Overview
|
|
2006 |
2007 |
2008 (Jan-Nov.) |
|
Total Market Size |
891 |
958 |
1,400 |
|
Total Local Production |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
|
Total Exports |
12,010 |
13,054 |
12,488 |
|
Total Imports |
12,901 |
14,012 |
13,888 |
|
Imports from the U.S. |
662 |
660 |
613 |
The above table shows total trading values on building materials (including switching circuits, conductors, steel alloys, cement and other hardware) in Hong Kong.
All figures are in US$ millions. The above statistics are unofficial estimates, extracted from Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department and other sources.
There has been growth in the usage of environmentally friendly building products during the last few years as a result of growing public awareness, new industry standards and the introduction of new technologies. In addition, developers are finding “green” features economical in the long run, despite higher initial installation costs.
Best Products/Services
Hong Kong is a significant retrofit market due to the large inventory of existing commercial and residential properties. However, market demand will mostly be driven by commercial property owners and developers. T5 lamps, variable speed pumps, heat recovery systems, service-on-demand features, advanced window glazings, motion sensors and building-integrated photovoltaic panels are becoming popular. Key areas of sustainable building in Hong Kong are: energy efficiency, lighting, indoor air quality, water management and waste management.
The best opportunities for American suppliers include technology and appliances that save energy, recover heat, improve indoor air quality (i.e. building materials with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions), recycled building products, renewable energy technology, energy and water efficiency and management technologies. Services in architectural design, environmental engineering and building efficiency are also excellent prospects.
Opportunities
Hong Kong has several voluntary energy efficiency and related certification programs, and a new mandatory building efficiency code will likely to be rolled out in 2009. Certification programs include Hong Kong Energy Efficiency Registration Scheme for Buildings (HKEERSB), Comprehensive Environmental Performance Assessment Scheme (CEPAS), Energy Efficiency Labeling Scheme (EELS), Hong Kong Green Labeling Scheme (HKGLS) and Building Environmental Assessment Method (BEAM). The Hong Kong Energy Efficiency Registration Scheme for Buildings (HKEERSB) was launched in October 1998 by the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department to promote the application of Building Energy Codes of Practice (BEC). Buildings meeting BEC standards receive a certificate along with rights to use the Scheme’s ‘Energy Efficient Building’ logo. By December 2008, 2,259 registration certificates had been issued to 931 building venues involving 2,436 installations.
The government is preparing to implement mandatory BECs by 2010 to reduce power consumption. They would apply to all new commercial buildings and to public areas of new residential and industrial buildings, as well as to existing buildings undergoing major renovation. The codes cover the energy efficiency of air conditioning, lifts, and escalators, lighting and electrical installations in communal areas.
The design-and-build government complex project at the Tamar site in Central Hong Kong, which will house the new US$630 million government headquarters, will be one of the government's "greenest" complexes when completed in 2011. Environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient features will include double-layer ventilated facades, green roofs, high energy efficiency sea-water cooled chiller plants, rainwater recycling for irrigation purpose, solar electricity panels, service-on-demand escalators, daylight sensor controls and computerized lighting controls.
Universities in Hong Kong are promoting a “green campus” concept through various measures. For example, the City University of Hong Kong plans to reduce energy consumption by 7% over a 5-year period using year 2003 as the baseline. Some of the energy saving measures include replacement of illuminated exit signs with LED lamps, increase of room temperatures to 25 ºC, replacement of lighting fittings with T-5 energy efficient fluorescent tubes, installation of heat pumps for hot water supply for shower use, and installation of capacitor banks to power distribution systems to enhance the power factor.
Hong Kong developers are particularly active in bidding for work in major cities in China. For example, Hang Lung Properties pledged to invest US$5.1 billion in building commercial properties on the Mainland by 2009; Swire Pacific has already invested over US$2.6 billion in hotels and commercial development; and Wharf Holdings has bid on 17 sites since mid-2005 with a total investment of US$3.8 billion. The proactive investment of Hong Kong developers should open up new opportunities in the Mainland for construction companies in Hong Kong. U.S. green building product and service suppliers should take advantage of Hong Kong’s strategic location and its ties with China to penetrate the China market.
Resources
Major Trade Shows:
Future Build Trade Mission to Hong Kong, Singapore and Bangkok (April 20-28, 2009): http://www.buyusa.gov/globaldesignbuild/futurebuildmission.html
Hong Kong International Building and Decoration Materials & Hardware Fair 2009 (Oct 28 - 31, 2009): http://www.hkbdh.com/
Asian Elenex 2010 / Asian Building Technologies and Interiors 2010 (June 4-6, 2010): http://www.asianelenex.com
Associations:
Buildings Department
http://www.bd.gov.hk
Council for Sustainable Development
http://www.susdev.gov.hk
Electrical and Mechanical Services Department
http://www.emsd.gov.hk
HK-BEAM Society
http://www.hk-beam.org.hk
Hong Kong Professional Green Building Council
http://www.hkpgbc.org/
For more information about this industry sector, please contact U.S. Commercial Service:
Kimmy Lee, Commercial Specialist
Email: kimmy.lee@mail.doc.gov
Tel: (852) 2521-1467; Fax: (852) 2845-9800