Sino Group plans to sell solar energy from its Gold Coast and Skyline Tower properties under Hong Kong’s ‘feed-in tariff’ scheme
Property giant will apply to sell renewable energy to city’s power grid, showing that project is gaining interest not just from individuals, but developers too
A popular Hong Kong seaside residential and resort complex will apply to sell solar power to the public grid later this year, in a sign that the upcoming “feed-in tariff” scheme is garnering interest not just from homeowners, but from developers too.
Sino Group said it was open to buying renewable energy certificates – which would allow them to “own” a unit of energy from a renewable source – as well, but felt it would be more effective to invest more in its own distributed renewable energy generation.
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The developer is applying for the feed-in tariff scheme for its Gold Coast development in Tuen Mun and Skyline Tower office building in Kowloon Bay.
The latter already has a 0.45 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on its car park roof garden to power lift lobby lights, but the company said a more “substantial” 56kW system is being planned for the office tower roof and will feed electricity into the grid.
A 114kW system will be installed at the roof and first floors of the Gold Coast Piazza shopping centre.
“The easiest would be to just buy the certificates. But we choose the more tortuous route because it’s the means that we will benefit from, more than the ends,” executive director Sunny Yeung Kwong, who oversees the group’s sustainability committee, said. “We are open-minded with that, but if possible, we want to participate [in supplying renewable energy].”
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