The following is the question raised by the Hon. Leung Yiu-chung and the written reply given by the Acting Secretary for Planning, Environment and Lands, Mr Patrick Lau, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
The Administration has pledged to study the feasibility and economic benefits of promoting water-cooled air conditioning systems in 1998. In this connection, will the Government inform the Council :
(a) of the current progress of the study;
(b) of the current legislation or code of practice regulating the use of such air-conditioning systems in commercial premises;
(c) whether it has gathered statistics on the percentage of commercial premises using such air-conditioning systems, against the total number of such premises; and
(d) whether it has adopted measures to promote such air-conditioning systems in commercial premises; if not, why not?
Madam President,
(a) The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department's consultants started their preliminary study on October 15, 1998. The aim is to identify the problems and constraints involved in promoting water-cooled air conditioning systems for non-domestic developments at district and territorial levels. The consultants have been asked to determine the scope of a further detailed study to examine how best to overcome the identified problems and constraints to allow the adoption of water-cooled air conditioning systems at the Southeast Kowloon Development as well as at two other selected districts. The study is progressing satisfactorily and the final report is expected by May 1999.
(b) There is no legislation or code of practice regulating the use of water-cooled air conditioning systems in individual commercial premises. However, Section 13(a) of the Waterworks Regulation empowers the Director of Water Supplies to control the use of water from water mains for air conditioning plants. For water conservation reasons, the Water Supplies Department's policy on using mains water in air-conditioning systems is that they should be of closed circuit cooling type where the operational losses are negligible. Approval is rarely given for evaporative types of water-cooled systems and only if they are absolutely necessary.
(c) We do not have readily available statistics on the number of commercial premises currently using water-cooled air conditioning systems. However, the number is likely to be small.
(d) We have not yet adopted measures to promote water-cooled air conditioning systems in commercial premises. The purpose of the study commissioned by the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services is to provide us with the necessary information that will allow us to adopt a realistic and practical approach in promoting such systems.
End/Wednesday, January 6, 1999
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