Nowadays, electrical appliances such as mobile phones, lights and computers have become indispensable parts of our daily lives. It is nonetheless feasible to lead a reasonably comfortable life with a reduced use of electricity or even lead a zero-carbon life. I attended the annual gathering for the Zero Carbon Building (ZCB) Ambassadors as their commander, and was pleased to learn that the student ambassadors had participated in various green and carbon reduction activities related to ZCB and promoted what they had learned to the community.

ZCB, the first zero-carbon building in Hong Kong, was developed by the Construction Industry Council in collaboration with the Government to showcase the latest zero- and low-carbon designs and technologies to the industry, and promote community awareness of low-carbon living. ZCB places an emphasis on promoting harmony between a building and its natural environment, the key features of which can be summarised in the four E's:

1. Educating: Opening the building for visits to facilitate public education;
2. Evaluating: Implementing real-time monitoring through the use of more than 2,800 smart devices to achieve total building management;
3. Experimenting: Applying the most advanced green building designs and technologies, including those that are being used for the first time in Hong Kong, to inspire the public and the industry to make changes and move towards a sustainable lifestyle with reduced carbon emission; and
4. Evolving: Responding to ever-evolving low-carbon and green building technology and requirements through flexible designs.

With regard to the fourth E, “Evolving” refers to the continuous updating of the ZCB facilities to showcase the latest technology to the public and the industry. For example, the highly popular High-Volume-Low-Speed fans are undergoing an upgrade, which will increase the energy efficiency by 30 per cent compared with that of the original model. Such a marked improvement in just two years is testament to the great technological advances nowadays.

In addition, the design and renovation works for the eco-home exhibition room at ZCB have just been completed, and it was re-opened to the public with a brand new look in the middle of last month. Renamed as Eco-home 2014, it showcases low-carbon living in five aspects, namely energy, water, comfort, building materials and sustainable living. My attention was particularly drawn to some of its facilities. For example, the bladeless ceiling fan, powered by a direct current motor, is energy-saving and quiet. The air is drawn upwards into the fan from the bottom and spun out from the sides of the fan, making the ventilation of the room more even. Moreover, the headboard of the bed is equipped with a localised air-conditioning system. By setting it at a suitable temperature, you can enjoy a quiet, comfortable sleep without turning on the air-conditioner for the whole bedroom. Green elements can be found in every detail in Eco-home 2014, and even the decoration panels can also reduce the impact on the environment. For instance, the decoration panels are made from the trunks of banana trees which take only around nine months to grow. All these facilities aim at delivering an important message that low-carbon living can be both comfortable and fashionable.

It is really encouraging to see that the above two examples of technology upgrades, i.e. the High-Volume-Low-Speed fans and Eco-home 2014, are both fully sponsored by the industry. It shows the industry’s support in promoting zero-carbon building technologies and low-carbon living concepts.

In addition, Eco-home 2014 has a piezoelectric dancing floor installed to let you experience the generation of electricity with your own power. You have to dance continuously for 40 hours on the floor to produce 1 kilowatt-hour of electricity, which is only enough for a general household air-conditioner to function for an hour. We hope that this facility will remind us not to waste energy resources but to treasure them.

To tie in the opening of the Eco-home 2014, ZCB has recently launched the Low Carbon Living Tips and the Low Carbon Wedding Package, suggesting ways to lead a low-carbon lifestyle in clothing, diet, home living and transport, and even on your big day. You are very much welcome to visit.

Realising the vision of a low-carbon community, however, requires that the community and the industry value zero- and low-carbon buildings and low-carbon living concepts and put them into action. The ZCB Ambassador Scheme encourages teenagers to adopt this lifestyle starting from their school days. Since its launch two years ago, the scheme has attracted over 1,000 students to take part. Under the guidance of the honorary and professional ambassadors, they have participated in workshops and seminars, visited green buildings and learned about zero-carbon building technologies and low-carbon living concepts. They have also assisted in ZCB’s activities and provided guided tour services for visitors. For example, some student ambassadors have provided guided tours for overseas participants of the Green Build International Conference 2013. The event certainly provided excellent opportunities for the personal development of the students. In future, we will strive to build a better home for our next generation together.