Best Digital Innovation Award – Merit
Client:
MTR Corporation
Two International Finance Centre (2IFC) is a skyscraper that was constructed in 2003 and currently stands as the second-tallest building in Hong Kong. A cloud-based big data analytics software platform has been implemented to optimize the central chiller plant at 2IFC. The main objective of this implementation is to enhance energy efficiency and sustainability while ensuring the building remains functional and comfortable. Additionally, this initiative will improve the overall performance of the building, minimize its environmental impact, and reduce operational costs. By adopting this innovative solution, the owners and managers of 2IFC can enhance the value of the building, attract and retain tenants, and contribute to global sustainability goals. Overall, the objective of implementing innovations for 2ifc is to create a more sustainable and efficient built environment.
To achieve the objective, a cloud-based big data analytic platform has been implemented in 2020. The software platform communicates with the existing Building Management System (BMS) and Energy Management System (EMS) as well as some newly installed energy meters at 2ifc. It monitors building load, individual chiller’s performance, and energy consumption of major equipment such as chillers and chilled water pumps. Data were collected, transmitted, and analysed by the software platform. And then reports and actionable insights were generated automatically for relevant stakeholders to review and select final Energy Saving Opportunities (ESOs) for implementation. ESOs were implemented and measured for 12 months consecutively for the stakeholders to evaluate its energy saving performance. At the end of 2022, 12% of energy has been saved for the central chiller plant of 2ifc which is equivalent to over 1.2 million kWh of electricity saving and over 880 tons of CO2e reduction.
The central element of this innovative project was a cloud-based software platform that incorporated HTTPS security protocols. This platform underwent testing and verification by a third-party SRAA consultant. Data regarding equipment and system operations, specifically from 10 direct seawater-cooled chillers with a total capacity of approximately 10,000 refrigerant ton, was collected through temperature and ultrasonic water flow transducers, as well as energy meters installed within the chilled water system. Additional necessary data for analysis was obtained from the existing Building Management System (BMS) and Energy Management System (EMS) and fed into the data logger of the cloud-based software platform. This enabled continuous monitoring and analysis of both real-time and historical data.
The collected data was then analyzed, and the software platform automatically generated actionable insights. These insights were subsequently reviewed by the technical team from MTR, the project consultant, and the ACMV system maintenance service contractor. Based on these insights, adjustments were made to the operation settings of the chiller plant in order to meet the energy-saving targets.
The cloud-based software platform facilitated the collection and storage of trend logs from existing sensors, field devices, and the current Building Management System (BMS). This system ensured a secure connection to an offsite storage location provided by the cloud-based software service provider, where all collected data was stored. Within the platform, there was a hosted Fault Detection and Diagnostics (FDD) software that utilized offsite servers to receive data from the data logger. The FDD system analyzed a combination of hard wired and virtual data points using real-time and historical time-series data. This analysis involved comparing, diagnosing, evaluating, identifying, tracking, and generating reports.
The energy-saving, environmentally friendly, and sustainable performance of 2IFC has earned it several green certifications, including the “WELL Health-Safety Rating,” “WELL Performance Rating,” “Platinum of LEED v4.1 – Operations and Maintenance: Existing Buildings,” and “Platinum of Beam Plus Existing Building V2.0 Comprehensive Scheme.” In recognition of its energy-saving achievements, 2IFC was awarded the Grand Award (Existing Building) at the 2023 Excellent Building Award organized by the Building Services Division of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers. Additionally, it received the Merit Award from the Energy Saving Champion Scheme organized by the Environment and Ecology Bureau (EEB) and the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD). These accomplishments in energy-saving performance have laid a solid foundation and instilled confidence in the project team to proceed with the second phase.
In the next phase, the energy-saving opportunities (ESOs) implemented in the first phase will be reviewed, fine-tuned, and further improved. The team will propose and implement new ESOs to achieve even higher energy-saving targets. Considering that the major equipment of 2IFC’s central chiller plant was installed in 2003, the team will explore additional retro-commissioning and retrofitting measures based on the findings and identified opportunities from the first phase. This continuous improvement process will contribute to the ongoing development of 2IFC towards a greener future. In order to further support MTR’s carbon and greenhouse gas reduction roadmap, as well as other sustainability initiatives, we are dedicated to showcasing our leadership in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) principles by integrating sustainable thinking into various aspects of our operations. This approach will create long-term social, environmental, and economic value for the cities we serve.