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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let say your air conditioning system has a COP of 3, then reducing the lighting consumption by 1 kW light also means lowering the load for the air conditioning system power consumption by 0.333. Together you save 1.33 kW.

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

— John Herbert, Consultant

27 Nov 2010 -  Saturday was a beautiful, crisp, sunny day,  I attended the Cityspeak forum at the Fringe Club on Lower Albert road. Afterwards, I couldn’t help notice that the adjacent building had external lighting fittings (photographed above)  still burning carbon at 12 noon!

A simple sensor would prevent this obvious waste of fuel and  electricity.

HVAC equipment and industrial machinery are designed to operate at the peak capacity, to handle the worst case scenario.  However, during normal operation periods of partial load occur when the load is less than the design load.

For example, comfort cooling air conditioning systems operate for 99% of the year inside the design condition, particularly the autumn and spring months demand less capacity and injection molding machines hydraulics cycle through full load to no load, and back to full load.

Control by Obstruction

Motors are dynamic, driving equipment that moves fluids, hydraulic fluid, water, or air, from one place to where it is needed.  Without variable speed motor control we need an additional device to either bypass or create an artificial resistance to flow.  Briefly, there are two primary means of operation:

Relief

In this situation a valve or other device might be used to divert the excess flow under part load conditions.  Commonly used applications include:

1. the differential pressure relief for chilled water systems and injection molding machines;
2. the hot gas bypass used in refrigeration systems and chillers;

Restriction

In this situation, a device is installed to create an artificial pressure loss, and therefore reducing the flow rate.  Common applications include:

1. Inlet vanes used on centrifugal fans;

1. Regulating valves used on hydraulic systems;

However, both modes waste energy. To capitalize on the potential energy saving, the speed and hence the power consumption of the motor needs to be lowered during part load conditions.

Solutions

One solution is the tried and tested VFD (Variable Frequency Drive) it is an electronic motor speed controller that varies the motor speed to match the required load.  During periods of part load operation,  lower speeds translate into reduced power consumption, and operating cost savings.

Even a relatively small speed reduction provides attractive energy savings.  for example reducing the speed of 1500 rpm motor by 150 RPM (approximately 10%) equates to a power reduction of  27%.

Because a VFD can vary the motor speed from zero RPM thorough to full speed, it reduces the mechanical and electrical shock and stresses during normal operation extending the operating life of your plant and equipment.

– John Herbert, Consultant

Buy the most efficient motor available, and keep it clean.

Electric motors account for nearly sixty percent (60%) of the global electricity consumption!  Comparing the total life operating cost with the first cost is instructive. Typically the CapEx (capital cost) is only 1 % of the total cost of ownership (e.g. 20- 25 years lifespan for HVAC equipment) Additionally, during the first year of operation a motor will consume electricity to cover its CapEx value, considering the life time cost purchasing the most efficient motor is very cost effective investment.

Look after your motors

Thirty years ago I visited facilities with a real boilerman, he did more than just operate the boiler, but that was his title. Perhaps boilerperson would be politically correct today.  Back then, he was a rare breed,  and fiercely proud of his domain.  Upon entering any plant room you were greeted by gleaming plates,  gauges, copper and brass polished bright,  polished cladding, the room itself fit for dining, but not today cleanliness has gone the way of the dinosaurs.

One popular and possibly most annoying pastime of today’s fitter is over-painting equipment labels,  indeed it’s seems to be compulsory. Yet it still holds true today, a clean facility will have fewer problems.

One obvious and often overlooked matter is electric motors,  simply keeping the cooling fins clean maintains the heat transfer efficiency from the motor fins to the surrounding air. The failure to follow simple maintenance procedures can be costly, allowing motor winding temperature to exceed the manufacturers rating by 5 DegC halves the operating life of the motor! Keep the plant and motors clean.

– John Herbert, consultant, energyLAB

– John Herbert, energyLAB , consultant

Recently I was talking to a colleague about the pervasive use of the “percentage”.  You will have seen the advertising offering up to 30% energy savings ,  and no doubt you will have seen NGO’s giving awards for 25% percent energy savings!

It’s a great marketing, but not science.

1. When a system or building is performing poorly,  it’s a simple matter to find one time savings, try to find another 30% saving in the second year!
2. Good data is critical, don’t compare apples with pears.  For example, if building operation in year one 24/7, and in year two it is only 9-5. Just comparing the operating annual cost, magically you have made tremendous energy savings. Quoting these raw cost savings, without a good  metric or benchmark is quick, easy and misleading.  For systems influenced by the weather  i.e.  air conditioning and winter heating,  adjusting the data using degree days takes account of weather variations.
3. Benchmark  – comparing your system, or annual operation cost to an industry standard is a meaningful, however finding a benchmark can be difficult indeed.

Some advisers that can’t do the math to quantifying the energy and cost savings,  so revert to percentage generalisations – Don’t try fool your client -  give data not generalisations.

Pitching your cost saving solution is not always easy, simply stating an energy saving is often dry, and frankly difficult for the majority of people to grasp.  Use an illustrative comparison that can be easily visualised.

For example, our proposal will save xxxx $ -  that’s the same as saving as driving 100,000 km per year.  Choose a comparison that can be readily identified, so your manager can see an image and the savings.

- John A. Herbert, consultant

Date:  15-18 September 2010

Location: Guangzhou Exhibition Centre,  Pazhou complex,  Gz.

The event will be held this yea r in conjunction with the 7^th China International SME Fair (CISMEF).

Visit us at the EnergyLAB booth!!

From our earliest days our parents drilled us about the roads, and road safety. Everyday, every opportunity it was hammered home — look left, look right, then look left again was one of the many rules of life pushed upon us.

As with road safety, we need to appreciate that “Energy Efficiency” is more than a one-time event – A wider carbon consciousness is needed.

Its more than a one-time event, its more purchasing a energy efficient  appliance.  Ultimately, energy efficiency must become full-time carbon consciousness that includes everything from turning off unnecessary lighting to replacing light bulbs to turning off appliances such as televisions when not in use.

A study from the United Kingdom [link] importantly highlights that carbon consciousness will save more than thought possible.  The study shows the gross carbon emitted is thirty percent (30%) higher than individually calculated outputs.  Dr Adam Hawkes author of the paper said:

“This means any reduction we make in our electricity use — for example, if everyone switched off lights that they weren’t using, or turned off electric heating earlier in the year — could have a bigger impact on the amount of carbon dioxide emitted by power stations than previously thought.

Because we have only two power generators the outcome of this study will not impact the  carbon emission factors used in Hong Kong.  However, if we consider our neighbours, and S.E. Asia countries, higher emission factors offer the potential for more carbon savings — and carbon consciousness will have a greater impact than previously imagined.

-  John A. Herbert, Consultant