Lee Woo Sing College is committed to green management and education, and is the leading green College in CUHK. Being a pioneer of implementing green technologies on a university campus, we have invented and installed a number of first-in-Hong Kong energy saving and renewable energy systems, such as the smart meter and high-efficiency CIGS solar energy system, etc.. College management is committed to energy conservation. Our Campus Environment and Sustainability Committee and its energy saving working group are established to oversee the energy usage and solicit resources for energy saving initiatives. College also organize a series of green education campaigns to encourage the students and staff to live a green life.
Solar Power System
Hostel Smart Meter
Energy DashboardSmart Fresh Air SystemSolar Power System:
Department - College Collaboration
Lee Woo Sing College actively supports initiatives that benefit the environment. In 2011, Prof Xiao Xudong and Prof Li Quan from the Department of Physics successfully developed Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS) thin film solar cells known for their low production costs, high efficiency, and promising applications. Collaborating with the College, they installed CIGS panels on the rooftops starting in 2016, serving as a technological demonstration of CUHK’s research and providing valuable green education opportunities for students and the University community.
The solar panel system converts direct current generated by the solar cells into alternating current, which is then fed directly into the electricity grid to minimize transmission losses. This innovative feed-in setup was among the first applications on campus to join the Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme when it was launched by CLP and the government in 2019.
Solar System at South Block:
Solar Panels: 112 Units X 95w Solar Panels
Max. Energy Output: 10.7kW
Solar System at North Block:
Solar Panels: 272 Units X 95w Solar Panels
Max. Energy Output: 25kW
The total annual production of the two systems is around 25,000kWh.
The figures of the production is available on the cloud server as below.
Please refresh your browser if the graphs are unable to display correctly.
North Block
Dorothy and Ti-Hua KOO Building
Hostel Smart Meter System – WS Power
In order to raise students’ awareness of energy saving and environmental protection, Lee Woo Sing College installed a smart meter system in the hostel. This device is the first smart meter management system for hostels in Hong Kong. At present, nearly all university hostels in Hong Kong provide free electricity (except for air-conditioning). As the electricity is free, many students have relatively low awareness of electricity saving. It is common to not turn off lights, computers, or even high-power appliances before leaving the room. In light of that, Lee Woo Sing College designed an intelligent power reading device.
The smart meter system is able to capture the electricity usage of air conditioning, lighting and electric sockets per bedroom individually. In 2023, the college has revamped the system and migrated it to a brand new mobile app platform – WS Power. Students would have a chance to study their electricity consumption habit, usage pattern via this app, and adjust their habit when necessary. All the electricity usage in each bedroom is counted as a whole. Certain amount of free credit will be allocated to the room account. Students have to conduct top-up with online payment gateway for excessive usage beyond free credit limit, on a progressive scale.
The user guideline of the WS Power can be found at:
For those non-iOS users who are unable to access to Google Play, the APK file of “WS Power” can be download at : http://ff.cloud-building.site/wspower
| 2024/25 | Monthly Free Credit | 1st HKD50 | 2nd HKD50 | 3rd HKD50 | 4th HKD50 and thereafter |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Rate |
September and October: Other months: |
$1.27/ kWh |
$2.22/ kWh |
$2.85/ kWh |
$3.91/ kWh |
(Additional 10kWh monthly free credit will be given to the triple room)
Energy Dashboard
An energy dashboard is developed to monitor the electricity usage in the College area:
Smart Fresh Air System
Air conditioning is widely recognized as a significant source of energy consumption when it comes to cooling and reducing indoor humidity. To address this issue, Lee Woo Sing College has made concerted efforts to minimize energy use in its air-conditioning systems by implementing Smart Fresh Air Units.
Smart Fresh Air Units are designed to operate with low power consumption and are equipped with sensor technology that detects outdoor humidity and temperature. This allows the system to automatically adjust the flow of pre-treated air into indoor spaces. By increasing airflow, the system effectively lowers indoor humidity and temperature, thereby enhancing overall comfort for users and decreasing reliance on traditional air conditioning.
Since June 2023, one of the Smart Fresh Air Units has been serving the canteen hall. Energy consumption statistics indicate that, with this system in place, at least 20-30% of energy is saved in cooling efforts.
As a supporting measure, the glass curtain wall of LG1 fitness room and LG2 student dining room of Lee Woo Sing College was coated with a layer of infrared heat insulation film. The heat insulation film coating reduces the indoor temperature by 2-5°C, which saves the electricity cost of air-conditioning and the energy.
