Green Product from Power Partners, Inc., in Athens, GA, will be Core Part of Hong Kong's First Building to Generate Zero Carbon
ATHENS, GA - Hong Kong's Construction Industry Council (CIC) is building Hong Kong's first zero carbon building, and it will include an ECO-MAX adsorption chiller made in Athens by Power Partners, Inc., as part of a tri-generation system that provides power, heat and cooling to the building. The building, which will soon have a name, is expected to be complete in mid-2012 and is a pioneer project to showcase state-of-the-art eco-building design and technology for local and international audiences. Power Partners shipped the chiller in December.
Hong Kong's CIC and Development Bureau will fund the HK$240 million, two-story building, which will occupy approximately 10% of a 150,000 square foot property in Kowloon Bay. The building will generate 70% of its electricity by using biodiesel derived from waste cooking oil. The remaining 30% will come from solar or photovoltaic panels located on the roof. The CIC projects that 8,250 tons of greenhouse gases over a period of 50 years will be prevented.
Once open, the project will provide an education platform to showcase green building technologies and low carbon living to the industry, the public and students. The project has seven key components, including a showcase of zero carbon design provisions and technologies, eco-offices, a showcase eco-home, an indoor exhibition and education space, Hong Kong's first urban woodland, an eco-garden and an outdoor exhibition area.
The CIC has targeted the building to qualify for BEAM Plus Platinum, the highest benchmark for green construction. "CIC's Zero Carbon Building goes beyond internationally recognized definitions of zero carbon building," said Yu Wai-wai, Zero Carbon Building Task Force Chairman. "The building is designed to generate more renewable energy than its operational needs, thus allowing the surplus energy to be used by others in the surrounding area."
The ECO-MAX adsorption chillers made by Power Partners save energy by using waste heat to address a facility's refrigeration and/or air conditioning needs. Tri-generation systems that combine cogeneration with an ECO-MAX chiller enable simultaneous production of power, heat and cooling from a single heat source and result in overall system efficiency, as well as savings in capital and energy costs. The company manufactures chillers whose power production ranges from 10 to 330 RT, or tons of refrigeration. The Zero Carbon Building chiller produces 20 RT. In its information materials about the Zero Carbon Building, the CIC says the building will be the first generation plant in Hong Kong which harvests waste heat for energy generation.
"It is an honor for Power Partners' ECO-MAX chillers to be a part of such a signature project for China. In a time when products imported to the U.S.A. far exceed exports, it is refreshing to have a technology so desirable that it makes the export list and will be showcased to promote green education and a low-carbon lifestyle," said Mike Stonecipher, Power Partners Business Segment Leader.
About Power Partners
Power Partners is a leading manufacturer of overhead distribution transformers, serving utility, industrial and commercial customers in North America, Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean and other markets. More than 8 million transformers have been produced at the company's manufacturing facility in Athens, GA, over its 50-year history. More recently, Power Partners has also been producing ECO-MAX adsorption chillers and solar water heating systems. Power Partners is a partner in the EPA's Combined Heat and Power Partnership (CHP) and in the Green Supplier Network. The company is ISO 14001: 2004 certified.
Recently, SJF Institute and Citi Foundation named Power Partners one of the seven 2011 winners of the Green Jobs Award for its contributions to the economy and the environment. The company also received the Excellence in Sustainability award at the 2011 Manufacturing Innovations Conference, a national event sponsored by the National Institute of Standards' Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP). Power Partners was honored for its breakthrough, environmentally responsible products, including ECO-MAX adsorption chillers and solar thermal products, and for the energy saving measures it utilizes in its manufacturing facility.
For more information, contact Tom Lopp at 706/548-3121, Ext. 401, or at tom.lopp@powerpartners-usa.com.
