Have lots of second hand furniture in my flat that looks surprisingly chic (bought from asiaxpat). Minimal use of appliances, turn off power at night of TV, DVD, computer and music. Use energy efficient lights (bought in Ikea), have lights on only in rooms where needed. Quick fast showers. Air con on in summer only when very hot, fan in sitting room and windows open so can occasionally hear a bird tweet and enjoy any noises from nature (but usually hear the roar from the street below). Drink tap water, try not to 'over flush', freeze food, use my microwave sparingly and keep plastic bags to reuse.
How would I like live tomorrow?
For one thing, small flats in HK need small recycling bins that look good and can fit into small kitchens. We need to change the way we heat, cool and light our buildings, and to do this we need intelligent, wireless controls that can sense when people are in a room and when they are not. I'd also like to see my electricity bill better broken down as smart bills into what exactly I am paying for and at what time. I think Hong Kong should also be making the most of its sunshine and then my building would have some sort of integrated photovoltaic-thermal system, a solar water heating system and the roof could be used to harvest solar energy. I'd also like to jump into sexy sports car capable of driving on zero emissions, drive around and not feel guilty. I hope in the future that designers, architects, engineers, product designers in Hong Kong will come forward and create a quality of life that is energy efficient but still enjoyable.
Ms Ciara Shannon, CEO, Eden Ventures