Date: May 24, 2024
Time: 8:30pm – 9:30pm
Venue: 4 SEE Communities in Sheung Shui, Sai Kung, South Horizons and Fairview Park
At SEE Project led by Hong Kong Baptist Univeristy, our mission is to empower communities to incorporate energy savings into people's daily lives and bring solar energy to Hong Kong communities. We recently launched the "SEE 1 Hour Energy Saving Challenge" - an initiative designed to help households in our neighborhood to rethink their energy consumption habits, and create a positive experience in smart energy savings.
The vision behind this challenge was simple: to communicate and showcase the positive impact that can come from heightened awareness around energy data. By encouraging participants to rethink their energy-use patterns and take immediate action, we hoped to inspire a mindset shift towards more conscious and sustainable living.
On the evening of May 24th, at 8:30pm, we invited our communities to commit to powering down all unnecessary lights and electronics in their homes for 1 full hour. The goal was to track their energy savings during this time period, and then compare it to their typical usage for that same time slot on the same day the previous week.
The response was amazing. We received enthusiastic feedback from households, who shared photos and stories of how they spent their "lights out" hour. Some used the time to conduct a room-by-room audit, ensuring all electronics in "standby mode" were unplugged. Others took the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors, heading to the park, etc.
Households from Fairview Park went a step further, sharing that they "turned off almost all electrical switches and only used candles for lighting." Meanwhile, a family from South Horizons kept just the living room light on, opened the windows to allow for natural airflow, and spent the hour doing some light exercises and relaxation. Participants from Sai Kung and Sheung Shui sent us photos of their efforts to switch off all electronics in "standby mode" around their homes.
The data tracked by our SEE smart meters was equally compelling. The energy usage of the best-performing households saving over 80% of their electricity compared to the same day the previous week!
This feedback highlights the tremendous energy-saving potential that lies within small, habitual changes. When we are more attuned to our consumption patterns, we can make impactful decisions to cut back without sacrificing our comfort or convenience.
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