials

iii. Gutter Grating

The provision of gutter grating can substantially reduce the amount of

larger size debris in the collected rainwater and is recommended to install.
Gutter mesh with gradient can have self-cleaning effect for leaves and
debris to minimize the requirement of maintenance. It is suitable for
catchment which is near to trees and planting.

iv. Rainwater Vortex Filter

Rainwater vortex filter can be installed at strategic down pipe positions to

remove dirt such as bird drops or fallen leaves from rainwater collected
over roof. Vortex filter can also act as buffer device under torrential
rainfall where large quantities of water enter into the catchment pipes. In
such cases only around 50% of the filtered water can be led to the
rainwater collection tank. Excess rainwater is led directly into the drain.

v. First Flush Devices

There are many researches revealed that the first flush of rainwater in a
rain event washes the roof catchment and hence may contain higher than
average amounts of accumulated dust, bird and animal droppings, leaves
and other debris. Therefore installation of first flush devices designed
to reduce collection of accumulated debris is recommended. As a
general rule of thumb, the minimum capacity of the first flush device
shall be 20 to 25 litres per 100m2 of catchment area.

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 Figure 12: Operation of First Flush Device

(c) Rainwater Collection Tank

Since rainfall is sporadic, collection tank is required to hold the rainwater

collected for reserve use.

i. Materials and Construction

Rainwater collection tanks are available in a range of materials including

concrete and fiberglass.

ii. Sizing of Rainwater Collection Tank

To obtain an optimum size of rainwater collection tank, both demand and

supply should be properly matched. The designers shall determine the
capacity of the rainwater collection tank based on the selective
catchment area, usages of the recycled rainwater, building nature,
available space for installation and economic factor, etc.

iii. Inlet Pipe Arrangement

In designing the pipework, all sections of inlet pipes should be directed

down and rainwater should flow into the high level of the rainwater
collection tank. The inclusion of rising sections will provide potential traps
for sediments, bio-films and stagnant water and these should be avoided.

iv. Bypass and Overflow Arrangement

Rainwater should be diverted to drain through by-pass arrangement

when the rainwater collection tank is full. Overflow pipe with cross
sectional area larger than the inlet pipe shall be provided.

(d) Rainwater Treatment Plant

The objective of the treatment is to ensure the recycled rainwater being used is
acceptable in quality.

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 i. Filtration

Filtration is a common treatment process used to remove particulate

matter prior to disinfection. A filtration system employing sand filter or
activated carbon cartridge filter can serve the purpose subject to design
applications.

ii. Ultraviolet (UV) Disinfection

UV is a physical disinfection agent for the destruction of microorganisms.

It is frequently used for wastewater treatment plants that discharge to
surface water to avoid the need for de-chlorination prior to release of the
effluent. UV light system requires relatively low maintenance and has
the advantage of not involving chemicals. It is recommended to be
adopted in the rainwater treatment of the recycling installation from
functional and economical point of view.

iii. Rainwater Pump

If pressure head at the outlet of rainwater collection tank gained by

gravity is not adequate to compensate the pressure loss of pipeworks and
rainwater treatment system for deliver the treated rainwater to the
mixing tank, rainwater pump is required. The rainwater pump shall be
sized and selected with sufficient pressure head and flow rate to deliver
collected rain water from the rainwater collection tank to the mixing tank
through the rainwater treatment system.

iv. Alarm and Monitoring System

The minimum instrumentation should consist of alarms for critical

treatment units including the activated carbon filter and UV sterilizing
lamp to alert operator of malfunction. In order to measure the amount
of recycled rainwater collected, flow meter is recommended to install at
the downstream of the filtration system.

(e) Mixing Tank

The function of mixing tank is to store the treated rainwater and as an interface
between rainwater recycling system and the WSD mains water make-up supply.
The requirement on the capacity of remaining storage depends on specific
project design and application of treated rainwater. The following shall be
considered during the design development:

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 i. Remaining capacity of the mixing tank shall be capable of supplying
treated rainwater during the peak usage period if the flow rate of treated
rainwater draw-off is higher than that of the treatment system at peak
usage period.

ii. Optimal balance of remaining capacity shall be designed. The water

change rate for mixing tank shall not be less than 1 per 2 week to
minimize health risk.

iii. Availability of space in plant room.

iv. Particular water usage requirement on specific project.

(f) Distribution Pipework

It is recommended that pipe materials used in rainwater recycling installation

to be stainless steel grade 316 to BS EN10312 Series 1 and/or BS EN10217-7
whatever applicable.

The distribution pipework and outlet fittings for use of recycled rainwater shall
be designed to prevent the inadvertent use of the collected water as potable
water. All components of the rainwater recycling system should be clearly and
consistently identified. Identification should be through color coding, marking
and warning plate.

Distribution system may be in dual pipe or combined pipe arrangement. In

dual pipe distribution system, a dedicated pipework will be used solely for the
distribution of recycled rainwater. Such arrangement is commonly adopted
for which the whole recycling system is totally isolated from potable water
supply system. In combined pipe distribution system, the pipework will
distribute water from sources of recycled rainwater and/or the make-up from
town mains. Such integrated design approach is more cost effective and
sustainable because there is no need to install two sets of distribution
pipework.

(g) Other Design Considerations

i. Water Quality Monitoring

Currently, there is no established standard or guidelines for the quality of

recycled rainwater in Hong Kong. Observations for water quality could
be made during operation period for monitoring purpose in according to
BS 8515:2009 – Rainwater Harvesting Systems Code of Practice.

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 According to BS 8515:2009, dip sample from the rainwater collection tank
and mixing tank as well as samples from points of use like terminal
fittings shall be taken for monitoring.

Monthly samples are recommended to collect. For any indication of

existence of legionella, E.Coli or total coliforms, the system shall be
suspended immediately and thoroughly disinfected until problem is
solved.

ii. Inspection and Maintenance

Health and aesthetic hazards for a properly designed and installed

rainwater recycling system can be minimized by preventive maintenance.
The objectives of maintenance for rainwater recycling installation are:

 Minimizing contamination by harmful microorganisms

 Preventing mosquito breeding

 Preventing chemical contamination from on-site sources

 Preventing impacts on aesthetic quality

Maintenance procedures and schedules for special devices such as

activated carbon filter and UV sterilizing unit should be in accordance
with manufacturer’s recommendations.

3.3.1.3 For more details, please refer to the “Design Guideline for Rainwater Recycling
Installation (Rev. 2)” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[12]

3.3.2 Grey Water Recycling Installation

3.3.2.1 Brief Description

A grey water recycling system basically consists of:

(a) Grey Water Collection Pipe Work

Grey water is defined as waste water from kitchen, bath, general washing
basins and/or laundry. It does not include waste water from toilet, urinal or
bidet (known as black water). Grey water generally does not contain
significant concentration of excreta. In order to segregate grey water from
other sewage which may be highly contaminated, a dedicated drainage system
has to be provided to collect grey water from the discharge points and convey
the grey water to the treatment facility (usually called the “influence of the

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 treatment facility”). The pipe should be clearly labeled for easy identification.

(b) Recycled Grey Water Conveying Pipe Work

Recycled grey water from the treatment plant (usually called the “effluence of
the treatment plant”) can be used for common urban usages such as toilet
flushing, irrigation, floor/vehicle cleansing, cooling tower make up, and other
similar uses etc. The distribution pipe work conveying the recycled grey water
should be clearly labeled for easy identification.

(c) The Grey Water Treatment Plant

The treatment plant removes substances which may be harmful to human

health, plants and the wider environment. Additionally, the treatment plant
also removes substances which may clog the grey water system. It could be an
activated sludge process using membrane bioreactor (MBR) technology. A
typical design scheme of the system is shown in the following figure.

3.3.2.2 Design Considerations

(a) Criteria for Practical Application

The basic consideration for applicability of grey water recycling system is the
supply and demand of grey water. The supply of recycled grey water would
mainly depend on whether the site has adequate grey water discharge. The
demand of recycled grey water would depend on the usage, such as for
irrigation, car washing, floor cleansing, making up water for cooling tower and
toilet flushing, etc.

Due to the high capital cost of grey water recycling system, the application
would need to be carefully scrutinized. The handling capacity of the smallest
size equipment for recycling grey water in the current market is 30m3/day. In
order to fully utilize the plant, it is suggested that the discharge volume to be
generated from the project should be 30m3/day or above.

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 Figure 13: Conceptual Process & Instrumentation Diagram for Grey Water Recycling Installation

(b) Design Flowrate of The Treatment Plant

The capacity of the treatment plant, usually in terms of dry weather grey water
discharge flow rate(hereafter also named flow rate), is determined according to
the population of the premises. For most of the single building Government
venues, the design flow rate should be in the range between 30 m3/day to 100
m3/day. This represents an office building of population size from 1,800 to
6,000.

(c) Recycled Grey Water Quality

There is currently no established standard for grey water quality in Hong Kong.
Having reviewed the standards set out by US EPA, WHO, and China on recycled
grey water quality, the following quality standard can be used as reference for
the design of treatment facility:

Parameter Recommended Level

pH 6.0 – 9.0
Biochemical Oxygen Demand BOD5 Less than 10 mg/L
Turbidity Less than 2 NTU
Faecal Coliforms Non detectable/100ml
Residual Chlorine More than 1 mg/L
Table 7: Recommended Design Water Quality of Grey Water Recycle Effluent

(d) Space Requirement and cost estimation

The physical sizes of the major water tanks for reference are as follows:

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Design Equalization MBR Tank Volume Sludge Holding Tank Disinfection Recycled Water
Flow Tank Dimension Dimension (L x W), Volume (1 cleaning per Tank Dimension Storage Tank (L x
3 3
(m /d) (L x W x H), m m month), m (L x W x H), m W x H), m
30 3 x 2 x 2.2 2.7 x 2.0 x 3 8.5 2.9 x 0.8 x 1.4 6 x 2 x 2.5
40 3 x 2 x 2.6 2.7 x 2.0 x 3 11.5 3.6 x 0.8 x 1.4 8 x 2 x 2.5
50 3 x 2.5 x 2.6 2.7 x 2.5 x 3.5 14.5 3.9 x 0.8 x 1.6 8 x 2.5 x 2.5
60 3 x 2.5 x 2.9 3.9 x 2.5 x 3.5 17.0 4.1 x 0.8 x 1.8 9.6 x 2.5 x 2.5
70 4 x 2.5 x 2.7 3.9 x 2.5 x 3.5 20.0 3.6 x 1 x 2 7.8 x 3 x 3
80 4 x 2.5 x 2.9 3.9 x 2.5 x 3.5 23.0 4x1x2 8.9 x 3 x 3
90 4 x 3 x 2.8 4.5 x 2.7 x 3.5 25.5 3.6 x 1 x 2.5 10 x 3 x 3
100 5 x 3 x 2.6 4.5 x 2.7 x 3.5 28.5 4 x 1 x 2.5 11.2 x 3 x 3
110 5 x 3 x 2.8 3.9 x 3.5 x 3.5 31.0 4.3 x 1 x 2.5 12.3 x 3 x 3
Table 8: Indicative Physical Dimensions of Major Water Tanks

A store room is required for storage of chemicals used in the treatment process.
However, due to the small amount of chemical consumption, the storage
quantity could be small enough to be exempted from the requirements of DG
stores.

Construction cost of grey water recycling installation varies with system

requirements, technological development, building design, site constraints,
market conditions and contractor’s pricing strategy.

(e) Equipment Rating

For the equipment rating, while most of the pumps for sewage transfer can be
sized using the design dry weather sewage flow rate of the plant, the sizing of
the major air blowers and membrane units are shown in the following table:

Dry Weather Minimum Number of MBR Air Blower

Design Flow Equalization Tank Membrane in Volume Flow
(m3/d) Aerator Flow Rate Membrane rate m3/min @
(m3 air/hr) Units 3mH
30 9 150 0.1125
40 12 150 0.15
50 15 200 0.15
60 18 300 0.18
70 21 300 0.21
80 24 300 0.24
90 27 400 0.27
100 30 400 0.3
110 33 450 0.33
Table 9: Sizing of Air Blowers and Membrane Unit

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 Other variations include the reduction of volume of the recycle water storage
tank to match the usage pattern. The figures in Table 7 assumed an
application for landscape irrigation which takes place once each day. If the
usages of the recycled water are for toilet flushing or regular washing for which
the consumption is more regular and frequent, the volume of the recycled
water storage tank can be reduced (say to 1/3 of the value in the Table 7).

(f) Other Design Considerations

The following design practices should be considered during the design of the
grey water treatment facility:

i. For the design, installation, operation, maintenance and environmental

considerations for grey water treatment plant, please refer to Guidelines
for the Design of Small Sewage Treatment Plants published by
Environmental Protection Department.

ii. Fresh water tap should be provided for cleansing purpose.

iii. Electrical distribution boards and control panels should be installed in

location not liable to flooding. Panels should have dehumidifying heater.

iv. Power meters should be provided to record the total power consumption
of the treatment plant for monitoring.

3.3.2.3 For more details, please refer to the “Design Guideline for Grey Water Recycling
Installation” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[13]

3.4 Indoor Environmental Quality

3.4.1 Brief Description

Since indoor environmental conditions have a significant impact on the quality of life,
buildings should provide safe, healthy, convenient and efficient indoor spaces.
Buildings applicable are:
(a) Air-conditioned buildings
(b) Naturally ventilated buildings
(c) Mechanical ventilated buildings

Areas to be considered are:

(a) Security

Protection of skyscrapers and other buildings is needed to protect occupants.

Provisions of security are also considered to enhance the building performance.

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 (b) Hygiene

Certain features of building and building services design are likely to have
contributed to health problems. Proper provisions for inspection, cleaning and
maintenance allows for comprehensive management of hygiene in buildings.

(c) Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

IAQ is the human perceived response to nasal irritants in the air. According to
ASHRAE’s definition, “Acceptable Indoor Air Quality” is “air in which there are
no known contaminants at harmful concentrations as determined by cognizant
authorities and with which a substantial majority (80% or more) of the people
exposed do not express dissatisfaction”.

(d) Ventilation

The outside air ventilation to a centrally air-conditioned building should be

adequate for the intended levels of occupancy. The criteria often used to
indicate satisfactory provision of ventilation in occupied premises is the level of
carbon dioxide (CO2) at design occupancy. Nevertheless, the adequacy of the
ventilation is the amount of air supply reaching the breathing zone of
occupants. It is not possible to use CO2 as a measure of satisfactory
performance in unoccupied premises, but it is possible if ventilation will be
satisfactory through measurement of ventilation rate and effectiveness.

(e) Thermal Comfort

No standard is specified on the performance as the criteria will be a variable

amongst building/premises types, and it is also a matter of choice for the client.
In general, the specified thermal comfort conditions should be achieved under
conditions of normal occupancy and expected heat gains.

(f) Lighting Quality

Lack of daylight and views to the external environment may contribute to

discomfort and to dissatisfaction of users. Some forms of control at windows
may, however, be required to avoid glare from direct sunlight. A consequence
of poor lighting in work places is discomfort and loss of working efficiency. To
focus only on luminance level on the horizontal plane is insufficient. The
quality of an interior lighting scheme cannot be specified or demonstrated
through measurement of light sources and outputs alone, but needs to
consider the relationship of the light sources to the nature of the space being
illuminated, and visual tasks of users in the space.

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 (g) Acoustics and Noise

Indoor noise above certain levels can cause discomfort, irritation and
interference with workplace activities. In addition, poor acoustics in certain
premises will interfere with speech intelligibility. Background noise inside
buildings comes from a number of sources, including noise break-in from the
surrounding environment and noise produced inside the building.
Background noise should be limited to levels suitable for the use of the
premises. Good planning and design are especially important to mitigate
external noise. Possible measures should be explored to minimize the
external noise. The design of building envelope is also important in further
reducing the propagation of noise into the premises. The selection and
installation of building services systems and equipment also influence the
background noise levels and may also induce unwanted vibration. The sound
insulation properties of floors and internal walls are crucial in controlling noise
propagation inside a building.

3.4.2 Design Considerations

3.4.2.1 Security

The level of security to be achieved should be determined after thorough discussion

and cooridiantion with the building user and the Project Acrchitect.

3.4.2.2 Hygiene

(a) Plumbing and Drainage

i. To provide tight-fitting lids and appropriately sized drain valves for water
storage tanks.
ii. To minimize the number and length of spurs in the plumbing systems.
iii. To provide circulating pumps to overcome the problems of stratification
and stagnation of water, especially in centralized hot water system.
iv. To maintain a minimum of 25mm water seal traps for all sanitary fitments,
including floor drains (if provided), before they are connected to a
common drainage stack in accordance with BD’s PNAP ADV-24. Self
priming type drainage traps or drainage pipe connections which ensure
trap priming (e.g. connection of wash basin discharge to the u-trap of
floor drains) shall be considered. Care shall also be taken to prevent
back-flowing at the floor drain.
v. To adopt two-pipe system or even an independent stack for floor drains.

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 vi. To provide maintenance access for regular inspection, maintenance and
repair of building plumbing and drainage system.
vii. To locate drainage pipework on the exterior of building or internally if
adequate duct space is provided with proper access from common areas,
avoiding disturbance to users during maintenance.
viii. To designate the lowest level of re-entrants and lightwells housing soil
and waste pipes or stacks as common areas with access (including access
through cat-ladder where appropriate) in accordance with BD’s PNAP
ADV-14, to facilitate maintenance and clearance of refuse.
ix. To ensure that water seals are intact and operate according to the design
intent where mechanical ventilation in the form of extraction fan is
provided, an opening to bathrooms and lavatories for air relief (e.g. an
undercut to the door or an opening with louvre at the door or wall, etc.)
shall be provided to minimize the build-up of negative pressure in
accordance with BD’s PNAP ADV-25. The optimum volume for
bathroom ventilation is 10.2 L/s/m2 in accordance with WHO’s
recommendations.
x. All piping systems and associated water storage devices (for both hot and
cold water systems) shall be flushed clean to remove rust, sludge and
sediment and disinfected upon commissioning according to WSD’s
current guidelines. The systems shall also be disinfected prior to
bringing into operation unless they have been flushed in regular intervals
within 30 days. Existing water systems undergoing major extensions or
alternations shall also be flushed and disinfected upon recommissioning.
xi. All cold/hot water outlets which are infrequently used or are connected
to stagnant water supply pipework shall be flushed at full flow for a
minimum period of one minute at least on a weekly basis or before use.
xii. For storage type localized water heater, hot water inside the storage tank
shall be heated to 60oC or above before use.
xiii. Purge valves shall be provided at the pipe ends of all unavoidable spurs or
stagnant points in the pipework for draining/purging the dead ends for a
minimum period of one minute at least on weekly basis.
xiv. The new pipework within a building shall be filled with a homogeneous
solution of chloride of lime. The concentration of the solution shall not
be less than 30 ppm of free chlorine.
xv. To keep the solution in the pipework for 24 hours and flush the pipework
thoroughly with potable water.
xvi. To put the pipework into operation within 7 days from the successful
disinfection to avoid any contamination.

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 (b) Biological Contamination

To design, operate and maintain air-conditioning systems, cold/hot water

supply systems and water features in compliance with the recommendations
contained in the Prevention of Legionnaires’ Disease in Hong Kong 2012 issued
by the Prevention of Legionnaires’ Disease Committee.

(c) Waste Disposal Facilities

i. To design a refuse collection system that the refuse is disposed of in a

hygienic manner as well as preventing any significantly discernable
odours from entering occupied areas or public areas in or immediately
adjacent to the building development.
ii. A purpose-designed automated/mechanical system for waste disposal
shall be considered.
iii. Mechanical ventilation and air-purifying facilities (e.g. chemical air
scrubber, bio-oxygen generator, photo-oxidation generator or other
appropriate devices) shall be provided for refuse storage, material
recovery chambers and refuse rooms in compliance with the BD’s PNAP
APP-35. The exhaust outlet shall be located at upper roof level away
from other buildings as far as practical.

3.4.2.3 Indoor Air Quality (IAQ)

(a) Construction IAQ Management

i. Construction IAQ Management Plan

Construction IAQ Management Plan aims to maintain cleanliness of air

conditioning equipment and fittings in the construction stage and avoid
contaminates from migrating into occupied spaces. The followings are
the key elements in an effective construction IAQ management plan:
 MVAC Equipment & Materials Protection
 Source Control
 Pathway Interruption
 Housekeeping
 Scheduling

ii. Flushing Out – After the construction works and finishing are completed;
all cleaning is finalized; and all fixed furniture are installed, the building
should be flushed out prior to occupancy by purging the room air and
cleaning the building as well as removing all residuals left in the MVAC
system.

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 iii. Filter Replacement – To ensure the cleanliness of air-conditioning
equipment and fitting before move in, all filters for the MVAC equipment
shall be replaced before occupancy.

(b) Outdoor Sources of Air Pollution

i. Mechanical Ventilation & Air-conditioning (MVAC) System Design

 Fresh Air Intake Location – Location of fresh air intake shall not be
located below ground level and shall be far away from sources of
contaminants, including the exhaust outlet from the building or
adjacent buildings, traffic, car-park, unloading bays, refuse chutes,
kitchens, toilets, cooling towers, industrial exhaust, or where source
of combustion (including smoking) is present as the concentration
of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide usually is high at these
locations. Fresh air intake shall be protected from rain
entrainment, and covered by a screen to prevent the entry of birds,
rodents, and extraneous articles.

 Building Pressure – To minimize the ingress of outdoor air

contaminants through building envelope, it is important to have a
building tightly sealed and maintained at a positive pressure.

 Air Cleaners or Filters – The outdoor sources will infiltrate indoor

through the MVAC system. If the measurement results show that
the concentration level of contaminants exceeds the limits, air
cleaners or filters can be incorporated into the MVAC system as
in-duct devices, or stand-alone devices to improve the indoor air
quality.

 Control of MVAC System – Control can be equipped in the MVAC

system to temporarily reduce fresh air supply rates below design
minimum levels during occupied periods while outdoor air
contaminant concentrations exceed the limit of and the MVAC
system’s filtration capacity to remove these contaminants.

(c) Indoor Sources of Air Pollution

i. Building Uses and Layout – Good planning of building uses and internal
layout may help to prevent many unnecessary indoor air quality problems.
For example, areas where pollutants are actively emitted shall be sited
away from areas susceptible to pollution or provided with partitioning so

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 that the impact of air contaminants to the occupants is minimized.

ii. Selection of Building and Furnishing Materials – Building and furnishing

materials may be sources of indoor air pollutants, i.e. Formaldehyde
(HCHO) and Total Volatile Organic Compounds (TVOC). Therefore, the
building designers shall control or limit the use of high emitting building
and furnishing materials. Materials with low HCHO and low TVOC
emissions rate should be selected.

iii. Selection of Office Equipment – Special attention shall be paid in the

selection of office equipment, such as photographic processing
equipment and gas appliances. It is recommended to install equipment
with specific pollution controls such as built-in gas filters.

iv. Mechanical Ventilation & Air-conditioning (MVAC) System Design

 Local Ventilation System – Special purpose rooms, such as

photographic darkrooms, kitchens, toilets, garages, carparks,
incineration or other fuel-burning sites, shall be provided with local
exhaust ventilation to remove large amount of pollutants.

 Ventilation Rates – Radon in building is mainly from the concrete

and stones. It cannot be absorbed or reduced by filters or
material. The most effective way to reduce radon gas
concentration is to increase the ventilation rate so that the indoor
radon concentration can be diluted by outdoor fresh air.

 Air Filters – As the HCHO and VOC from building and furnishing
materials will be re-circulated into the room through the MVAC
system, adequate air filters shall be provided for MVAC design.

 Control of MVAC System – Control can be equipped in the MVAC

system to temporarily increase fresh air supply rates above design
minimum levels during occupied periods when indoor air
contaminant concentrations exceed the limits or exceed the MVAC
system’s filtration capacity.

(d) IAQ in Car Parks

i. The design of mechanical ventilation system to provide sufficient dilution

of CO and NO2 emitted from vehicles during peak hours as well as under
the worst foreseeable operating conditions as per ProPECC PN2/96 shall
be considered.

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  Ventilation rate of fresh air and exhaust fans – The air change rate
of the mechanical ventilation system shall be determined by the
Dilution Method. The emission rate of vehicles shall refer to the
data provided by EPD.
 Provision of standby units.
 Fresh air intake and exhaust air discharge louvers locations.
 Location of supply and exhaust openings.
 Separate fresh air supply for lobby, booths and car cleaning services
bay.
 Layout of car park.

ii. Monitoring and Control

The speed of ventilation fans is automatically controlled by carbon

monoxide and nitrogen dioxide sensors to ensure a healthy environment
for the users. Demand control ventilation will be implemented based
on the CO/NO2 levels of the car park areas. CO sensors will be provided
at the parking areas for petrol engine vehicles whilst combination of CO
and NO2 sensors will be provided at parking areas for diesel engine
vehicles with higher NO2 emissions.

CO sensors and combination of CO/NO2 sensors will be located so that no

part of the car park is more than 25m horizontally from a measurement
point for CO/NO2 monitoring. The sensors will be located at 1.5m above
floor level at columns or wall and closer to exhaust inlets than supply air
outlet.

3.4.2.4 Ventilation

(a) Increased Ventilation

i. To estimate the required amount of outdoor air of each zone

corresponding to the occupancy category of the space based on the
current version of ASHRAE 62.1 Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air
Quality with at least 30% above minimum rates.

ii. To determine the zone air distribution effectiveness (Ez) of each zone, the
primary outdoor air fraction (Zp) of each zone; and the system ventilation
efficiency (Ev) using the relevant tables and Appendix in ASHRAE 62.1.

iii. To compare the values obtained with those recommended in ASHRAE

62.1 and re-design the system where necessary.

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 iv. To consider using heat recovery techniques to minimize additional energy
consumption.

v. To consider displacement ventilation systems, such as underfloor air

distribution systems, which are effective systems. However, these
systems shall be closely monitored.

vi. Increased ventilation rates will have a negative impact on energy use,
particularly in a hot humid climate such as Hong Kong. Consideration
should be given to use heat recovery techniques to lessen the impact or
utilize CO2 sensors in conjunction with BMS to effect Demand Control
Ventilation.

(b) Background Ventilation

Background ventilation (minimum air change rate) is a combination of

uncontrolled air infiltration and ventilation through purposely designed vents.
It is also intended to dilute the unavoidable contaminant emissions from
people and materials and for control of internal moisture levels due to
occupant activities in order to minimize risk of mould growth.

The minimum ventilation rate required to maintain known contaminants below

recognized limits can be calculated using recognized procedures, for example
Appendix D of BS 5925 or similar standard.

(c) Localized Ventilation

Where concentrated pollutant sources are likely to be present, local exhaust,

segregated from general ventilation, shall be provided in accordance with
recognized international or national standards.

In case any areas undergoing fitting out or renovation, the ventilation system
design can be adapted to exhaust the air from those areas without recirculation
or entrainment to occupied areas; and the exhaust is discharged such that it
does not re-enter the premises or enter adjacent premises under typical wind
conditions.

(d) Ventilation in Common Areas

Ventilation rates shall comply with recommendations from recognized

authorities, e.g. BS 5925, ASHRAE 62 or equivalent.

If natural ventilation is employed, the ventilation rate specified shall be

achieved under average wind conditions. Outside air brought to the common

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 areas shall be free from known or potential sources of pollution and exhausted
air shall not contaminate public or occupied areas. Ventilation rates shall be
verified by a tracer gas test on a representative sample of spaces, or by
appropriate modelling techniques, such as wind tunnel test, CFD or other
computer models.

3.4.2.5 Thermal Comfort

(a) Thermal Comfort in Air-conditioned Premises

HVAC system shall be capable of maintaining room conditions within

acceptable tolerances under normal occupied periods. Room air temperature
can be sustained at the design value within ±1°C when the air side system is
operating at steady state under normal occupied periods. Proper room air
distribution, based on room air diffusers satisfying the Air Diffusion
Performance Index (ADPI) (as defined in ASHRAE Standard 113, and described
in ASHRAE Handbook – Fundamentals) shall be ensured. Sizing, positioning
and selection of diffusers and grilles shall be properly designed. Abrupt
transitions in ductwork branch-offs, which will create obstacles to proper air
balancing shall be avoided.

Design considerations for air-conditioning

i. Room air temperature can be sustained at the design value within ±1.5°C
when the air-conditioning unit is operating at steady state under normal
occupied periods.

ii. The type, rating and installation of air-conditioning units should be

provided for control over thermal comfort conditions over the possible
range of thermal loads.

3.4.2.6 Lighting Quality

(a) Natural Lighting

i. To achieve at least 80% of floor area in all normally occupied spaces being
adequately lit with an average daylight factor (DF) of 2% or more, with
suitable daylight glare control.

ii. Designers shall take into account of the overshadowing from

neighbouring buildings in the arrangement of the building layout,
massing, fenestration and room geometry during the sketch design stage;
and in the determination of orientation, size and proportion of windows,

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 and in the selection of material and finishes of windows, ceilings, floors
and walls, which will affect the glazing transmittance and internal
surfaces’ reflectance, during the detailed design stage. The internal
reflectances and the positions of windows should be such that
inter-reflected lighting in the space is strong and even.

iii. Designers may make use of daylighting design software such as Radiance
in the calculation of average DF.

iv. Designers shall also determine whether sky glare will be a problem, and
make adjustment to the design to control glare and, where necessary,
provide fixed or moveable glare control such as louvre, shade and
draperies.

(b) Interior Lighting in Normally Occupied Areas

i. To achieve the prescribed lighting performance in each type of premises

in respect of illuminance and lighting quality, under the conditions that
the limiting unified glare rating is achieved and light sources have an
appropriate colour rendering index.

ii. To provide automatic control of artificial lighting such as daylight sensors

at perimeter zone and/or occupancy sensor.

(c) Interior Lighting in Areas Not Normally Occupied

To achieve the prescribed lighting performance in each type of common or

service space in respect of light output and lighting quality.

3.4.2.7 Acoustics and Noise

(a) Room Acoustics

i. To define the performance criteria (e.g. NC rating, NR rating etc.)

appropriate to the type and use of the premises/rooms in the building in
accordance with General Specification, CIBSE Guide and Client’s
requirements

ii. To locate the noisy plant away from noise sensitive areas and to design air
distribution system to avoid unintended noise creation and/or
transmission in reference to BSB Circular No. 20 of 2004 “Noise Control
Design Guide for Air Distribution System”

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 iii. To calculate the reverberation time of functional area with high
expectation on speech intelligibility (e.g. meeting room, classroom etc.) in
accordance with Sabine’s Formula and criteria from BS8233:1999 and
ANSI S12.60-2002.

iv. To carry out and document the site measurement during commissioning
to demonstrate that acoustic quality in a sample of each type of room in
which speech intelligibility is important, as measured and/or calculated,
meets appropriate performance criteria.

v. Some recommended Noise Criteria (NC) levels for various environments

are tabulated as follows.

Environment Acceptable Range of

NC levels
General offices 40 – 50
Private offices, libraries, courtrooms 30 – 35
and schoolrooms
Theatres, assembly halls and 25 – 30
churches
Concert and opera halls 20 – 25
Broadcasting and recording studios 15 – 20
Table 10: Woods Practical Guide to Noise Control

(b) Noise Isolation

i. To define the performance criteria appropriate to the type and use of the
premises/rooms (e.g. office, classroom and quarter) in the building in
accordance with General Specification, CIBSE Guide and Client’s
requirements

ii. To design the air distribution system and air duct layout in order to avoid
unintended breakout noise and cross talk (i.e. airborne noise between
rooms/spaces) at the design stage in accordance with:-
 BSB Circular No. 20 of 2004 “Noise Control Design Guide for Air
Distribution System”.
 Chapter 47 – Sound and Vibration Control, ASHRAE Handbook –
HVAC Application

iii. To check the measurement method and interpretation of results in

accordance with:-
 ISO 140-7, Acoustics – Measurement of sound insulation in
buildings and of building elements. Part 7 – Field measurements of
impact sound insulation of floors.

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  ISO 717-2, Acoustics – Ratings of sound insulation in buildings and
of building elements. Part 2 – Impact sound insulation

(c) Background Noise

i. To determine the external noise generating sources (e.g. traffic noise etc.)
and the internal noise generating sources (e.g. fan noise etc.) for
considering the noise mitigation measures (e.g. double glazed window,
acoustic silencer etc.).
ii. To control the LAeq (equivalent continuous A-weighted sound pressure
level) for the most susceptible spaces/rooms/premises (e.g. offices,
classrooms, quarters, indoor game halls & indoor swimming pools etc.) in
accordance with Clause 8.3.2 of the “Building Services Design Guide for
Indoor Environmental Quality” issued by Building Services Branch,
ArchSD.
iii. Sound insulation and noise reduction for buildings – Refer to Table 5 and
Table 6 of BS8233.

(d) Indoor Vibration

i. To evaluate and identify the major vibration sources (e.g. chiller plant,
pump, lift motor etc.).
ii. To locate noise sensitive area away from the major vibration sources.
iii. To calculate and select the appropriate vibration isolator for achieving the
acceptable vibration isolating efficiency at different locations. Project
Officer may refer to:-
 General Specification
 BSB Circular No. 22 of 1995 “Selection Guidelines for
Plant/Machine Vibration Isolators and Tips on Vibration Control
Measures for Building Services Installation”
 Table 48 in the chapter for “Sound and Vibration Control’ of the
ASHRAE Application Handbook.
iv. To carry out and document the site measurement during commissioning
to demonstrate that the required vibration isolation efficiency is achieved.
The test on vibration isolation may refer to ISO 2631-2 – Evaluation of
human exposure to whole-body vibration – Part 2 : Continuous and
shock-induced vibration in buildings (1 to 80Hz).

3.4.3 For more details, please refer to the “Building Services Design Guide for Indoor
Environmental Quality” issued by Building Services Branch, ArchSD.[14]

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4. Review, Evaluation and Improvement
This chapter will discuss how the sustainability outcomes of buildings in use can be
reviewed, evaluated and improved, particularly in terms of their environmental
performance.

Design and quality of construction determines the broad range of possible sustainability
outcomes for a building, but the actual outcomes depend ultimately on how a building is
used, i.e. how it is managed by its owners, how its facilities are operated, and how
occupants, visitors etc. interact with those facilities. Mechanisms and opportunities for
services engineers to influence operational sustainability typically include:[1]

(a) managing commissioning and periodically re-commissioning building services

systems,
(b) monitoring and post-occupancy evaluation, particularly of innovative systems,
(c) facilities engineering and operational management,
(d) energy management and energy audits,
(e) design and management of minor works to building services systems,
(f) design and management of major upgrades to building services systems, and
(g) ad hoc inspections and surveys.

4.1 Commissioning and Re-commissioning

4.1.1 Commissioning

The proper commissioning of building services is crucial to ensure the correct

operation of the system and its associated building services plant. Commissioning
affects both the effectiveness and efficiency of building services and hence the
comfort of occupants, and the environmental and financial costs of maintaining it.
Inefficient services will use more energy than necessary to maintain comfortable
conditions resulting in greater emissions of CO2 and other pollutants, and higher fuel
bills.[1]

Commissioning is a quality assurance process for buildings from pre-design through

design, construction, and operations. It involves achieving, verifying, and
documenting the performance of each system to meet the building’s operational
needs within the capabilities of the documented design and equipment capacities,
according to the owner’s functional criteria. Commissioning includes preparing
project operational and maintenance documentation and training operation and
maintenance personnel. The result should be fully functional systems that can be
properly operated and maintained throughout the life of the building.[2]

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 Effective commissioning and proper instructions on operations and maintenance
procedures have been shown to improve the operating efficiency and environmental
performance of a building over its life cycle. The commissioning requirements
should cover all renewable systems, water conservation systems, building services
systems (particularly the energy system) including the BMS/BAS system and all
hydraulic systems. Examples on HVAC systems include, but not limited to:[2]

(a) chillers;
(b) cooling towers;
(c) controls for central plant and for HVAC, including, if present, the energy
management system or building automation system (BAS);
(d) unitary and split-air conditioners;
(e) fans;
(f) pumps;
(g) heat exchangers;
(h) boilers;
(i) domestic hot water and hot water heaters;
(j) ducts and associated dampers;
(k) piping and associated valves; and
(l) waste heat recovery, thermal storage, etc

CIBSE, BSRIA and ASHRAE publications as well as the Testing & Commissioning
Procedures for various Building Services Installations issued by Building Services
Branch, ArchSD, provide guidance on commissioning requirements and procedures,
such as management, design for commissioning, access, testing, measurements and
tolerances, installed transducers, specification for portable measuring equipment,
etc.

4.1.2 Re-commissioning

The need for re-commissioning of services arises where significant changes are made
to systems or to the physical configuration of a building, either of which can affect
the systems’ efficiency or effectiveness. An example of a physical change to a
building that might require re-commissioning of building services is a move from
open plan to cellular office space, or vice versa. Services should also be periodically
re-commissioned to ensure that they are operating as intended and to reset what
may have been intended as short term changes to set points and system settings.[1]
Typically, it is performed to ensure that original and modified building systems
perform interactively to meet the owner’s current operational needs and to suit the
operational changes.

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 The systems to be re-commissioned or ongoing commissioned are all installed
building services systems particularly the heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning
(HVAC) systems, equipment and components that affect energy use.[3]

4.2 Performance Evaluation

Evaluation of the performances of the various building services systems provides

invaluable feedback for the design, refurbishment, refit and the operation of
buildings. The evaluation uses occupant surveys and monitoring data to determine
whether the building performs as intended and meets the user’s needs. The results
can be used to identify problems that need to be addressed in the building and to
help to inform the approach to future projects.[1]

Furthermore, owing to the technical complexity and the client’s concern on the
functional requirements and energy consumption of the building services (BS)
systems in the recently completed buildings, it is essential to oversee the
performance of these systems and to ensure that they not only function satisfactorily
and meet with the client’s operational requirements, but also perform with optimum
energy efficiency during the initial post occupation period.

The objectives of performance evaluation should cover:

(a) Commissioning and fine-tuning of building services systems
(b) Commissioning and fine-tuning of controls
(c) Initial technical information, support and training
(d) Information and training of non-technical staff
(e) Keeping information up to date
(f) Keeping training up to date
(g) Client feedback and learning
(h) Client/design team communication

In order to fulfill the aforesaid objectives, three areas will be included:

(a) Operational Performance Monitoring and Handover

i. To convey the design concept, parameters, capabilities and functions of

each type of installed BS systems to all concerned parties,

ii. To provide operation and maintenance information (as-built drawings,

O&M manuals and T&C records),

iii. To conduct operational training and review feedback from operators and
facility management to formulate manning requirements,

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 iv. To monitor status of defects rectification and determine any
supplementary work and improvements,

(b) Energy Review

i. To collect energy data of each type of installed BS systems and carry out
energy usage analysis,

ii. To identify energy management opportunities for the building as well as

for each group of users to tie in with their specific operational
requirements,

iii. To capture and monitor actual energy consumption data for the building
and each group of users and give advice to client for equipment selection
and housekeeping practice,

iv. To recommend design improvements for future projects.

(c) New Technology/Specific System Evaluation

(e.g. BIPV system, total energy heat pump, geothermal system. ice storage,
etc.)

i. To establish thorough understanding on the principle of the new

technologies/specific system,

ii. To monitor the testing and commissioning of the installation and capture
the operational parameters and performance data for verification with
the intended performance,

iii. To assess actual benefits yielded and payback period,

iv. To develop expertise in operation and maintenance of the installations,

v. To make recommendation on the potential applicability in future

projects.

Depending on the project nature, there may also be a need to conduct a Post
Occupancy Evaluation (POE) exercise for the completed project. Guidance notes for
conducting POE are as set out in BSB Circular No. 25 of 2006 – Guidance Notes on
conducting Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) Exercise.

4.3 Facilities Engineering, Operation and Maintenance

Where buildings are not properly maintained they deteriorate more quickly, in extreme
cases requiring major refurbishment or demolition. In such cases the process of

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 refurbishment or reconstruction will require significant consumption of both energy and
materials, placing an unnecessary burden on natural resources. Appropriate planned
inspection, cleaning and maintenance is necessary to retain a building's value as an asset,
sustain utility, and to ensure compliance with legal requirements, such as health and safety
regulations, and will assist owners and occupiers to manage the building in a more efficient
and hence environmentally conscious manner. Regular inspections of the building
services systems as well as the building fabric and structural elements should be carried
out, with a management system to monitor the long-term planned maintenance
programme, to ensure that all maintenance will continue in order to retain asset value of
the building and meet the performance requirements.[3]

Facilities to carry out basic maintenance and equipment for monitoring resources
consumption can help improve operating efficiency and environmental performance of a
building.[2] Facilities engineering and operational management may involve:[1]

(a) specifying planned preventative maintenance,

(b) specifying and procuring a variety of maintenance contracts for building services
systems.

The maintenance strategy influences design decisions and therefore needs to be

established before the start of detailed design. When the property and its services
become fully operational, the maintenance strategy must be implemented and any
revisions carefully assessed to determine the impact of any such changes on original design
decisions.[1] The general maintenance programme shall include as a minimum:[3]

(a) list of all elements of the building services systems subject to regular inspection,
cleaning, servicing and maintenance;

(b) details of planned and pre-venture maintenance for each item;

(c) methods and frequency of cleaning;

(d) frequency of inspections;

(e) details of maintenance undertaken by outside agents;

(f) competence of personnel undertaking inspection, cleaning maintenance and repair,

including outside contractors; and

(g) records of inspections, maintenance and repairs for a period of up to 3 years.

An Operation and Maintenance Manual should be provided and environmental issues shall
be included in the manual. The manual covering building maintenance shall provide

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 sufficient information to allow personnel carrying out work on the building services
systems at any time, including as a minimum:[3]

(a) design specifications;

(b) as-built drawings and plans;

(c) details of construction methods and materials;

(d) maintenance requirements and any specific procedures;

(e) inspection schedules, including post-typhoon and emergencies;

(f) operation and maintenance of plant and equipment installed on the building; and

(g) details showing type and location of utility services on and adjacent to the site, etc.

4.4 Energy Management

Proactive management will seek to improve the performance of systems and equipment,
i.e., improved energy efficiency, and promote energy conservation, i.e., minimize wastage
of energy. Staff awareness of the importance of energy costs and efficiency is important
if efficiency is to be improved through management procedures. Financial support for an
action plan for implementing energy-saving measures is essential, either by a budget
allocation or by allocation of all or part of saving in fuel bills. It is also vital that an
appropriate senior person in the organization be responsible for energy management.
End-users of premises in a building should also be made aware that reducing energy use
within their premises not only will reduce their own energy bills, it will also lead to reduced
energy cost for providing air-conditioning for their premises.[3]

Energy audit needs to be conducted at regular intervals to provide the building

management with a clear picture about the types and quantities of energy being used in a
building and for what purposes, whether energy has been used efficiently and effectively,
and the room for improvements.[3]

Effective energy management in building services requires an easy-to-follow up-to-date

manual. All documentation, including operating manuals and maintenance instructions
should be clearly written, detailing the design approach and describing the actual systems
and equipment and controls installed.[3]

The energy management activities are as follows:[1]

(a) Audits – A specific exercise to establish the quantity and end use split of energy use,
identify problems currently resulting in use higher than benchmarks and draw up a
prioritized list of energy saving opportunities, costs and business case.

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 (b) Monitoring and Targeting – The basis of a monitoring and targeting (M&T) system is
the collection of meter readings and the interpretation of data obtained. This
information can be processed and returned in the form of cost and consumption
management and energy accounting reports. Interpretation of the data can be
used for further, and more accurate, monitoring.

(c) Building Log Books – Energy performance can be recorded and compared with the
designer’s estimates of what the building should consume. Regular main and
subsidiary meter readings can be recorded on the meter reading pro-forma set up by
the log book author. Overall performance and end-use performance can then be
observed over time and compared to good practice benchmarks and design
estimates.

4.5 Minor Works and Re-engineering Systems

The management of occupied buildings frequently incorporates refurbishment projects, as

well as day-to-day facilities management. Although often straightforward in engineering
terms, these minor projects can have major implications in terms of logistics and disruption
and they are usually fast track.[1]

The best way to ensure that sustainability measures are implemented in such fast track
minor projects is to integrate good practice requirements into standard specifications and
working practices. Changes may need to be flagged and reinforced with additional
guidance and training to help them become ‘embedded’, particularly if they replace long
standing practices, or have implications in terms of additional project effort and/or cost.[1]

Replacing or retrofitting large parts of systems or major components represents a major

opportunity to address sustainability and particularly resource use issues (energy, CO 2
emissions and water). A boiler, chiller or other refrigeration plant, equipment for hot
water generation, and certainly a whole air conditioning system are likely to be major
re-engineering projects.[1]

4.6 Building Assessment System

According to the DEVB Technical Circular no. 5/2009 / EB Circular Memo No. 2/2009 –
Green Government Buildings, all new government buildings with construction floor area of
more than 10,000m2 should aim to obtain the second highest grade or above under an
internationally or locally recognized building assessment system such as Hong Kong
Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) or the Leadership in Energy and
Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED) . This section will briefly
introduce the BEAM assessment which is a system developed locally.

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 4.6.1 BEAM Assessment

Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM) provides building users with a

single performance label that demonstrates the overall qualities of either a new or
refurbished building, or one that is already in use. A certified BEAM building will be
more efficient that a similar building which does not achieve the levels of
performance prescribed in BEAM.[2]

The previous green building assessment system under BEAM is BEAM Plus Version
1.1 issued in 2010 which provides comprehensive assessment details and
methodology for both New Buildings (BEAM Plus (NB)) and Existing Buildings (BEAM
Plus (EB)). In response to stakeholder engagement, BEAM Plus Version 1.2 was
developed and issued in 2012 which brings together a holistic component of passive
design for residential development as an alternative method of assessment. BEAM
Plus version 1.2 also contains minor amendments from the original guidelines in
order to add clarity to the assessment.

Different international assessment methods will usually arrange different

performance aspects under different headings to reflect the preferences of the tool
developer. In BEAM the various performance aspects covered are grouped within
the following categories:[2]
(a) Site Aspects (SA)
(b) Material Aspects (MA)
(c) Energy Use (EU)
(d) Water Use (WU)
(e) Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ)

Having reviewed local and international assessment schemes and other relevant
information, a weighting over each environmental performance category has been
assigned to reflect its importance and global trends as follows:[2,3]

Category Weighting (%)

Site Aspects (SA) 25
Materials Aspects (MA) 8
Energy Use (EU) 35
Water Use (WU) 12
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) 20
100
Table 11: Category Weighting of BEAM Plus for New Buildings (BEAM Plus(NB))

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 Category Weighting (%)
Site Aspects (SA) 18
Materials Aspects (MA) 12
Energy Use (EU) 30
Water Use (WU) 15
Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) 25
100
Table 12: Category Weighting of BEAM Plus for Existing Buildings (BEAM Plus(EB))

The Overall Assessment Grade is determined by the percentage of the applicable

credits gained under each performance category and its weighting factor. Given the
importance of SA, EU and IEQ it is necessary to obtain a minimum percentage of credits
for the three categories in order to qualify for the overall grade. In addition, a
minimum number of credits shall be earned under the category of Innovation and
Additions (IA). The award classifications are:[2]

Overall SA EU IEQ IA
Platinum 75% 70% 70% 70% 3 credits (Excellent)
Gold 65% 60% 60% 60% 2 credits (Very Good)
Silver 55% 50% 50% 50% 1 credit (Good)
Bronze 40% 40% 40% 40% - (Above Average)
Table 13: Determination of Overall Grade of BEAM Plus

For more details, please refer to “BEAM Plus for New Buildings Version 1.2”[2] and
“BEAM Plus for Existing Buildings Version 1.2”[3] issued by Hong Kong: Hong Kong
Green Building Council (HKGBC) and Beam Society.

4.6.2 Other Recognized Building Assessment Systems

One of the most common internationally recognized building assessment system is

the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System
(LEED). A brief description of LEED assessment and the comparison between BEAM
and LEED can be found in Appendix A.

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 Appendix A
I. LEED Assessment

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) consists of a suite of rating

systems for the design, construction and operation of high performance green
buildings, homes and neighborhoods. Five overarching categories correspond to
the specialties available under the LEED Accredited Professional program. That
suite currently consists of:

Green Building Design & Construction

 LEED for New Construction (LEED-NC)
 LEED for Core & Shell
 LEED for Schools
 LEED for Retail
 LEED for Healthcare
Green Interior Design & Construction
 LEED for Commercial Interiors
 LEED for Retail Interiors
Green Building Operations & Maintenance
 LEED for Existing Buildings
 LEED for Existing Schools
Green Neighborhood Development
 LEED for Neighborhood Development
Green Home Design and Construction
 LEED for Homes

The core components of LEED are:

(a) Sustainable Sites

(b) Water Efficiency
(c) Energy & Atmosphere
(d) Materials & Resources
(e) Indoor Environmental Quality
(f) Innovation in Design & Regional Priority

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II. Comparison between BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC.

(a) Summary of Credits for BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

BEAM Plus (NB) LEED - NC

Aspects Aspects
(BEAM Plus) Available Available (LEED – NC)
Bonus Bonus
Credits Credits

Site Aspects (SA) 22 3 14 - Sustainable Sites (SS)

Material Aspects
22 1 13 - Material & Resources (MR)
(MA)

Energy Use (EU) 42 2 17 - Energy & Atmosphere (EA)

Water Use (WU) 9 1 5 - Water Efficiency (WE)

Indoor
Indoor Environmental Quality
Environmental 32 3 15 -
(IEQ)
Quality (IEQ)

Innovations &
Additions (IA) - 5+1 5 - Innovation in Design (ID)

Maximum Credits /
127 5+1* 69 -
Maximum Bonus
Note: * The maximum bonus credits in BEAM PLUS (NB) are 5 nos. + 1 no.(for BEAM Pro.)

Table A1: Summary of Credits for BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

(b) Pre-requisites for New Buildings in BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

Aspects BEAM Plus (NB) LEED – NC

SA / SS Minimum 20% Landscaping Area Construction Activity Pollution Prevention (submit a

(only apply to residential sites > Erosion and Sedimentation Plan (ESC) which comply the
2
1000m ) Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance (Cap. 499)
and Water Pollution Control Ordinance (Cap. 358))

MA /MR Provision of waste recycle facilities Storage & Collection of Recyclables

(at a minimum including paper, (at a minimum including paper, corrugated cardboard,
glass, plastics, metals and organic glass, plastics and metals)
materials)

No CFC-based refrigerants in
HVAC&R systems

No Virgin forest products for -

temporary works during
construction

Implementation of a Construction -
Waste Management Plan

EU /EA Comply the latest edition of Building Minimum Energy Performance (ASHRAE 90.1 – 2004)
Energy Codes (BEC 2007)

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 - Fundamental Commissioning of the Building Energy
Systems (designate an independent Commissioning
Authority to lead, review, oversee & report concerned
activities)

- Fundamental Refrigerant Management (Zero use of

CFC-based refrigerants in new base building HVAC & R
systems)

WU / WE Meet water quality standard with -

WSD Guidelines at all points of use

Use of water efficient devices leads -

to annual water saving of 10%

IEQ / IEQ Comply with the minimum Comply with the minimum IAQ Performance of ASHRAE
requirements of ASHRAE 62.1-2007 62.1 – 2004 (Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Air
(Ventilation for Acceptable Indoor Quality)
Air Quality)

- Environmental Tobacco Smoke (ETS) Control (designated

smoking area is 25 feet away from entries of the
building)

IA / ID - -

Total 9 Pre-requisites Total 7 Pre-requisites

Table A2: Pre-requisites for New Buildings in BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

(c) Weightings for BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

Figure A1: Weightings for BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

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(d) Grading for BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

Grading BEAM Plus (NB) Grading LEED - NC

IEQ SA EU IA Overall Overall

Platinum 70% 70% 70% 3 75% Platinum 52 of 69 credits (75.4%)

Gold 60% 60% 60% 2 65% Gold 39 of 69 credits (56.5%)

Silver 50% 50% 50% 1 55% Silver 33-38 credits (47.9%)

Bronze 40% 40% 40% - 40% Certified 26-32 credits (37.7%)

Table A3: Grading for BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

(e) Major Differences between BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

Aspects Requirements in BEAM Plus (NB) / No. of Requirements in LEED – NC

Credits / No. of Credits

SA/ SS SA8: Microclimate Around Building – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED - NC
no pedestrian areas subject to excessive wind
velocities caused by amplification due to site
layout/ building design

No Comparable credit in BEAM Plus (NB) SS Credit 4.2 – 1 credit for providing bicycle
racks / storage and shower and changing
facilities

No Comparable credit in BEAM Plus (NB) SS Credit 4.3 – 1 credit for providing preferred
parking for low-emitting and fuel efficient
vehicles

MA/ MR MA2: Modular Standard Design – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED - NC
demonstrating the application of modular and
standard design

MA3: Prefabrication – 1 credit for manufacture No Comparable credit in LEED - NC

of 20% of listed prefabricated building elements
was off-site; 2 credits for 40%

MA4: Adaptability and Deconstruction No Comparable credit in LEED - NC

– 1 credit for design providing spatial
flexibility; 1 credit for flexible design of services
that adapt changes of layout use; 1 credit for
designs providing flexibility through building
structural system that allows change in future
use

MA8: Ozone Depleting Substances – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED - NC

using refrigerants of low ozone depletion and
global warming potentials

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 No Comparable credit in BEAM Plus (NB) MR Credit 1.3 – 1 credit for using existing
interior non-structural elements

EU/ EA EU1: Reduction of CO2 Emissions – For EA Credit 1: Optimize Energy Performance - 1
commercial buildings, 1 to 15 credits for a to 10 credits for new buildings to achieve
reduction of CO2 emission or annual building energy cost savings percentage by
consumption by 3%, 5%, 7%, 9%, 11%, 14%, 10.5%, 14%, 17.5%, 21%, 24.5%, 28%, 31.5%,
17%, 20%, 23%, 26%, 29%, 33%, 37%, 41% & 35%, 38.5% & 42%. (From 26.06.2008, 14% (2
45% credits) of energy saving is NECESSARY to any
LEED credit level)

EU2: Peak Electricity Demand Reduction – For No Comparable credit in LEED - NC

commercial buildings, 1 to 3 credits for a
reduction in the maximum electricity demand by
15%, 23% & 30%

EU6: Renewable Energy Systems – For 1 to 5 EA Credit 2: On-site Renewable Energy - 1 to 3

credits for 0.5%, 1%, 1.5%, 2% & 2.5% of credits for offsetting building energy cost by
building energy consumption is obtained from 2.5%, 7.5% & 12.5%
renewable sources

EU3: Embodied Energy in Building Structural No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

Elements – 1 credit for demonstrating the
embodied energy in major elements of building
structures were studied in Life Cycle Assessment

EU4: Ventilation Systems in Car Parks – 1 credit No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

for ventilation systems that will consume less
electricity than the zero credit requirements
(baseline) by 20% or more; 2 credits for 25% or
more.

EU/ EA EU5: Lighting system in Car Parks - 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED - NC
using lamps and ballasts that will consume less
electricity than the zero-credit requirements by
20% or more; 2 credits for 25% or more.

EU9: Energy Efficient Appliances – 1 credit for EA Credit 6: Green Power – 1 credit for
60% of total rated power of appliances are providing at least 35% of the building’s
certified energy efficient products electricity from renewable sources by
engaging in at least a two-year renewable
energy contract.

WU/ WE WU2: Monitoring and Control – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC
installation of devices to monitor water leakage
within the fresh water distribution system.

WU4: Water Recycling – 1 credit for harvesting No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

of rainwater which will lead to a reduction of 5%
or more in the consumption of fresh water; 1
credit where recycled grey water will lead to a
reduction of 5% or more in the consumption of
fresh water; 1 BONUS credit where harvesting
and/or recycling leads to a reduction of 10% or
more in the consumption of fresh water.

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 WU5: Water Efficient Appliances – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED - NC
installation water efficient appliances that are at
least 20% more efficient than otherwise.

IEQ/ IEQ IEQ1: Security – 1 credit for scoring at least No Comparable credit in LEED – NC
75%of the applicable security measures and
facilities for the building.

IEQ2: Plumbing and Drainage – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

designs that reduce the potential for
transmission of harmful bacteria viruses, and
odours.

IEQ3: Biological Contamination – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

complying with the recommendations given in
the Code of Practice - Prevention of
Legionnaires Disease, in respect of
air-conditioning and ventilation and water
systems.

IEQ8: IAQ in Car Parks – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

demonstrating compliance with the design
requirements specified in ProPECC PN 2/96.

IEQ18: Room Acoustics – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

demonstrating that intruding noise levels are
within the prescribed criteria and the
mid-frequency reverberation time in applicable
rooms meets the prescribed criteria.

IEQ/ IEQ IEQ19: Noise Isolation – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC
demonstrating airborne noise isolation between
rooms, spaces and premises meets the
prescribed criteria.

IEQ20: Background Noise – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

demonstrating background noise levels are
within the prescribed criteria.

IEQ21: Indoor Vibration – 1 credit for No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

demonstrating vibration levels shall not exceed
the prescribed criteria.

IEQ22: Access for Persons with Disability No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

– 1 credit for providing provisions to enhance
for access for disabled persons

IEQ23: Amenity Features – 1 credit for providing No Comparable credit in LEED – NC

amenity features that enhance the quality and
functionality of a building to the benefit of
building users; 1 credit for providing amenity
features that allow for improved operation and
maintenance of the building and its engineering
services.
Table A4: Major Differences between BEAM Plus (NB) and LEED-NC

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(f) Difficulties in Conducting LEED-NC in Government Buildings

Aspects LEED - NC Comparing BEAM Plus (NB)

Origin The USA Hong Kong

Exclusions of Completely Not allowed. Granted on pre-set grounds subject to

credits building natures

Major baselines ASHRAE 90.1-2004 (for EA-c1 – Optimize BEC 2007 or ASHRAE 90.1-2007 (for EU1 -
Energy Performance) Reduction of CO2 Emissions)

Less Applicable SS Credits 4.2 – Bicycle Storage & Changing N.A.

credits in HK Room which aims to reduce pollution and
land development impact from car use.

EA Credits 2 – On site Renewable Energy EU6 - 1 to 5 credits where 0.5% to 2.5% or

which grant 7.5% of power consumption by more of building energy consumption is
RE for 2 credits and 12.5% by RE for 3 obtained from RE sources respectively.
credits

EA Credits 6 – Provide at least 35% of the N.A.

building’s electricity from renewable
sources by engaging in at least a two-year
RE contract

Table A5: Difficulties in Conducting LEED-NC in Government Buildings

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References
[1] Sustainability CIBSE Guide L (London: Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers)
(2007)

[2] BEAM Plus for New Buildings Version 1.2 Building Environmental Assessment Method
(Hong Kong: Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) and Beam Society) (2012)

[3] BEAM Plus for Existing Buildings Version 1.2 Building Environmental Assessment Method
(Hong Kong: Hong Kong Green Building Council (HKGBC) and Beam Society) (2012)

[4] Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Air-conditioning Installation (Hong Kong: Building
Services Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[5] Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Electrical Installation (Hong Kong: Building Services
Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[6] Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Lift and Escalator Installation (Hong Kong: Building
Services Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[7] Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Lighting Installation (Hong Kong: Building Services
Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[8] Design Guide for Energy Efficiency in Plumbing Installation (Hong Kong: Building Services
Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[9] Design Guide for Small Wind Turbine Installation (Hong Kong: Building Services Branch,
Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[10] Design Guide for Photovoltaic (PV) Installation (Hong Kong: Building Services Branch,
Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[11] Design Guide for Solar Hot Water System (Hong Kong: Building Services Branch,
Architectural Services Department) (2012)

[12] Design Guideline for Rainwater Recycling Installation (Rev. 2) (Hong Kong: Building Services
Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2010)

[13] Design Guideline for Grey Water Recycling Installation (Hong Kong: Building Services
Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2008)

[14] Building Services Design Guide for Indoor Environmental Quality (Hong Kong: Building
Services Branch, Architectural Services Department) (2012)

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