Apart from providing unparalleled operation and maintenance service to public venues and healthcare facilities, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) of the HKSAR Government, has consistently applied innovative technologies, aiming to shorten the downtime, improve operational efficiency and achieve energy savings.
Multi-trade Integrated Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing (MiMEP) represents a modern construction approach in which building service systems are prefabricated off-site, facilitating quicker delivery and installation. Compared with traditional methods, MiMEP in the Repair, Maintenance, Addition & Alteration (RMAA) industry has shown benefits in healthcare settings, including reduced on-site construction time, minimized risks and disruption in sensitive patient care environments. MiMEP has been adopted in chiller and AHU replacements at public hospitals.
In supporting the Hong Kong Government's Climate Action Plan 2030+ and its goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, the EMSD has undertaken retro-commissioning (RCx) studies to optimise existing systems for enhanced energy efficiency. The RCx process identifies key opportunities for optimizing pump and chiller operations, implementing dynamic reset strategies, and integrating advanced predictive controls. A study implemented at the Main Clinical Block and Trauma Centre of Prince of Wales Hospital (PWH-MCB&TC) revealed significant energy savings opportunities within a short payback period, showcasing the scalability and practicality of adopting RCx for carbon reduction.
ChillStream®, a homebrew Artificial Intelligence (AI) chiller plant optimization system, was developed to minimize energy consumption based on real-time building energy usage and weather conditions without compromising resident's thermal comforts. Utilizing artificial neural networks for predictions and a hybrid optimization algorithm combining merits of swarm intelligence and evolutionary algorithm, real-time optimised control recommendations were feedbacked for chiller plant control. Presently, ChillStream® has been deployed to Tseung Kwan O Hospital Ambulatory Care Block, anticipating a 5% energy saving, with plans to extended its applications to other public hospitals and clinics in the future.
