– A COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY CONSIDERATIONS
Designed by renowned architect, Mr. I. M. Pei, and completed in 1988, the Bank of China Tower is a rectangular in shape at its base and triangular in shape from mid way to the top. The 70-storey high-rise office tower with total gross floor area approximately 130,000m2 and is considered as one of Hong Kong’s landmark buildings. It is located in Central Hong Kong near the MTR and the Harbour front.
The facade of the Bank of China Tower is clad in a laminated reflective curtain wall system with single layered clear floating glazing. A central chiller plant provides airconditioning to the building. It consists of 10 air-cooled centrifugal chillers (each with a cooling capacity of 350TR) at roof for normal office hours and 2 air-cooled reciprocating chillers (each with a cooling capacity of 100TR) for night time operation and are located on the 7th floor.
Property management team for the Bank of China Tower is Sun Chung Properties Management Ltd. (SCPM). In view of environmental and energy efficiency considerations incorporated into the building design, operation, maintenance and management, the Bank of China Tower was submitted for certification to HK-BEAM (the Hong Kong Building Environmental Assessment Method) for Existing Office Buildings (Version 2/96R) in 2002. These environmental achievements accomplishedthe highest HK-BEAM rating of Excellent. Examples of these environmental building maintenance and management features include:
COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
SCPM has established company and purchasing policies to minimise the impacts of the building on the environment by complying laws and code of practises in Hong Kong; minimizing the use of natural resources; adopting the policies as “House Rules; and promoting good environmental practises and green purchasing manners to staff, tenants, suppliers and contractors to follow. SCPM conducts an environmental programme to replace the existing ozone depletion refrigerant chillers.
ENERGY MONITORING AND TARGETING
SCPM executes energy monitoring and targeting by recording and reviewing monthly electricity consumption of the premises and establishes reduction target on building’s overall electricity consumption. In addition, retaining a budget for energy efficiency improvement works in air-conditioning and lighting systems.
ENERGY AND RESOURCES CONSERVATION
Energy conservations are performed by adoption of high frequency ballast for light fittings at office and public areas; installation of heat reclaim chiller to preheat incoming water supply for winter space heating; and prediction of low annual air conditioning energy to save energy. Moreover, SCPM also use infrared sensor water taps, motion sensor urinals and dual flush for ladies water closets to fulfil water conservation.
MINIMIZING OF CAR PARKING SPACE
In order to encourage tenants to use public transportation facilities and reduce the carbon dioxide emission to the atmosphere; only 370 car parking spaces are provided for the building. This provision is below originally proposed in the lease condition (500 car parking space).
INDOOR AIR QUALITY SURVEY
SCPM adopts non-smoking policy within the building and executed an indoor air quality survey to the occupied office areas to guarantee the levels of carbon dioxide; respirable suspended particle (RSP) and radon are below the stipulated standards, thus to provide good and healthy working environment to tenants.