1 PROPOSED MANDATORY BUILDING ENERGY CODE SCHEME  
IN HONG KONG, CHINA  
 
WTO Notification Document  
 
INTRODUCTION   
1. Launched in 1998 by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) 
of the Government of the Hong Kong Spec ial Administrative Region (HKSAR), the Hong 
Kong Energy Efficiency Registration Sche me for Buildings serves to promote the 
application of the Building Energy Code (B EC).  Compliance with the Building Energy 
Code is now on a voluntary basis.  To furth er promote the energy efficiency of new and 
existing buildings, the Government of HKSA R will introduce a Mandatory Building Energy 
Code (BEC) Scheme through legislative mean s to achieve the following objectives:  
 
(a) improve energy efficiency in new and existing buildings in order to meet 
the challenge of climate change and 
(b) raise the public awareness on environmental protection through energy 
efficient design of buildin g services installations. 
 2. It is in fact a well-established internati onal practice to require buildings to comply 
with minimum energy efficiency standards by means of legisl ation.  For example, many 
countries, including China, Australia, Singa pore, India, the United Kingdom and the 
United States have implemented minimum en ergy efficiency standards for buildings.  
 3. The proposed scheme will be introduced  into the Legislative Council of the 
HKSAR for vetting by end 2009. 
 
ENERGY EFFICIENCY REQUIREMENTS OF BUILDING SERVICES INSTALLATIONS 
 
4. The proposed scheme requires buildi ngs to comply with minimum energy 
efficiency standards for the system design of th e four key types of fixed building services 
installations, namely, lighting, air conditioning, electrical and li ft & escalator installations.  
In designing air conditioning and electrical inst allations, the control on energy efficiency 
standards for the following three categories of building services equipment will be 
involved:  
i. room air conditioner, unita ry air-conditioner and chiller; 
ii. polyphase induction motor; and 
iii. distribution transformer.  2 
5. The minimum energy efficiency standa rds for the above equipment are shown in 
tables 6.12a, 6.12b, 7.4.1 and 7.5.1 of the dra ft Code of Practice fo r Energy Efficiency of 
Building Services Installation in Buildings.  6. Registration of such individual equipm ent will not be required and there will not 
be any restriction on import and sale of  such equipment in Hong Kong under the 
proposed scheme. 
  
COMPLIANCE PROCEDURES AND ENFORCEMENT 
 
7. Developers of post-enact ment buildings (i.e. buildings obtaining the consent for 
commencement of the works for superstruct ure construction from Building Authority of 
Hong Kong after the legislation comes in to operation) are required to submit 
self-declarations which are certified by re gistered energy assessors (professional 
engineers who have been registered with the EMSD) to the Director of EMSD (DEMS) to 
confirm that the buildings have complied with the BEC.  DEMS will then issue 
Certificates of Compliance Registration (C OCR) to developers upon receipt of the 
required information and document.  Subseque nt building owners are required to apply 
for renewal of the COCR every ten years.  8. Energy efficiency should also be ma intained or improved whenever major 
retrofitting works are carried out in buildi ngs.  Major retrofitting works will include 
addition/replacement of a building services installation in retrofitting works covering a 
floor area of 500 m
2 or above, or addition/replacement of a main component of central 
building services installations (including a co mplete electrical circuit at rating 400A or 
above; or a unitary air-conditioner or a chille r at rating 350kW or above; or motor drive 
and mechanical drive of a lift or escalator etc.).  Responsible persons (e.g. owners, 
tenants) of the relevant pr emises or common areas are th en required to engage or 
appoint registered energy as sessors to certify that the relevant retrofitted building 
services installations have complied with the BEC.  The registered energy assessors will 
then be required to issue Forms of Comp liance (FOC) to the re sponsible persons upon 
certification.  9. The developers, building owners, res ponsible persons or registered energy 
assessors are required to also submit technical information (s uch as specifications, factory 
test reports etc.) of the rele vant equipment when they submit their application for COCR 
or copy of FOC to EMSD for checking/record.  10. Sample site inspections of completed installations will also be carried out by  3EMSD to verify the compliance with the BEC. 
 11. Monetary penalties will be imposed on developers, building owners, responsible 
persons or registered energy assessors for non-compliance under the proposed scheme.  
However, there will be no penalty provisio ns for manufacturers or suppliers of 
equipment.  
TRANSITIONAL ARRANGEMENT 
 12. We plan to propose to establish a grac e period of at least 12-months after the 
new legislation come into operation, in order to enable the relevant trades to make the 
necessary preparations for th e transition from the voluntary scheme to the mandatory 
scheme.