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John Cremer

Property management companies trying to protect the environment and promote greener practices have one thing on their side - the power of multiplication.

It takes just one good initiative multiplied by dozens of buildings multiplied by hundreds of tenants or residents to start making a noticeable difference. If they then multiply the number of initiatives, the impact is exponential.

And what such companies now realise is that clear-sighted environmental programmes, even when initially small in scale, soon win widespread support and can generate substantial cost savings.

Kendrew Leung  Chun-yuen, managing director of Savills Property Management, said: 'We saw the demand and that we can influence practices.'

The firm oversees more than 200 mainly grade-A commercial and residential properties in Hong Kong. 'One of our goals now is to maintain efforts in conservation to create a greener future for Hong Kong.'

Therefore, in co-operation with the Environmental Protection Department, the company has focused on the areas of recycling, water supply, indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy saving.

A scheme for the source separation of domestic waste is operating successfully in various government quarters and hospital blocks. It already goes well beyond colour-coded recycling bins for paper, plastics and cans to collecting used clothes, old books, batteries and toner cartridges. Together, these now account for a substantial annual tonnage of recyclable material.

'It is done on a voluntary basis with clients and residents' committees,' Mr Leung said. 'But people do act and have really put in the effort to help us implement these activities.'

Savills has seen the importance of regular maintenance for cutting wastage and conserving resources. Following directives from the Water Supplies Department, the company has been checking pipes and tanks at least four times a year and made quality plumbing a priority.

'We have also arranged regular maintenance and cleaning of all central ventilation and air-con systems,' said Mr Leung. 'More than 30 per cent of our buildings now have an IAQ certification scheme award and, ultimately, we will roll this out to the full portfolio.'

He said that major investment might be required to save more energy, perhaps involving the replacement of transformers with electronic ballasts or the recalibration of main chiller plants for air-conditioning systems. However, taking a payback period of three or more years, this could lead to significant reductions in electricity consumption and recurrent costs.

As an example, such measures had helped achieve a 40 per cent drop in power costs at the Lippo Centre and saved about 8.2 million units of electricity since 2002.

Sunny Yeung Kwong,  associate director of Sino Land, said that the key to saving energy and being environmentally friendly was to win the support of staff and residents and to lead by example. It also paid to remember that when managing about 47 million sqft of premises, small changes, seen cumulatively, had a big impact.

To illustrate this, Mr Yeung said the group was in the process of modifying the software controlling the speed and timing of lifts and escalators to introduce 'off-peak programming'. Also, light sensors were being installed so that external lighting would no longer operate on a fixed regime but would come on when needed. These 'gains' steadily added up. However, Mr Yeung said that lasting change also depended on developing the right mindset through education and training.

'It must become second nature to turn off a light,' he said. 'The benefits will not come overnight, but we have to be patient and show perseverance.'

William Lau  Hon-ming, head of property management in Hong Kong for Jones Lang LaSalle, confirmed that introducing green policies took real commitment.

'It is not a short-term process,' he said 'But clients appreciate our efforts when they see significant cost savings from adopting appropriate sustainable methods.'

He emphasised the importance of developers, building owners and occupiers working together to establish clear goals and identify where further savings or improvements could be made. This could be done more easily if all those concerned had sufficient training in the best energy-saving practices and a detailed understanding of what it took to promote green concepts.

The company, which manages about 300 properties, has made it a priority to run training sessions for interested clients and has maintained an 'environmental fit-out guide' for contractors since 2003.

This includes recommendations on sustainable building practices, which can make a significant contribution to the reduction of waste and maintaining a cleaner urban environment.

Careful forward planning for one grade-A building, led to the incorporation of automatic Venetian blinds, methods to control solar heat in indoor areas, and a triple-glazed active wall system for sound insulation and better ventilation.

'We will continue to partner with our clients to encourage and implement energy efficient management, waste management and indoor air quality control,' Mr Lau said.

'The shift towards sustainability is gaining momentum in society.'



Move towards greener buildings gains pace