Fairview Park: SEE Phase 3 First Workshop

Date: 31 January 2026 (Saturday)

Location: Fairview Park

The Asian Energy Studies Centre (AESC) of the Hong Kong Baptist University, Department of Geography, successfully held the first workshop of Phase 3 of the SEE Smart Energy Community research programme — “Community Energy Envisioning VR Experience” — officially marking the launch of the new research phase. The workshop brought together 11 households from Fairview Park, who explored the possibilities of low-carbon community energy development through immersive experiences and interactive discussions.

The workshop was structured into three main parts. Participants first took turns experiencing the research team’s newly developed Community Energy Envisioning VR. Through virtual reality, residents were immersed in a familiar neighbourhood setting, where they encountered different community stakeholders under various scenarios and were invited to make choices related to low-carbon energy development. This immersive approach enabled participants to reflect from a first-person perspective on the trade-offs and impacts behind different energy decisions.

In the second part, participants were divided into small groups to share and discuss the choices they made during the VR experience. They reflected on how their past daily practices and community experiences shaped their understanding and judgement of energy-related issues. Through these exchanges, the research team gained deeper insights into residents’ real-life energy use patterns, as well as their expectations and perceived challenges regarding low-carbon transitions within the community.

The third part focused on translating ideas into action. Participants learned how to become “Home Energy Auditors” by understanding what an energy audit is and how to conduct a simple assessment of household electricity use. This session helped residents identify energy-saving strategies suitable for their own homes, extending community-level discussions into everyday household practices and supporting the transformation of low-carbon concepts into practical actions.