Hong Kong’s recently announced green energy incentives for householders aren’t just about saving money: with an estimated 70 per cent of the local greenhouse gases coming from electricity generation, smarter solutions are needed. Here are some home-grown inventions that are helping to save Hong Kong – and the wider world – from pollutants produced on a daily basis.

On the grill – Computime

There are some domestic chores that smart home hubs are yet to master, like cooking the perfect steak. This Hong Kong-based company, headquartered at Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, has figured out how, and as energy-efficiently as possible.

Challenged by a US manufacturer to create the controller for the smartest electric grill on the market, the company developed a needle-fine, Bluetooth-enabled device that is inserted into meat as it is cooking on the grate. Via an app on their mobile phone or tablet, the diner programmes in their steak preference – rare, medium or well done – and with four thermometers monitoring the temperature of meat in real time, an alert is sent when perfection is reached. Energy is saved as there’s no need to overheat the grill, and no worry about overcooking.

The grill is already on sale in various overseas markets and should be available in Hong Kong within the next year.

What’s being cooked up next by the company? Sous vide functionality for the home chef that doesn’t require any bulky contraptions – just a tiny RF sensor that is placed in with the meat to monitor the temperature.

Take control – Lincogn Technology

In the race to automate our homes more efficiently, this young company is leading with its Yoswit-branded controller. Yoswit turns any home into a smart home with just a wall switch and an app – no central hub or router is needed, and no hard wiring required.

With Bluetooth 4.2 functionality (sometimes referred to Bluetooth low energy or BLE), the company’s products already save more energy than Wi-fi (by up to 40 per cent, according to some estimates), but Colin Ng, company co-founder, says the greatest advantage is being able to control your home appliances remotely. So they’re only in use – and using energy – as and when they’re needed.

“The switch was designed to fit seamlessly into homes without the usual associated hassle of replacing traditional wall switches with smart tech, and is compatible with both two-wire (without a neutral wire) and three-wire (with neutral wire) set ups,” Ng says. Yoswit products are sold at Priceline, the CLP Eco Home in Mong Kok, and online.

Praise the sun – Hanergy

The sunroof of your daily drive in the not too distant future could take your electric vehicle further – thanks to a partnership between luxury auto brand Audi and this Hong Kong company.

The two companies are developing thin-film, flexible solar cells which could be integrated into a panoramic glass roof, generating power to flow into the car’s electrical system. This could supply, for instance, the air-conditioning system or seat heaters, delivering a gain in efficiency that Audi says has a direct positive impact on the range of an electric vehicle.

A prototype has been developed, with the next phase of intensive testing expected around autumn 2018. The partners’ goal is to install solar cells over a car’s entire roof.

Audi says the range of electric cars plays a decisive role in a customer’s purchasing decisions. The innovative solar technology under development would extend the range of Audi’s electric models and also be sustainable. It is envisaged that, at a later stage, solar energy could directly charge the traction battery – a milestone Audi says would go a long way to achieving sustainable, emission-free mobility. The solar cells are produced by Alta Devices in California, a subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed solar cell specialist, Hanergy.

Cool it – AirStar

This company has developed a radiant cooling and fresh air technology that turns traditional, energy-guzzling air conditioning on its head. The system is simple, but smart: instead of mechanically pushing cold air into rooms, it uses discreet panels to make rooms comfortable for people.

AirStar’s invention adopts the natural phenomenon of radiation heat transfer by installing chilled panels (usually on the ceilings of rooms) to reduce the surface temperature of walls, floors and the furniture.

The warmth produced by human bodies or other heat loads in the room is absorbed by chilled water flowing through copper pipes behind the panels, so that the occupants feel more comfortable without fans or air conditioners blowing air at them. At the same time, the fresh air system controls the CO₂ level, improving the indoor air quality.

The company says its radiant ceiling plus fresh air (RCF) system is capable of saving at least 40 per cent energy, while attaining the same or better comfort level than traditional air-conditioning systems, and a 60 per cent reduction in maintenance costs. AirStar, headquartered at Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks, believes its systems, being rolled out in Hong Kong and China, are ideal for deployment in high density urban environments.

Power up – Ampd Energy

For the feel-good factor, a Hong Kong invention is poised to bring energy resilience to developing countries where unreliable electrical infrastructure is a daily reality – and clean up the environment in the process. According to its founders, Brandon Ng and Luca Valente, Ampd Energy “envisions a world where reliable electricity is universal, affordable and sustainable.”

Ng describes the company’s invention as “a next evolution in backup technology”. Its Ampd Silo UPS backup system stores energy in lithium-ion batteries (the same as those in laptops and electric vehicles), which helps to reduce lead battery waste.

“We estimate that Asia and Africa produce 7 billion kilograms of waste lead batteries every year. Every Ampd Silo sell removes 1,600kg of lead batteries from entering into the system,” Ng says.

The system also reduces the total cost of ownership of a battery backup system dramatically, by as much as 70 per cent.

Ampd Energy is selling to commercial and enterprise customers in Hong Kong, Macau and Southeast Asia, predominantly to the health care, industrial infrastructure, banking and telecommunication sectors. The system “would absolutely work” in residential applications, Ng says, should anyone want an Ampd Silo for their home.

 North Shore businesses, large and small, believe that the time has come for a balanced approach to energy — and after this past winter the moment is right for action to lower energy costs and address climate change.

Whether running a small business, a major industrial operation or simply budgeting for home energy bills, we all share a reliance on affordable energy. But more and more, rising energy costs have become a major deterrent to economic development and job growth. To remain competitive with other regions, we must ensure we don’t burden local businesses with outrageously high energy costs which put us at a significant disadvantage.

Two years ago, we surveyed our members on economic issues important to them and high on the list was the rising cost of energy. It wasn’t surprising — after all, our region already was paying the highest energy costs in the continental U.S., adding around $1 billion per year to energy bills for families and businesses.

More surprising is that two years later, we still haven’t addressed this issue. Indeed, while there are a number of admirable and well-intentioned measures being considered, costs continue to rise. To make matters worse, we’re also facing serious environmental and power grid reliability challenges.

In December and January, our region burned 2 million barrels of oil over two weeks to generate electricity — significantly increasing our carbon emissions. Why was this necessary? Because we didn’t have access to enough cleaner-burning natural gas to meet the demand for both heating and power generation. As a result, we were depending on oil and coal for as much as 40 percent of our fuel mix – emitting enough carbon to wipe out 75 percent of the benefits we get from solar power every year. Even with all that extra coal and oil burn, according to the nonprofit operator of our power grid, New England was as little as 36 hours from having to ration electricity. That’s right – we came dangerously close to rolling blackouts in the 21st century in New England.

To be sure, we must continue to foster renewables such as wind and solar to transition to a lower-carbon future and address climate change. But we also need to acknowledge that this transition will take time. Right now, when the sun isn’t shining or the wind isn’t blowing, wind turbines and solar panels contribute little-to-no energy to our grid. In time, storage technology will likely be available on a larger scale and more affordable to help close that gap – but for the foreseeable future, we will need reliable, clean alternatives like natural gas to serve as a backstop so our lights stay on at home and our manufacturers can keep their assembly lines moving. Otherwise, no matter how much renewable infrastructure we build, we will continue to pay a premium to use oil and coal when the temperatures drop — and be faced with the threat of rolling blackouts.

Securing the North Shore’s energy future requires a responsible approach to meeting our energy needs today as we transition to renewables in the decades ahead. An energy policy that recognizes the conditions, constraints and opportunities in New England will ensure a better future for businesses and residents in our region.

Rob Bradford is president of the North Shore Chamber of Commerce.

Information from Portland Clean Energy Fund

Published: 28 July 2018

The Portland Clean Energy Fund initiative has received enough valid Portland voter signatures to qualify for the November 2018 ballot.

The Portland City Auditor Elections Division validated 39,755 of the 55,509 submitted signatures, which is more than 5,000 over the number needed.

The announcement means that Portland voters could decide to fund $30 million in clean energy projects including housing upgrades, living-wage jobs and job training, and green infrastructure.

“The people of Portland have spoken: the time is now for good jobs, healthy homes, and a clean energy future,” said chief petitioner Reverend E.D. Mondainé, president of the NAACP Portland branch and pastor of the Celebration Tabernacle Church in North Portland.

“Our broad and diverse community achieved something truly great in submitting far more than enough signatures for this historic measure. We look forward to victory at the ballot this November.”

The Portland Clean Energy Fund would raise more than $30 million per year to support energy efficiency housing upgrades, jobs and job training in clean energy, and new solar power and green infrastructure.

The measure will prioritize funding for housing upgrades and living-wage jobs for all underserved Portlanders, particularly low-income residents and people of color.

The Portland Clean Energy Fund would be funded by a 1percent business license surcharge that would only apply to mega-retailers with more than $1 billion per year in nation-wide gross revenue.

More than 150 organizations and businesses and over 50 elected officials, public figures, and faith leaders have endorsed the Portland Clean Energy Fund Campaign.

The steering committee consists of the following members:

• Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO)
• Coalition of Communities of Color (CCC)
• NAACP Portland branch
• Native American Youth and Family Center (NAYA)
• OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon
• Verde
• 350 PDX
• Audubon Society of Portland
• Columbia Riverkeeper
• Oregon chapter, Sierra Club
• Oregon Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR)