Chapter 1 Introduction
Hong Kong Ocean Park is a major tourist attraction centre and a world financial centre to the Southeast of China. This means that thousands of visitors arrive in this park to enjoy the mild climate as well as the attractive coastal scenery on an annual basis. The Ocean Park is located to the southern end of the Hong Kong Island and covers an estimated land area of 169.5 acres. It is almost being considered to be the worlds largest ocean park. One needs a cable car to access the park either through the Tai Shue Wan Entrance or the Main Entrance. The park has three sections with the two main sections lying on the headlands of Mount Nanlang while the smaller section lies within the Haung Zhu Keng Valley (Travel China Guide, 2009).
A tour through the Ocean Park usually begins from the lowland section in the valley towards the highland section. On such a tour, beginning at the Tai Shue Wan Entrance, a tourist will be able to see several ancient structures including temples, pavilions and streets. The Hong Kong Jockey Giant Panda Habitat is situated within the middle kingdom on very lush green environment. At this section, tourists can enjoy watching the Pandas, eat, and sleep. Tourists are then treated to vivid dinosaur models, the Chinese Alligator, and the Chinese Giant Salamander. The tour will then lead to the highland section where tourists are able to have a spectacular view of the Hong Kong Island including the maritime landscape including Atoll Reef, Ocean Park Tower among other marvellous features (Travel China Guide, 2009).
The numerous thrilling tourist attractions that riddle the Hong Kong Ocean Park continue to attract millions of tourists from across the world. Once a tourist visits the Ocean Park, there is always the desire to come back given the numerous exiting features that the park has in store (Travel China Guide, 2009).
The numerous visitors that arrive in Hong Kong Ocean Park on a daily basis means that the provision of tourism related services including hospitality facilities are a critical necessity within the Ocean Park. This is because the high number of tourists needs to be accommodated, fed, and entertained. Normally the tourist related facilities especially hospitality is a big consumer of energy. This means that the use of energy within the ocean park is a very significant area of concern within the Island (Travel China Guide, 2009).
Energy conservation, especially the use of renewable energy is a very important aspect in business environment today. It is a key concern for most establishments to work out ways of acquiring an economical source of energy to be utilized in their operations. According to energy experts and conservationists, energy efficiency is a very significant economical source of energy. The conservation of energy comes with several benefits to a business. This is because the use of energy in an efficient manner helps in reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere it helps in lowering cost spent on energy, and has the overall benefits of conserving the existing energy supplies (Chevron Corporation, 2009).
The significance of energy conservation has become quite central in business to an extent that companies have come up to specifically aid other business and particularly the hospitality industry to cut down on energy use at their facilities. To achieve self sufficiency in energy conservation, energy experts have developed high-efficiency equipment upgrades that are able to ensure sufficient energy supply while maintaining significant operational savings. Though it may appear as a heavy investment at the beginning, the overall costs saved through energy conservation are sufficient to cover the costs involved in installing the high-efficiency equipment (Chevron Corporation, 2009).
The use of renewable energy has been steadily gaining ground throughout Hong Kong and the Ocean Park has not been an exception. This has been as a result of the gradual reduction in the fossil fuel reserves as well as the impact of fossil fuel usage on the environment. The high dependency of Hong Kong Ocean Park on energy has significantly prompted the promotion of the use of renewable energy within the Ocean Park facilities. This is due to the large numbers of hospitality facilities that exist within the Ocean Park to cater for the very large numbers of tourists visiting this park (Government of Hong Kong, 2009).
The usage of renewable energy in the entire Hong Kong and particularly within the Ocean Park has consistently being within the concerns of the Hong Kong Government. This has seen the government lead the campaign for the use of renewable sources of energy. Tourism related facilities remain a big consumer of energy in Hong Kong especially in a major tourism spot like the Ocean Park. The key areas that the government has been emphasizing include the use of solar energy for heating waters at the tourist hotels and the use of photovoltaic systems to generate electricity. It is on this basis that concerns on the exploitation of energy from the sun, wastes and wind have continually being explored in Hong Kong Ocean Park (Government of Hong Kong, 2009).
Thesis Statement
Hong Kong Ocean Park is a small Island but a major tourist destination in Southeast China. Tourism sector is a major energy consumer and thus a lot of energy is required to be applied in the Ocean Park. Continued use of fossil energy will thus contribute to major environmental problems to this green park. It is therefore important that application of renewable energy be given priority in this park. Disneyland, though also a theme park in Hong Kong, could not be suitable for this kind of study given its small size and only four attraction areas including Main St. USA, Adventureland, Tommorowland, and Fantasyland. This means Disneyland has fewer activities to warrant the huge investment costs associated with renewable energy.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
Hong Kong Ocean Park is a major tourist destination in the South Eastern China. This means that the high number of Park visitors necessitated very heavy investment in the hospitality industry in the Ocean Park. The hospitality industry is a sector in which energy is a very pertinent component. Ranging from kitchen activities, indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, room ventilation, entertainment equipment, cleaning services, and communication appliances, it is clear that this sector consumes significant amounts of energy. The cost of energy has gone up and if not closely monitored may have the effect of reduced profitability for a business. It is on this statement that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park becomes quite vital.
1.2 Background of the Problem
Given the strategic role of Hong Kong Ocean Park in the tourism sector and the resultant investment in the hospitality industry within the Ocean Park, it is important that special attention is given to energy usage in the hospitality industry and further to explore the application of renewable energy within the Ocean Park. Energy is very essential for the daily running of activities in the hospitality industry. Without energy it would be very difficult to manage operations in this sector. The significance of energy to this industry means that the entire stakeholders have a responsibility to manage energy to an extent that would ensure its sustainability. The factors to bear in mind when addressing issues revolving around energy conservation in the hospitality industry are to a great extent influenced by how significant the cost and environmental effects of energy are to the industry and the wider business strategy and positioning (Executiveaction Series, 2005).
The hospitality industry is considered to be consuming large volumes of energy given that its activities run nearly 24 hours everyday. As a result, the energy costs in areas such as hotels and lodges may rise to very high levels if proper energy management practices are not developed and implemented. Despite the existence of this possibility of incurring shocking energy costs in unregulated hotel and lodging facilities, very few hospitality facilities have developed energy management programs especially the application of renewable energy. When proper strategies to save energy are put in place the hospitality industry stands to register overall saving in operation costs by up to 35 (Madsen, 2003).
While many hospitality industry stakeholders may consider the application of renewable energy programs to involve huge capital investments, experts are of the opinion that very simple and best practices may be adopted to ensure significant savings on energy. Some of the suggested best practices may include setting of thermostats to cool at to 85 degrees F in the unoccupied rooms, not renting out guestrooms affected by climate and that may require cooling or heating, and cleaning or replacing fitters. Any single best practice that is implemented can enable a facility to reduce savings by nearly 6 (Schimml, 2009).
Building upgrading and infrastructural improvement can significantly reduce average monthly energy costs. Such improvements can form part of significant component in the energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability programs for this industry. Such improvement programs may include replacement of aging equipment as well as maintaining temperature and humidity within hotel buildings. It is very important the hotel buildings are improved to have their own power plants for ensuring steam heating, electricity and gas lighting. It is however important to not that the prominence of a hospitality facility is based on it originality and charm. As such, improvements should be done in such a manner that does not compromise originality (Schimml, 2009).
1.3 Justification for the Study
Undertaking the study on the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park is a timely study given the efforts that the Hong Kong Government is placing on the substitution of fossil fuel usage with renewable energy sources. The activities of the Ocean Park are tourism related with heavy investments in hospitality industry which is a huge consumer of energy. This means that the diminishing fossil energy resources are a key threat to business in general at the Ocean Park. For sustainability to be realized in energy usage within the Ocean Park, it is important not only to explore but also to encourage the application of renewable energy sources key among them is solar and wind energy. The government of Hong Kong as well as the Ocean Park business community should therefore be fully encouraged to consider making a major shift from fossil energy to renewable energy.
1.4 Deficiencies in the Evidence
Energy usage is to a greater extent determined by the nature of business as well as the activities that a business is involved in. The variation in energy requirements of different investments would to a greater extend be the determining factor in the choice of energy type that one chooses to apply. Though the use of renewable energy is considered of substantial benefit with regard to sustainable energy use, it comes with heavy initial investments and is limited in the magnitude of application. Subsequently, the decision on the type of energy to utilise may not necessarily dependent on the environmental concerns but rather on the needs of any particular investment as well as the availability of resources. The evidence obtained for this study may thus be grossly compromised by the individual investor considerations within the Hong Kong Ocean Park.
1.5 Definition of Terms
Renewable Energy these include all sources of energy that are abundant in nature and can therefore not very easily run out. Key amongst them includes energy sources that come from the sun, water, wind, waves, and biomass. The key importance of these energy sources is that they can be used and be reused. They are also valued for their not being associated with the emission of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric pollutants.
Hospitality Industry refer to the sector that offers accommodation services including homes, hotels, hostels, and lodging.
Energy Conservation refers to all measures taken to ensure sustainable energy supply, energy efficiency, and energy availability in future.
1.6 Purpose of the Study
This study was based on the concept that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park would significantly contribute to energy conservation and lead to a reduction in the levels of carbon emission into the atmosphere. The study was designed to
Assess the potentials that exist for the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park.
Evaluate the benefits that are associated with the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park.
Examine the efforts by Hong Kong government towards the promotion of the use of renewable energy.
Highlight the problems that are associated with the usage and the dependence on fossil fuels as the main source of energy.
To come up with recommendations to the Hong Kong Ocean Park stakeholders on the sustainable application of renewable energy.
1.7 Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were tested in this study
H01 The dominant activity at Hong Kong Ocean Park is tourism related.
HA1 The dominant activity at Hong Kong Ocean Park is not related to tourism.
H02 Energy sources within Hong Kong Ocean Park are drawn from fossil fuels.
HA2 Hong Kong Ocean Park is not exclusively dependent on fossil fuels for it energy.
H03 The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park will significantly improve environmental conservation measures.
HA3 The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park will not have any significant implication on environmental conservation measures.
H04 Application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park comes with very huge capital investments that most Ocean Park investors cannot afford.
HA4 The costs associated with the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park are not out of reach of the Ocean Park investors.
1.8 Implications for Environmental Conservation
This study may lead to significant reductions of pollution related issues particularly environmental degradation and emission of carbon to the atmosphere that have for a long time been associated with the use of fossil fuels. These changes could result to sustainable energy use and energy conservation in general not only at the Ocean Park, but rather a significant achievement that can be copied to other parts of the world. The results of the study may also prompt the hospitality investors to consider installing renewable energy facilities within their units as a way of achieving significant reductions in energy related costs. The government will also be prompted to intensify both investment and campaigns towards the use of renewable energy.
1.9 Summary
The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park would be a very good step in the right direction in terms of environmental conservation through reduction of carbon emission to the atmosphere. It will also be very useful to investors given the significant reductions in energy related costs that are likely to be achieved as a result of the application of renewable energy. The study has been designed to examine the alternative sources of renewable energy that can be applied at the Ocean Park. Chapter 2 is a detailed literature review on issues that relate to the use of renewable energy in Hong Kong. Special emphasis has however been laid on the Hong Kong Ocean Park. Chapter 3 outlines data collection and treatment. Chapter 4 presents the study findings while chapter 5 is a discussion of the findings.
Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 Overview
The world wide concerns over matters of climate change and the heightened campaign by environmental lobbies for energy consumers to transit to more environmental friendly energy as a measure of reducing the effects of global warming has steadily gained ground in the last few years. This has led to intensive research and other world class discussions on the application of renewable. Despite such concerted efforts being made world wide, full transition from the carbon intensive sources of energy is yet to be realized. This means that success towards efficient energy use as well as reduced effects of carbon to the atmosphere will still be a concern for few more years. While improving the use of fossil energy is strongly being pursued as a key solution, the long term and almost permanent solution would lie in the application of renewable energy (Allianz Knowledge Partnersite 2009).
Oil though a non renewable source of energy, it still remains the worlds main energy source and will continue to meet the world energy requirements for more decades to come. This means that the declining oil reserves have had the effect of driving too high the world oil prices. This means that commodity prices will continue to be on the rise and energy costs could account for the biggest percentage of the costs of doing business. This has brought in a lot of discussions on energy security (Allianz Knowledge Partnersite 2009).
Given the uncertainty of energy security, it is prudent that energy experts shift focus towards the promotion of the use of those sources of energy that would not only guarantee reliability in supply but would also generally be acceptable to all stakeholders as a means of addressing environmental concerns, especially matters of global warming. This bring to the fore considerations on the application of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, biomass, and to some extent hydrogen. These come in a variety of forms and one only needs to identify the form that most suit their needs (Allianz Knowledge Partnersite 2009).
2.2 Benefits of Using Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is generally considered as using energy from such sources that can be easily replaced. Key among these sources are sunshine which can be realized on a daily basis, wind which will always flow no matter how little, flowing water which can be easily harnessed in the rivers and water falls, and geothermal processes. Biological sources can also be placed in this category. All these forms of energy are highly valued for their cleanliness and the minimal damage they have on the environment (Alternate Energy Sources 2008).
Key among the several advantages of using renewable energy sources is the sustainability of its usage. This is achieved due to the fact that their sources will infinitely exist. For example, there will always be sunshine to give solar energy. The same applies to wind and flowing water. The other advantage that is significant to mankind is related to the fact that renewable energy sources do not emit carbon into the atmosphere. Subsequently application of renewable energy would be a major milestone in reducing global warming and atmospheric pollution. The resultant effects of this a significant reduction in the environmental costs. There are also significant savings on medical expenses since renewable energy sources do not emit harmful toxics (Alternate Energy Sources 2008).
There are also social advantages that are associated with the application of renewable energy. By merely thinking of how to work out the use of a renewable source of energy, one gauges their intelligence and creativity. The level of responsibility towards life and the environment is also heightened. This means that mankind is shaped into a more responsible and a truly social person. The fear of energy insecurity that is associated with overdependence on oil is also minimized (Alternate Energy Sources 2008).
2.3 Shortcomings of the Application of Renewable Energy
Though it is being lauded for its several benefits, it is also important to mention that the application of renewable energy comes with certain limitations. The first concern over these energy sources is over their ability to meet all the energy needs. The concern here relates to the variability of the renewables. For example, what amount of energy can be derived if the sun is not shining or if the wind is not flowing The answer is simple very minimal. This would mean more investment would be required to install large energy storage facilities. The same problem would be greater in western countries especially during winter (Trainer 2004).
The costs of constructing and collecting the renewable energy tend to be very high at the onset. Indeed, some energy experts argue that it is comparatively cheaper to use fossil energy as compared to renewable energy. Several facilities are also required to be employed while using the renewable energy. For instance, the use of solar energy requires the back up of storage accumulators and power invertors which tend to be very expensive. Such high costs have tended to minimize the use of renewable energy (Trainer 2004).
2.5 Renewable Energy in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is generally a very high energy dependent country. Recently, the rise in energy prices as well as the environmental concerns over global warming and atmospheric pollution has meant that the use of renewable energy be encouraged through the adoption of appropriate technologies and embracing social responsibility to all. However, not all forms of renewable energy are available in Hong Kong. Significantly absent are Hydropower, biomass energy, and geothermal energy. Solar energy and wind energy are the most feasible in Hong Kong (Green Council 2003).
2.5.1 Use of Solar Energy in Hong Kong
Hong Kong boasts of experiencing plenty of sunlight which is the key component of solar energy. Sunlight is harnessed by use of solar panels that collect energy from the sun and transform into electric energy. The key uses of solar energy in Hong Kong are solar water heating and absorption air conditioning. The magnitude of the use of solar energy in Hong Kong is estimated at nearly 2,600 square meters of solar panels used in water heating systems at both government properties and other investments (Green Council 2003).
The use of solar energy has not been exhaustively explored in Hong Kong. Only a limited number of premises have been benefiting from the hot water system. This is however in wide use compared with the photovoltaic systems that are capable of generating electric power for lighting and operating low voltage equipment. The government of Hong Kong has been exploring solar water heating plants since the 1970s with the initial solar hot water plant in a hospitality complex in Tsim Sha Tsui. Several other projects have since come up throughout Hong Kong (Green Council 2003).
With all the government efforts in place to harness solar energy for both water heating and lighting, there has also been increased participation from the private sector.
There are investments in photovoltaic cells to power mechanical parts of building as well as for purposes of water heating. The hospitality industry that is very highly energy dependent has been a key beneficiary of these facilities. For example, solar energy is one of the three main energy sources for pool heating in the Shing Mun Valley Swimming Pool Complex. At Victoria Park Improvement Project, pole-top lantern and ventilation fans that are driven by electricity harnessed from solar energy have been installed (Green Council 2003).
2.5.2 Use of Wind Energy in Hong Kong
Wind energy has conservatively been used in Hong Kong to supplement solar energy. A hybrid of the two was first used at the Shek Kwu Chau Drug Rehabilitation Centre. Since then, wind energy has always been used as a way of supplementing solar energy especially when there is inadequate sunshine leading to insufficient solar power. Wind energy is harnessed by use of wind powered generators. The lead beneficiaries of wind energy in Hong Kong are the islands near the Chek Lap Kok airport (Green Council 2003).
2.5.3 Setbacks to Renewable Energy Use in Hong Kong
Though significant gains could have been achieved on the use of renewable energy in Hong Kong, the ever increasing demands for energy in the country has greatly undermined the achievements so far gained. The main cause is attributed to the rapidly expanding urban population that would require increased harnessing of solar energy. The challenge on this has been the difficulty of identifying an ideal open space for construction of solar collectors and equipment. Such open spaces are only found in the rural areas. This has meant that solar panels are installed on roof tops thus translating to added costs of solar installation (Green Council 2003).
Environmental groups are also up in arms with the government which they consider to have imposed market barriers in terms of proposed targets for the local renewable energy sources. The government consultancy report indicates the potential application of renewable energy in Hong Kong at less than 2.1, a figure that the environmental groups consider as being too low compared to the other Asian countries. Such regulations are seen as major impediments to realizing the full potential of renewable energy sources in Hong Kong (Green Council 2003).
2.6 Application of Renewable Energy at Hong Kong Ocean Park
Hong Kong Ocean Park has set key amongst its priorities sustainability as a pertinent commitment. This is being pursued through the establishment of the Environmental, Health and Safety Office. The core mandate of this office is the provision of professional service to the Park on all matters relating to the Parks sustainability initiatives. Key issue that the office seeks to promote within the park include maximising full benefits from the few resources, energy conservation, promotion of the use of clean and renewable energy technologies, and reduction of the impacts on the environment (Ocean Park Hong Kong 2009).
2.6.1 Solar Energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park
Hong Kong Ocean Park as previously mentioned is a huge consumer of power. According to official sources from the Environmental, Health and Safety Office, the Park currently has an annual electricity consumption of 27,500,000 units (kWh). These huge power consumptions are mainly utilised for cooling and water purification systems in building which are mainly hospitality facilities. Such huge energy costs have continued to be a big burden to investors within the Ocean Park. However, the introduction of renewable energy is seen as a major relief on the huge energy costs. This is so because the renewable energy sources only involve huge investment during installation. Once they are installed, there is very minimal maintenance costs associated with them (Leung 2006).
Energy experts are of the opinion that Ocean Park is an ideal venue for maximum exploitation of solar energy. This is due to its expanse and exposure to sunshine. This has since prompted Park officials to seek collaboration with private investors on ways of investing in buildings that would solely use solar energy for cooling and water purification systems. Technologies are being explored that would ensure that the Parks image is presented as environmental friendly, and a resource centre for visitors on energy conservation practises (Leung 2006).
The other key areas that are being considered for the application of renewable energy within the Ocean Park include powering the cab rides. Lighting and marine cooling are among the other areas for consideration. Wind energy is also being explored to compliment solar energy in the Park. According to energy experts, this would significantly save on energy consumption of the Park though it is not clear how much savings would be achieved as these would be driven by other variables including size and design of facilities to be used (Leung 2006).
The use of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park has not been very easy to achieve. This has been due to the fact that not very many investors have adopted the use of such technologies within their buildings. The diseconomies of scale thus set in given that very few utilise such system. This has meant more costs being incurred on installation as well as maintenance of renewable energy technology in the Park. On a ranking scale, wind energy is the most expensive in terms of installation costs followed by solar energy that requires the use of numerous other accessories. Tidal energy is less expensive to install though it is not aggressively being exploited due to high levels of unreliability (Leung 2006).
2.7 Energy Consumption
Table 1 Hong Kong Energy Profile in 2008.
Energy SourceNet ProductionNet ConsumptionPetroleum0.00 barrelsday306,000 barrels dayNatural Gas0.0 Cubic feet95 cubic feet.Coal0.0 million short Tons13.516 million short TonsElectricity36.30 billion kilowatthours38.02 billion KilowatthoursSource International Energy Annual.
Energy Consumption by Source, 1999 (in thousand metric tons oil equivalent) in Hong Kong
Total Fossil Fuels 17,052
Coal and coal products 3,932
Crude oil and natural gas liquids 0
Natural gas 2,389
Nuclear 0
Hydroelectric 0
Renewables, excluding hydroelectric 48
Primary solid biomass (includes fuelwood) 48
Biogas and liquid biomass 0
Geothermal 0.0
Solar 0.0
Wind 0.0
Tide, wave, and ocean 0.0
Energy Consumption by Sector, 1999
(in thousand metric tons of oil equivalent)
Industry 2,302
Transportation 7,788
Agriculture 0
Commercial public services 2,264
Residential 1,118
Non-energy uses and other consumption 176
Total final energy consumption d 13,648
Source EarthTrends 2003.
The above statistics indicate that use of renewable energy had been given very little consideration in Hong Kong at large. This has been due to the huge initial expenditure that is involved. The application of renewable energy in Ocean Park has however shown that there are very little costs involved during the usage of these renewable energy sources. It is on this basis that the energy consumption has since tilted in favor of the application of renewable energy.
In order to undertake an energy analysis, it is necessary to factor in the practical and economic evaluation of the viable energy saving options. This implies that the evaluation would include undertaking an investigation of all the various elements that would contribute to owning and operating costs. The three basic aspects for consideration include
Initial expenditure.
Cost in use.
Investment analysis.
These elements are analysed to gauge the overall economic viability of a particular energy-saving strategy or programme (Energy LAB Ltd 2010).
Initial expenditure is an assessment of the amount of money required for the purchase of equipment or plant. Cost in use refers to the operating and running for the installation based on the data derived during the energy audit. Investment analysis on the other hand is the money side of capital work and comprises fiscal, payback and net present value calculations. These are tools used to establish if a proposal would recoup your investment during a specific period (Energy LAB Ltd 2010).
2.8 Research Question
The main research question for this dissertation is can the use of renewable energy be sustainably applied at Hong Kong Ocean Park for use in the hospitality dominated facilities within the Park The research sub-questions include the following
What are the energy requirements of the Ocean Park Island
What key environmental concerns dominate the use of non-renewable energy at the Ocean Park
What key considerations should be factored into the future development plans of Ocean Park Island to make it a more environmental friendly Park
What energy considerations should be adopted as guidelines when developing new buildings and hospitality facilities in Ocean Park Island
Chapter 3 Methodology
3.1 Introduction
In research undertaking the methodology section is one of the crucial areas to be tackled in a proposal document. This is due to the fact that it forms the basis of the results of research findings. A research can be faced with big challenges due to a wrong choice of the method to be used. To avoid this, good planning of the method is essential and more in order to get reliable results. The issue of reliability establishes that a research should have the ability to show consistency in the results even after a study is done by different researchers repeatedly. Reliability in research study can also be enhanced through good structure of the methodology. When the correct data collection methods are used, proportional samples are collected and the correct method of analysis is used in a research can achieve validity.
Since this research is of an inductive nature, it prompted the application of a qualitative methodology. That means that the views of the renewable energy experts have been given a lot of weight. This was done by administering both physical and online questionnaires as well as conducting in-depth interviews each lasting nearly 45 minutes. Those interviewed had to be renewable energy experts and hospitality industry investors in Hong Kong Ocean Park who have been in the sector for at least the last five years, and at the time of the interview were actively engaged in the business, as well as employees in the sector who have served at varied positions. This ensured very rich data was gathered from persons with a wealth of experience.
3.2 Data Collection Methods
The key purpose of data collection was to ensure a rich set of description was obtained. To achieve this, the interviews were transcribed in real time by the interviewer. The responses were then reduced and analyzed by adopting principles of data codification and clustering (Miles et al, 1994). This was supplemented by administration of questionnaires as well as comprehensive review of relevant literature.
3.3 Sources
The data gathered for this research is from a wide range of documentary sources relating to renewable energy in Hong Kong in general as well as those specifically relating to application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park. These mainly included policy documents, academic and the non-academic documents. First, journals on renewable energy were searched. Second, electronic databases were searched using key words like renewable energy, Ocean Park hospitality industry, and energy conservation. Third, government website for renewable energy including Ministry of energy website was searched. Literature review included both conceptual and empirical works with about 30 articles reviewed for this study.
3.4 Interviews
The interviews dwelt on the following areas
The energy needs of the Hong Kong Ocean Park.
The relationship between the intensive tourism activities within Hong Kong Ocean Park and energy consumption within the Ocean Park.
The means of strengthening the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean and how to help investors apply renewable energy in their facilities.
What the future hold for the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong particularly in the Ocean Park.
3.5 Questionnaires
A questionnaire survey of the tourism sector was conducted to understand the aspects of energy usage within the hospitality industry. The survey was explanatory in nature as the objective was to gain insight of the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park. The questionnaire was administered to nearly 200 Ocean Park investors and over 100 renewable energy experts. The set sent to the investors included a cover letter detailing explanation on the purpose and need for the study, the questionnaire document and a pre-paid reply envelope. Letters reminding the respondents of the questionnaires were later sent to those who had not responded within the three weeks duration.
3.6 Case Study
This research involves classical use of case studies to gain a deeper insight through the application of a set of ideas. A multiple case study approach helps in developing a theory which is better grounded, more accurate and more generalized (Eisenhardt et al, 2007). Case studies are introduced to test the practical effectiveness of the application of renewable energy, and the users adoption and of one over the other. The use of case study is important in practical testing of theories with practitioners in real life situation. The case study organizations are selected based on the idea of theoretical sampling. This is because when it comes to building of a theory, theoretical sampling tends to be preferred as compared to generalized concept found in statistical studies. This means that the cases are chosen for theoretical and not for statistical reasons (Schroeder et al., 2008). An analysis has been developed on how the application of renewable energy is steadily gaining popularity amongst investors in Hong Kong, and particularly the Ocean Park.
3.7 Survey Analysis
From the nearly 200 questionnaires that were mailed to the investors, 175 were returned. This represented an 85 response to the questionnaires. However, those that contained usable data were only 150, thus a satisfactory response rate can be said to have been reasonably attained. From the 100 questionnaires administered to renewable energy experts, 80 were duly completed and handed over. From these about 80 contained usable data representing nearly 80 response rate which can be considered satisfactory.
Chart 1
3.8 Treatment of data
In research the data collected need to be synthesized in order to make sense in regard to what is being studied. The data from the questionnaires in this research was analyzed extensively (Zikmund 2003, p. 1-745) to retrieve the information contained in them. The triangulation method for data analysis and interpretation was used to interpret the data collected basing arguments on grounded theory (Dick 2000 Knafl Breitmayer 1991). In addition the information obtained from the case study was analyzed individually and thereafter a comparison was made between the different data sources.
3.9 Research Limitations
The main limitation that may be pointed out in this research is the use of a single case study. But it is also true that the application of renewable energy is still recent concept that has not gained much popularity among hospitality investors. At the same time, the single case approach has weight in he sense that it allows or very deep analysis to be achieved. Some of the information has also not been validated through multiple case analyses so as to provide a solid and practical basis for understanding the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park.
3.10 Rigor, Validity, Reliability, and Ethics
The four categories of quality management in research will be highly considered. This include validity, reliability, ethics and rigor (Zikmund 2003). Reliability of a research is its ability to have consistence in results. This will be done on controlling the sample by stratifying the population to get a more representative sample. Validity is the ability of a scale to measure what it is intended to measure but not going beyond the topic of the study. The triangulation method will be used to control this aspect in research. Ethics involves adherence to the norms accepted in gathering of information. This will be ensured by providing secrecy on the information collected from the investors. The rigor of the research will be directed towards efficient sample size in a critical facet in any investigation. The main purpose a researcher will utilize a sample is to reduce the charges and collect important data faster (Zikmund, 2003).
3.11 Human Rights Protection
The people who will be interviewed will be assured of their confidentiality. In addition, the information that will be gathered will be assured of the peoples privacy. The investors and the investments will have their rights protected.
3.12 Research ScheduleTimelineThis research will take a period of eight weeks. This is considered ideal timeframe given the busy schedule of some of the business owners who will be interviewed and have granted appointments at later dates. A detailed summary of the work plan for the research has been tabulated below
Week 1Research proposalWeek 2Preliminary literature review searchWeek 3Literature review and writingWeek 4interviewsWeek 5Case study collectionWeek 6Interview editing, coding and interpretationWeek 7Report interpretationWeek 8Report writing and presentation
Chapter 4 Results
The investigation on the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park sought to obtain the views of investors in the hospitality industry which is the main stay of the ocean park as well as the key energy consumer in Hong Kong. The views of new energy experts were also sought on a comparative assessment as well as sustainability of the application of the application of renewable energy within the ocean park. The sample size included 200 in the hospitality industry and 100 renewable energy experts. The key survey questions focused on the energy requirements within the ocean park, suitability of the application of renewable energy within the ocean park, comparative costs of fossils energy, and the environmental costs implication of the applications of renewable energy.
According to the research findings of Hong Kong Ocean Park is a key tourist destination with numerous tourism related activities that translates into heavy energy consumption. The results indicated that the tourism sector consumed up to 70 of the Parks energy resources. Other industrial activities consumed up to 20 of the energy resources while 10 was consumed by other sectors.
Chart 2
The key areas of the tourism sector included accommodation, catering and entertainment. Accommodation facilities was the highest consumer within the tourism sector given that various room service facilities including temperature regulation and water heating are energy dependent. Catering was the second highest consumer of energy especially cooking activities. Entertainment was the least consumer of energy among the tourism related activities. The results indicated that accommodation utilized 55 of energy catering utilized 38 while entertainment utilized 10.Other support services utilized the remaining 2 of the tourism sector consumption.
Research findings indicated that the main source of energy in the Hong Kong Ocean Park is the fossil energy especially gasoline and diesel used to run power generators. The use of fossil fuels accounted for up to 52 of the sources of energy. Use of solar energy was also common within the ocean Park especially for purposes of heating water and lightning. Solar energy sources accounted for 30 of the energy sources .Biomass energy sources was gaining significance as a reliable source of energy and was mainly used for cooking related activities. It accounted for 10 of energy sources while wind energy and tidal energy were the least harnessed and accounted for a total of 8 of the energy sources.
Chart 3
These findings indicate that the use of fossil energy still contributes to the largest percentage of energy totaling to 52while the renewable energy sources collectively contributed only 48 of the energy sources within the ocean park.
The research identified two main risks that are associated with the continued of fossil energy as the main source of energy. Emission of carbon toxics to the atmosphere was identified as the main risk of fossil energy contributing a total of 65 of environmental hazards. Other dangers including spillage and resource depletion accounted for 30 of the environmental risks including explosions and marine poisoning were considered for only 5 of such risks. The use gasoline contributed 60 of fossil fuel and while diesel contributed to 40 of fossil fuels. In terms of carbon emission into the atmosphere, use of diesel was responsible for 70 of the emissions while gasoline was responsible for 30 of the emission. The research identified environmental degradation as the main reason for the campaign against the use of fossil energy within the ocean park. This accounted for 68 of the reasons for discouraging fossil energy usage while the fear of resource extinction accounted for 33 of the reasons for discouraging use of fossil fuels.
The research also sought the views of renewable energy experts on the sustainability of the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park. Research findings indicate that the experts were of the opinion that use of solar energy was 72 sustainable. Use of wind energy was 68 sustainable while the use of biomass energy was only 25 sustainable. Tidal energy was found to be 40 sustainable.
Chart 4
A survey of the hospitality facilities in Hong Kong Ocean Park indicated that solar energy was the dominant renewable energy used in the facilities accounting for 60.Wind energy accounted for 25 while biomass energy accounted for 15 of renewable energy usage. The survey identified water heating and lightning as the main uses of solar energy with water heating accounting for 52 of solar energy use, lightning accounted for 40 of the solar energy use while other uses accounted for 8.
Chart 5
Lightning was the main use of wind energy accounting for a total of 75 of its use while entertainment accounted for 20 of wind energy use. Other services utilized 5 of the wind energy. Cooking was the main use of biomass energy and accounted for a total of 85 of its use while room heating accounted for 12.Use of biomass energy was minimal and accounted for only 3 of its use.
Research findings indicated that the high cost involved in the harnessing the renewable sources of energy was the main deferent to its application in Hong Kong Ocean Park. The other limitation related to reliability and sustainability of the use of the various forms of renewable energy to support the operations of activities within the Ocean Park. Initial costs of establishment accounted for 70 of the reasons for the minimal use of renewable energy sources while reliability and sustainability concerns accounted for 30 of the deterrents to the use of renewable energy.
Chart 6
62 of these interviewed however agreed that the use of renewable energy sources is cheaper in the long run while 30 were of the opinion that it would take a very long time to recover the very high initial costs involved.8 of those interviewed would not give their evaluation and preferred to use whatever is readily available.
When asked whether the Hong Kong Government was doing enough to promote the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park, 60 of those interviewed were of the opinion that the campaigns by the Government have made significant achievement while 35 felt that the Government should expand its investment to into renewable energy harnessing .5 of the informants did not see any relationship between government initiatives and the use of renewable energy. The views on the sustainability of the use of renewable energy indicated that 72 of experts expressed optimism that with relevant expertise, the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park can be sustained.25 of the experts expressed concerns on sustainability given the high energy demands on the tourism dominated Island.12 of the experts totally doubted the sustainability of the application of renewable energy.
Research findings indicate that 80 of all those who were interviewed were of the opinion that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park had a future.12 expressed doubts on the future of renewable energy application while 8 remained non-committal on the future of the application of renewable energy.
Chart 7
The numerous potentials for harnessing wind energy in the upper section of the park was the main reason for the optimism while the unreliability of the sunlight was sighted for the doubts .Water resources though available in advance could not be expressly harnessed to give energy.
Chapter 5 Discussion
Hong Kong Ocean Park plays a very central role as a tourism destination in South Eastern China. Tourism is a very important sector in the economy of any country. The economy of Hong Kong is not an exception. It benefits a lot from the high tourism activities of the Ocean Park Island. Tourism is highly dependent on investment in modern hospitality facilities which tourists utilize in accommodation, catering and entertainment. These tourism activities are highly dependent of energy use and are indeed the highest energy consumers in Hong Kong Ocean Park. It is on this basis that the discussion on the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park cannot be complete without due consideration being given to the energy requirements and consumption of the hospitality sector of the ocean Park.
The key activities of the hospitality industry that are highly energy dependent include accommodation, catering and entertainment. Energy is required in accommodation facilities for purposes of temperature regulation, lightning and powering of gadgets and laundry activities. Warming of water is energy reliant. The catering activities that require the use of energy involves cooking. Energy is required in entertainment for the purposes of powering entertainment machines as well as lightning. All these activities require the application of one form of energy or the other.
The concern over continued use of fossil energy in Hong Kong relates to the fact that China is a highly populous country yet there is a very limited fossil fuel resource. The very high population already posses major strains on existing energy resources. This existing strain has been compounded by the high number of tourists that visit the country especially the Ocean Park Island. This has the effect of significantly raising the demands energy to such a point those posses a threat to the limited sources of energy. This notwithstanding increased usage of fossil energy also poses major threats to the environment through carbon commission that significantly increase the impact of global warming. Being a very small, Island the use of fossil energy in the Ocean Park Island posses a real threat on the climate of the Island.
In order that the possible negative effects that relate to the usage of fossil energy are avoided, it is important to explore the application of other sources of energy in the Ocean Park Island. The key area that has drawn a lot of interest is the application of renewable energy including solar energy, wind energy, water energy, and Biomass energy. All these are environment friendly and renewable energy sources which can considerably be harnessed to meet the energy requirements of the Island. Proponents of the application of renewable energy in the Ocean Park Island argue that the opportunities that though there are very heavy initial investment costs that are associated with the establishment of equipment for harnessing such renewable energy, the long term benefits are quite paramount.
Application of renewable energy according to the proponents would help save a lot of energy costs especially those costs that relate to importation of crude oil and the environmental degradation costs. Given the current campaigns by environmental lobbies that industrialists pay for carbon pollution of the atmosphere, the application of renewable energy becomes the most immediate alternative energy source. There is also the general threat of diminishing fossil fuel resources in the Far East. This would mean over reliance on fuel importation which is constantly affected by the global economic crisis as well as political instability in key oil producing regions of the Middle East. This means that investment in application of renewable energy remain the best choice to Hong Kong Ocean Park.
The world competition for tourists that has reached cut throat levels and Hong Kong in particular faces very stiff competition from the neighboring Dubai. Environment tourism is also anew concept that is fast gaining ground all over the world. This means that tourist6s will tend to have a preference to destinations that show significant concern to matters of the environment. The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park would be a major boost to environmental tourism and help put the Ocean Park Island ahead of its competitors. The existing vast potential for harnessing renewable energy in the Island particularly solar and wind energy should not also be left untapped. This calls not only for the participation of the government but also the private sector participation.
Though the Government of Hong Kong has done a lot through campaigns to promote the use of renewable sources of energy, there are still feelings within certain quarters that mere campaigns by the government are not sufficient. Instead there is a feeling that for significant gains to be attained, resources should be specifically set aside and more funds invested by the Government towards harnessing of renewable energy in the Ocean Park Island. The Government should also capitalize on the good gesture on the part of investors to move from one use of fossil energy towards the use of renewable energy which is more environmental friendly.
It is on this basis of the potential benefits that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park posses over fossil energy that this study aims at advocating for a major shift among investors and energy consumers to renewable energy that is friendlier and has substantial cost reduction benefits in the long run. The successful application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park should act as a showcase that can be applied to other parts of the world.
Hong Kong Ocean Park is a major tourist attraction centre and a world financial centre to the Southeast of China. This means that thousands of visitors arrive in this park to enjoy the mild climate as well as the attractive coastal scenery on an annual basis. The Ocean Park is located to the southern end of the Hong Kong Island and covers an estimated land area of 169.5 acres. It is almost being considered to be the worlds largest ocean park. One needs a cable car to access the park either through the Tai Shue Wan Entrance or the Main Entrance. The park has three sections with the two main sections lying on the headlands of Mount Nanlang while the smaller section lies within the Haung Zhu Keng Valley (Travel China Guide, 2009).
A tour through the Ocean Park usually begins from the lowland section in the valley towards the highland section. On such a tour, beginning at the Tai Shue Wan Entrance, a tourist will be able to see several ancient structures including temples, pavilions and streets. The Hong Kong Jockey Giant Panda Habitat is situated within the middle kingdom on very lush green environment. At this section, tourists can enjoy watching the Pandas, eat, and sleep. Tourists are then treated to vivid dinosaur models, the Chinese Alligator, and the Chinese Giant Salamander. The tour will then lead to the highland section where tourists are able to have a spectacular view of the Hong Kong Island including the maritime landscape including Atoll Reef, Ocean Park Tower among other marvellous features (Travel China Guide, 2009).
The numerous thrilling tourist attractions that riddle the Hong Kong Ocean Park continue to attract millions of tourists from across the world. Once a tourist visits the Ocean Park, there is always the desire to come back given the numerous exiting features that the park has in store (Travel China Guide, 2009).
The numerous visitors that arrive in Hong Kong Ocean Park on a daily basis means that the provision of tourism related services including hospitality facilities are a critical necessity within the Ocean Park. This is because the high number of tourists needs to be accommodated, fed, and entertained. Normally the tourist related facilities especially hospitality is a big consumer of energy. This means that the use of energy within the ocean park is a very significant area of concern within the Island (Travel China Guide, 2009).
Energy conservation, especially the use of renewable energy is a very important aspect in business environment today. It is a key concern for most establishments to work out ways of acquiring an economical source of energy to be utilized in their operations. According to energy experts and conservationists, energy efficiency is a very significant economical source of energy. The conservation of energy comes with several benefits to a business. This is because the use of energy in an efficient manner helps in reducing carbon emissions to the atmosphere it helps in lowering cost spent on energy, and has the overall benefits of conserving the existing energy supplies (Chevron Corporation, 2009).
The significance of energy conservation has become quite central in business to an extent that companies have come up to specifically aid other business and particularly the hospitality industry to cut down on energy use at their facilities. To achieve self sufficiency in energy conservation, energy experts have developed high-efficiency equipment upgrades that are able to ensure sufficient energy supply while maintaining significant operational savings. Though it may appear as a heavy investment at the beginning, the overall costs saved through energy conservation are sufficient to cover the costs involved in installing the high-efficiency equipment (Chevron Corporation, 2009).
The use of renewable energy has been steadily gaining ground throughout Hong Kong and the Ocean Park has not been an exception. This has been as a result of the gradual reduction in the fossil fuel reserves as well as the impact of fossil fuel usage on the environment. The high dependency of Hong Kong Ocean Park on energy has significantly prompted the promotion of the use of renewable energy within the Ocean Park facilities. This is due to the large numbers of hospitality facilities that exist within the Ocean Park to cater for the very large numbers of tourists visiting this park (Government of Hong Kong, 2009).
The usage of renewable energy in the entire Hong Kong and particularly within the Ocean Park has consistently being within the concerns of the Hong Kong Government. This has seen the government lead the campaign for the use of renewable sources of energy. Tourism related facilities remain a big consumer of energy in Hong Kong especially in a major tourism spot like the Ocean Park. The key areas that the government has been emphasizing include the use of solar energy for heating waters at the tourist hotels and the use of photovoltaic systems to generate electricity. It is on this basis that concerns on the exploitation of energy from the sun, wastes and wind have continually being explored in Hong Kong Ocean Park (Government of Hong Kong, 2009).
Thesis Statement
Hong Kong Ocean Park is a small Island but a major tourist destination in Southeast China. Tourism sector is a major energy consumer and thus a lot of energy is required to be applied in the Ocean Park. Continued use of fossil energy will thus contribute to major environmental problems to this green park. It is therefore important that application of renewable energy be given priority in this park. Disneyland, though also a theme park in Hong Kong, could not be suitable for this kind of study given its small size and only four attraction areas including Main St. USA, Adventureland, Tommorowland, and Fantasyland. This means Disneyland has fewer activities to warrant the huge investment costs associated with renewable energy.
1.1 Statement of the Problem
Hong Kong Ocean Park is a major tourist destination in the South Eastern China. This means that the high number of Park visitors necessitated very heavy investment in the hospitality industry in the Ocean Park. The hospitality industry is a sector in which energy is a very pertinent component. Ranging from kitchen activities, indoor lighting, outdoor lighting, room ventilation, entertainment equipment, cleaning services, and communication appliances, it is clear that this sector consumes significant amounts of energy. The cost of energy has gone up and if not closely monitored may have the effect of reduced profitability for a business. It is on this statement that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park becomes quite vital.
1.2 Background of the Problem
Given the strategic role of Hong Kong Ocean Park in the tourism sector and the resultant investment in the hospitality industry within the Ocean Park, it is important that special attention is given to energy usage in the hospitality industry and further to explore the application of renewable energy within the Ocean Park. Energy is very essential for the daily running of activities in the hospitality industry. Without energy it would be very difficult to manage operations in this sector. The significance of energy to this industry means that the entire stakeholders have a responsibility to manage energy to an extent that would ensure its sustainability. The factors to bear in mind when addressing issues revolving around energy conservation in the hospitality industry are to a great extent influenced by how significant the cost and environmental effects of energy are to the industry and the wider business strategy and positioning (Executiveaction Series, 2005).
The hospitality industry is considered to be consuming large volumes of energy given that its activities run nearly 24 hours everyday. As a result, the energy costs in areas such as hotels and lodges may rise to very high levels if proper energy management practices are not developed and implemented. Despite the existence of this possibility of incurring shocking energy costs in unregulated hotel and lodging facilities, very few hospitality facilities have developed energy management programs especially the application of renewable energy. When proper strategies to save energy are put in place the hospitality industry stands to register overall saving in operation costs by up to 35 (Madsen, 2003).
While many hospitality industry stakeholders may consider the application of renewable energy programs to involve huge capital investments, experts are of the opinion that very simple and best practices may be adopted to ensure significant savings on energy. Some of the suggested best practices may include setting of thermostats to cool at to 85 degrees F in the unoccupied rooms, not renting out guestrooms affected by climate and that may require cooling or heating, and cleaning or replacing fitters. Any single best practice that is implemented can enable a facility to reduce savings by nearly 6 (Schimml, 2009).
Building upgrading and infrastructural improvement can significantly reduce average monthly energy costs. Such improvements can form part of significant component in the energy efficiency, conservation and sustainability programs for this industry. Such improvement programs may include replacement of aging equipment as well as maintaining temperature and humidity within hotel buildings. It is very important the hotel buildings are improved to have their own power plants for ensuring steam heating, electricity and gas lighting. It is however important to not that the prominence of a hospitality facility is based on it originality and charm. As such, improvements should be done in such a manner that does not compromise originality (Schimml, 2009).
1.3 Justification for the Study
Undertaking the study on the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park is a timely study given the efforts that the Hong Kong Government is placing on the substitution of fossil fuel usage with renewable energy sources. The activities of the Ocean Park are tourism related with heavy investments in hospitality industry which is a huge consumer of energy. This means that the diminishing fossil energy resources are a key threat to business in general at the Ocean Park. For sustainability to be realized in energy usage within the Ocean Park, it is important not only to explore but also to encourage the application of renewable energy sources key among them is solar and wind energy. The government of Hong Kong as well as the Ocean Park business community should therefore be fully encouraged to consider making a major shift from fossil energy to renewable energy.
1.4 Deficiencies in the Evidence
Energy usage is to a greater extent determined by the nature of business as well as the activities that a business is involved in. The variation in energy requirements of different investments would to a greater extend be the determining factor in the choice of energy type that one chooses to apply. Though the use of renewable energy is considered of substantial benefit with regard to sustainable energy use, it comes with heavy initial investments and is limited in the magnitude of application. Subsequently, the decision on the type of energy to utilise may not necessarily dependent on the environmental concerns but rather on the needs of any particular investment as well as the availability of resources. The evidence obtained for this study may thus be grossly compromised by the individual investor considerations within the Hong Kong Ocean Park.
1.5 Definition of Terms
Renewable Energy these include all sources of energy that are abundant in nature and can therefore not very easily run out. Key amongst them includes energy sources that come from the sun, water, wind, waves, and biomass. The key importance of these energy sources is that they can be used and be reused. They are also valued for their not being associated with the emission of greenhouse gases and other atmospheric pollutants.
Hospitality Industry refer to the sector that offers accommodation services including homes, hotels, hostels, and lodging.
Energy Conservation refers to all measures taken to ensure sustainable energy supply, energy efficiency, and energy availability in future.
1.6 Purpose of the Study
This study was based on the concept that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park would significantly contribute to energy conservation and lead to a reduction in the levels of carbon emission into the atmosphere. The study was designed to
Assess the potentials that exist for the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park.
Evaluate the benefits that are associated with the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park.
Examine the efforts by Hong Kong government towards the promotion of the use of renewable energy.
Highlight the problems that are associated with the usage and the dependence on fossil fuels as the main source of energy.
To come up with recommendations to the Hong Kong Ocean Park stakeholders on the sustainable application of renewable energy.
1.7 Hypotheses
The following hypotheses were tested in this study
H01 The dominant activity at Hong Kong Ocean Park is tourism related.
HA1 The dominant activity at Hong Kong Ocean Park is not related to tourism.
H02 Energy sources within Hong Kong Ocean Park are drawn from fossil fuels.
HA2 Hong Kong Ocean Park is not exclusively dependent on fossil fuels for it energy.
H03 The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park will significantly improve environmental conservation measures.
HA3 The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park will not have any significant implication on environmental conservation measures.
H04 Application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park comes with very huge capital investments that most Ocean Park investors cannot afford.
HA4 The costs associated with the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park are not out of reach of the Ocean Park investors.
1.8 Implications for Environmental Conservation
This study may lead to significant reductions of pollution related issues particularly environmental degradation and emission of carbon to the atmosphere that have for a long time been associated with the use of fossil fuels. These changes could result to sustainable energy use and energy conservation in general not only at the Ocean Park, but rather a significant achievement that can be copied to other parts of the world. The results of the study may also prompt the hospitality investors to consider installing renewable energy facilities within their units as a way of achieving significant reductions in energy related costs. The government will also be prompted to intensify both investment and campaigns towards the use of renewable energy.
1.9 Summary
The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park would be a very good step in the right direction in terms of environmental conservation through reduction of carbon emission to the atmosphere. It will also be very useful to investors given the significant reductions in energy related costs that are likely to be achieved as a result of the application of renewable energy. The study has been designed to examine the alternative sources of renewable energy that can be applied at the Ocean Park. Chapter 2 is a detailed literature review on issues that relate to the use of renewable energy in Hong Kong. Special emphasis has however been laid on the Hong Kong Ocean Park. Chapter 3 outlines data collection and treatment. Chapter 4 presents the study findings while chapter 5 is a discussion of the findings.
Chapter 2 Literature Review
2.1 Overview
The world wide concerns over matters of climate change and the heightened campaign by environmental lobbies for energy consumers to transit to more environmental friendly energy as a measure of reducing the effects of global warming has steadily gained ground in the last few years. This has led to intensive research and other world class discussions on the application of renewable. Despite such concerted efforts being made world wide, full transition from the carbon intensive sources of energy is yet to be realized. This means that success towards efficient energy use as well as reduced effects of carbon to the atmosphere will still be a concern for few more years. While improving the use of fossil energy is strongly being pursued as a key solution, the long term and almost permanent solution would lie in the application of renewable energy (Allianz Knowledge Partnersite 2009).
Oil though a non renewable source of energy, it still remains the worlds main energy source and will continue to meet the world energy requirements for more decades to come. This means that the declining oil reserves have had the effect of driving too high the world oil prices. This means that commodity prices will continue to be on the rise and energy costs could account for the biggest percentage of the costs of doing business. This has brought in a lot of discussions on energy security (Allianz Knowledge Partnersite 2009).
Given the uncertainty of energy security, it is prudent that energy experts shift focus towards the promotion of the use of those sources of energy that would not only guarantee reliability in supply but would also generally be acceptable to all stakeholders as a means of addressing environmental concerns, especially matters of global warming. This bring to the fore considerations on the application of renewable energy sources including solar, wind, biomass, and to some extent hydrogen. These come in a variety of forms and one only needs to identify the form that most suit their needs (Allianz Knowledge Partnersite 2009).
2.2 Benefits of Using Renewable Energy
Renewable energy is generally considered as using energy from such sources that can be easily replaced. Key among these sources are sunshine which can be realized on a daily basis, wind which will always flow no matter how little, flowing water which can be easily harnessed in the rivers and water falls, and geothermal processes. Biological sources can also be placed in this category. All these forms of energy are highly valued for their cleanliness and the minimal damage they have on the environment (Alternate Energy Sources 2008).
Key among the several advantages of using renewable energy sources is the sustainability of its usage. This is achieved due to the fact that their sources will infinitely exist. For example, there will always be sunshine to give solar energy. The same applies to wind and flowing water. The other advantage that is significant to mankind is related to the fact that renewable energy sources do not emit carbon into the atmosphere. Subsequently application of renewable energy would be a major milestone in reducing global warming and atmospheric pollution. The resultant effects of this a significant reduction in the environmental costs. There are also significant savings on medical expenses since renewable energy sources do not emit harmful toxics (Alternate Energy Sources 2008).
There are also social advantages that are associated with the application of renewable energy. By merely thinking of how to work out the use of a renewable source of energy, one gauges their intelligence and creativity. The level of responsibility towards life and the environment is also heightened. This means that mankind is shaped into a more responsible and a truly social person. The fear of energy insecurity that is associated with overdependence on oil is also minimized (Alternate Energy Sources 2008).
2.3 Shortcomings of the Application of Renewable Energy
Though it is being lauded for its several benefits, it is also important to mention that the application of renewable energy comes with certain limitations. The first concern over these energy sources is over their ability to meet all the energy needs. The concern here relates to the variability of the renewables. For example, what amount of energy can be derived if the sun is not shining or if the wind is not flowing The answer is simple very minimal. This would mean more investment would be required to install large energy storage facilities. The same problem would be greater in western countries especially during winter (Trainer 2004).
The costs of constructing and collecting the renewable energy tend to be very high at the onset. Indeed, some energy experts argue that it is comparatively cheaper to use fossil energy as compared to renewable energy. Several facilities are also required to be employed while using the renewable energy. For instance, the use of solar energy requires the back up of storage accumulators and power invertors which tend to be very expensive. Such high costs have tended to minimize the use of renewable energy (Trainer 2004).
2.5 Renewable Energy in Hong Kong
Hong Kong is generally a very high energy dependent country. Recently, the rise in energy prices as well as the environmental concerns over global warming and atmospheric pollution has meant that the use of renewable energy be encouraged through the adoption of appropriate technologies and embracing social responsibility to all. However, not all forms of renewable energy are available in Hong Kong. Significantly absent are Hydropower, biomass energy, and geothermal energy. Solar energy and wind energy are the most feasible in Hong Kong (Green Council 2003).
2.5.1 Use of Solar Energy in Hong Kong
Hong Kong boasts of experiencing plenty of sunlight which is the key component of solar energy. Sunlight is harnessed by use of solar panels that collect energy from the sun and transform into electric energy. The key uses of solar energy in Hong Kong are solar water heating and absorption air conditioning. The magnitude of the use of solar energy in Hong Kong is estimated at nearly 2,600 square meters of solar panels used in water heating systems at both government properties and other investments (Green Council 2003).
The use of solar energy has not been exhaustively explored in Hong Kong. Only a limited number of premises have been benefiting from the hot water system. This is however in wide use compared with the photovoltaic systems that are capable of generating electric power for lighting and operating low voltage equipment. The government of Hong Kong has been exploring solar water heating plants since the 1970s with the initial solar hot water plant in a hospitality complex in Tsim Sha Tsui. Several other projects have since come up throughout Hong Kong (Green Council 2003).
With all the government efforts in place to harness solar energy for both water heating and lighting, there has also been increased participation from the private sector.
There are investments in photovoltaic cells to power mechanical parts of building as well as for purposes of water heating. The hospitality industry that is very highly energy dependent has been a key beneficiary of these facilities. For example, solar energy is one of the three main energy sources for pool heating in the Shing Mun Valley Swimming Pool Complex. At Victoria Park Improvement Project, pole-top lantern and ventilation fans that are driven by electricity harnessed from solar energy have been installed (Green Council 2003).
2.5.2 Use of Wind Energy in Hong Kong
Wind energy has conservatively been used in Hong Kong to supplement solar energy. A hybrid of the two was first used at the Shek Kwu Chau Drug Rehabilitation Centre. Since then, wind energy has always been used as a way of supplementing solar energy especially when there is inadequate sunshine leading to insufficient solar power. Wind energy is harnessed by use of wind powered generators. The lead beneficiaries of wind energy in Hong Kong are the islands near the Chek Lap Kok airport (Green Council 2003).
2.5.3 Setbacks to Renewable Energy Use in Hong Kong
Though significant gains could have been achieved on the use of renewable energy in Hong Kong, the ever increasing demands for energy in the country has greatly undermined the achievements so far gained. The main cause is attributed to the rapidly expanding urban population that would require increased harnessing of solar energy. The challenge on this has been the difficulty of identifying an ideal open space for construction of solar collectors and equipment. Such open spaces are only found in the rural areas. This has meant that solar panels are installed on roof tops thus translating to added costs of solar installation (Green Council 2003).
Environmental groups are also up in arms with the government which they consider to have imposed market barriers in terms of proposed targets for the local renewable energy sources. The government consultancy report indicates the potential application of renewable energy in Hong Kong at less than 2.1, a figure that the environmental groups consider as being too low compared to the other Asian countries. Such regulations are seen as major impediments to realizing the full potential of renewable energy sources in Hong Kong (Green Council 2003).
2.6 Application of Renewable Energy at Hong Kong Ocean Park
Hong Kong Ocean Park has set key amongst its priorities sustainability as a pertinent commitment. This is being pursued through the establishment of the Environmental, Health and Safety Office. The core mandate of this office is the provision of professional service to the Park on all matters relating to the Parks sustainability initiatives. Key issue that the office seeks to promote within the park include maximising full benefits from the few resources, energy conservation, promotion of the use of clean and renewable energy technologies, and reduction of the impacts on the environment (Ocean Park Hong Kong 2009).
2.6.1 Solar Energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park
Hong Kong Ocean Park as previously mentioned is a huge consumer of power. According to official sources from the Environmental, Health and Safety Office, the Park currently has an annual electricity consumption of 27,500,000 units (kWh). These huge power consumptions are mainly utilised for cooling and water purification systems in building which are mainly hospitality facilities. Such huge energy costs have continued to be a big burden to investors within the Ocean Park. However, the introduction of renewable energy is seen as a major relief on the huge energy costs. This is so because the renewable energy sources only involve huge investment during installation. Once they are installed, there is very minimal maintenance costs associated with them (Leung 2006).
Energy experts are of the opinion that Ocean Park is an ideal venue for maximum exploitation of solar energy. This is due to its expanse and exposure to sunshine. This has since prompted Park officials to seek collaboration with private investors on ways of investing in buildings that would solely use solar energy for cooling and water purification systems. Technologies are being explored that would ensure that the Parks image is presented as environmental friendly, and a resource centre for visitors on energy conservation practises (Leung 2006).
The other key areas that are being considered for the application of renewable energy within the Ocean Park include powering the cab rides. Lighting and marine cooling are among the other areas for consideration. Wind energy is also being explored to compliment solar energy in the Park. According to energy experts, this would significantly save on energy consumption of the Park though it is not clear how much savings would be achieved as these would be driven by other variables including size and design of facilities to be used (Leung 2006).
The use of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park has not been very easy to achieve. This has been due to the fact that not very many investors have adopted the use of such technologies within their buildings. The diseconomies of scale thus set in given that very few utilise such system. This has meant more costs being incurred on installation as well as maintenance of renewable energy technology in the Park. On a ranking scale, wind energy is the most expensive in terms of installation costs followed by solar energy that requires the use of numerous other accessories. Tidal energy is less expensive to install though it is not aggressively being exploited due to high levels of unreliability (Leung 2006).
2.7 Energy Consumption
Table 1 Hong Kong Energy Profile in 2008.
Energy SourceNet ProductionNet ConsumptionPetroleum0.00 barrelsday306,000 barrels dayNatural Gas0.0 Cubic feet95 cubic feet.Coal0.0 million short Tons13.516 million short TonsElectricity36.30 billion kilowatthours38.02 billion KilowatthoursSource International Energy Annual.
Energy Consumption by Source, 1999 (in thousand metric tons oil equivalent) in Hong Kong
Total Fossil Fuels 17,052
Coal and coal products 3,932
Crude oil and natural gas liquids 0
Natural gas 2,389
Nuclear 0
Hydroelectric 0
Renewables, excluding hydroelectric 48
Primary solid biomass (includes fuelwood) 48
Biogas and liquid biomass 0
Geothermal 0.0
Solar 0.0
Wind 0.0
Tide, wave, and ocean 0.0
Energy Consumption by Sector, 1999
(in thousand metric tons of oil equivalent)
Industry 2,302
Transportation 7,788
Agriculture 0
Commercial public services 2,264
Residential 1,118
Non-energy uses and other consumption 176
Total final energy consumption d 13,648
Source EarthTrends 2003.
The above statistics indicate that use of renewable energy had been given very little consideration in Hong Kong at large. This has been due to the huge initial expenditure that is involved. The application of renewable energy in Ocean Park has however shown that there are very little costs involved during the usage of these renewable energy sources. It is on this basis that the energy consumption has since tilted in favor of the application of renewable energy.
In order to undertake an energy analysis, it is necessary to factor in the practical and economic evaluation of the viable energy saving options. This implies that the evaluation would include undertaking an investigation of all the various elements that would contribute to owning and operating costs. The three basic aspects for consideration include
Initial expenditure.
Cost in use.
Investment analysis.
These elements are analysed to gauge the overall economic viability of a particular energy-saving strategy or programme (Energy LAB Ltd 2010).
Initial expenditure is an assessment of the amount of money required for the purchase of equipment or plant. Cost in use refers to the operating and running for the installation based on the data derived during the energy audit. Investment analysis on the other hand is the money side of capital work and comprises fiscal, payback and net present value calculations. These are tools used to establish if a proposal would recoup your investment during a specific period (Energy LAB Ltd 2010).
2.8 Research Question
The main research question for this dissertation is can the use of renewable energy be sustainably applied at Hong Kong Ocean Park for use in the hospitality dominated facilities within the Park The research sub-questions include the following
What are the energy requirements of the Ocean Park Island
What key environmental concerns dominate the use of non-renewable energy at the Ocean Park
What key considerations should be factored into the future development plans of Ocean Park Island to make it a more environmental friendly Park
What energy considerations should be adopted as guidelines when developing new buildings and hospitality facilities in Ocean Park Island
Chapter 3 Methodology
3.1 Introduction
In research undertaking the methodology section is one of the crucial areas to be tackled in a proposal document. This is due to the fact that it forms the basis of the results of research findings. A research can be faced with big challenges due to a wrong choice of the method to be used. To avoid this, good planning of the method is essential and more in order to get reliable results. The issue of reliability establishes that a research should have the ability to show consistency in the results even after a study is done by different researchers repeatedly. Reliability in research study can also be enhanced through good structure of the methodology. When the correct data collection methods are used, proportional samples are collected and the correct method of analysis is used in a research can achieve validity.
Since this research is of an inductive nature, it prompted the application of a qualitative methodology. That means that the views of the renewable energy experts have been given a lot of weight. This was done by administering both physical and online questionnaires as well as conducting in-depth interviews each lasting nearly 45 minutes. Those interviewed had to be renewable energy experts and hospitality industry investors in Hong Kong Ocean Park who have been in the sector for at least the last five years, and at the time of the interview were actively engaged in the business, as well as employees in the sector who have served at varied positions. This ensured very rich data was gathered from persons with a wealth of experience.
3.2 Data Collection Methods
The key purpose of data collection was to ensure a rich set of description was obtained. To achieve this, the interviews were transcribed in real time by the interviewer. The responses were then reduced and analyzed by adopting principles of data codification and clustering (Miles et al, 1994). This was supplemented by administration of questionnaires as well as comprehensive review of relevant literature.
3.3 Sources
The data gathered for this research is from a wide range of documentary sources relating to renewable energy in Hong Kong in general as well as those specifically relating to application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park. These mainly included policy documents, academic and the non-academic documents. First, journals on renewable energy were searched. Second, electronic databases were searched using key words like renewable energy, Ocean Park hospitality industry, and energy conservation. Third, government website for renewable energy including Ministry of energy website was searched. Literature review included both conceptual and empirical works with about 30 articles reviewed for this study.
3.4 Interviews
The interviews dwelt on the following areas
The energy needs of the Hong Kong Ocean Park.
The relationship between the intensive tourism activities within Hong Kong Ocean Park and energy consumption within the Ocean Park.
The means of strengthening the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean and how to help investors apply renewable energy in their facilities.
What the future hold for the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong particularly in the Ocean Park.
3.5 Questionnaires
A questionnaire survey of the tourism sector was conducted to understand the aspects of energy usage within the hospitality industry. The survey was explanatory in nature as the objective was to gain insight of the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park. The questionnaire was administered to nearly 200 Ocean Park investors and over 100 renewable energy experts. The set sent to the investors included a cover letter detailing explanation on the purpose and need for the study, the questionnaire document and a pre-paid reply envelope. Letters reminding the respondents of the questionnaires were later sent to those who had not responded within the three weeks duration.
3.6 Case Study
This research involves classical use of case studies to gain a deeper insight through the application of a set of ideas. A multiple case study approach helps in developing a theory which is better grounded, more accurate and more generalized (Eisenhardt et al, 2007). Case studies are introduced to test the practical effectiveness of the application of renewable energy, and the users adoption and of one over the other. The use of case study is important in practical testing of theories with practitioners in real life situation. The case study organizations are selected based on the idea of theoretical sampling. This is because when it comes to building of a theory, theoretical sampling tends to be preferred as compared to generalized concept found in statistical studies. This means that the cases are chosen for theoretical and not for statistical reasons (Schroeder et al., 2008). An analysis has been developed on how the application of renewable energy is steadily gaining popularity amongst investors in Hong Kong, and particularly the Ocean Park.
3.7 Survey Analysis
From the nearly 200 questionnaires that were mailed to the investors, 175 were returned. This represented an 85 response to the questionnaires. However, those that contained usable data were only 150, thus a satisfactory response rate can be said to have been reasonably attained. From the 100 questionnaires administered to renewable energy experts, 80 were duly completed and handed over. From these about 80 contained usable data representing nearly 80 response rate which can be considered satisfactory.
Chart 1
3.8 Treatment of data
In research the data collected need to be synthesized in order to make sense in regard to what is being studied. The data from the questionnaires in this research was analyzed extensively (Zikmund 2003, p. 1-745) to retrieve the information contained in them. The triangulation method for data analysis and interpretation was used to interpret the data collected basing arguments on grounded theory (Dick 2000 Knafl Breitmayer 1991). In addition the information obtained from the case study was analyzed individually and thereafter a comparison was made between the different data sources.
3.9 Research Limitations
The main limitation that may be pointed out in this research is the use of a single case study. But it is also true that the application of renewable energy is still recent concept that has not gained much popularity among hospitality investors. At the same time, the single case approach has weight in he sense that it allows or very deep analysis to be achieved. Some of the information has also not been validated through multiple case analyses so as to provide a solid and practical basis for understanding the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park.
3.10 Rigor, Validity, Reliability, and Ethics
The four categories of quality management in research will be highly considered. This include validity, reliability, ethics and rigor (Zikmund 2003). Reliability of a research is its ability to have consistence in results. This will be done on controlling the sample by stratifying the population to get a more representative sample. Validity is the ability of a scale to measure what it is intended to measure but not going beyond the topic of the study. The triangulation method will be used to control this aspect in research. Ethics involves adherence to the norms accepted in gathering of information. This will be ensured by providing secrecy on the information collected from the investors. The rigor of the research will be directed towards efficient sample size in a critical facet in any investigation. The main purpose a researcher will utilize a sample is to reduce the charges and collect important data faster (Zikmund, 2003).
3.11 Human Rights Protection
The people who will be interviewed will be assured of their confidentiality. In addition, the information that will be gathered will be assured of the peoples privacy. The investors and the investments will have their rights protected.
3.12 Research ScheduleTimelineThis research will take a period of eight weeks. This is considered ideal timeframe given the busy schedule of some of the business owners who will be interviewed and have granted appointments at later dates. A detailed summary of the work plan for the research has been tabulated below
Week 1Research proposalWeek 2Preliminary literature review searchWeek 3Literature review and writingWeek 4interviewsWeek 5Case study collectionWeek 6Interview editing, coding and interpretationWeek 7Report interpretationWeek 8Report writing and presentation
Chapter 4 Results
The investigation on the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park sought to obtain the views of investors in the hospitality industry which is the main stay of the ocean park as well as the key energy consumer in Hong Kong. The views of new energy experts were also sought on a comparative assessment as well as sustainability of the application of the application of renewable energy within the ocean park. The sample size included 200 in the hospitality industry and 100 renewable energy experts. The key survey questions focused on the energy requirements within the ocean park, suitability of the application of renewable energy within the ocean park, comparative costs of fossils energy, and the environmental costs implication of the applications of renewable energy.
According to the research findings of Hong Kong Ocean Park is a key tourist destination with numerous tourism related activities that translates into heavy energy consumption. The results indicated that the tourism sector consumed up to 70 of the Parks energy resources. Other industrial activities consumed up to 20 of the energy resources while 10 was consumed by other sectors.
Chart 2
The key areas of the tourism sector included accommodation, catering and entertainment. Accommodation facilities was the highest consumer within the tourism sector given that various room service facilities including temperature regulation and water heating are energy dependent. Catering was the second highest consumer of energy especially cooking activities. Entertainment was the least consumer of energy among the tourism related activities. The results indicated that accommodation utilized 55 of energy catering utilized 38 while entertainment utilized 10.Other support services utilized the remaining 2 of the tourism sector consumption.
Research findings indicated that the main source of energy in the Hong Kong Ocean Park is the fossil energy especially gasoline and diesel used to run power generators. The use of fossil fuels accounted for up to 52 of the sources of energy. Use of solar energy was also common within the ocean Park especially for purposes of heating water and lightning. Solar energy sources accounted for 30 of the energy sources .Biomass energy sources was gaining significance as a reliable source of energy and was mainly used for cooking related activities. It accounted for 10 of energy sources while wind energy and tidal energy were the least harnessed and accounted for a total of 8 of the energy sources.
Chart 3
These findings indicate that the use of fossil energy still contributes to the largest percentage of energy totaling to 52while the renewable energy sources collectively contributed only 48 of the energy sources within the ocean park.
The research identified two main risks that are associated with the continued of fossil energy as the main source of energy. Emission of carbon toxics to the atmosphere was identified as the main risk of fossil energy contributing a total of 65 of environmental hazards. Other dangers including spillage and resource depletion accounted for 30 of the environmental risks including explosions and marine poisoning were considered for only 5 of such risks. The use gasoline contributed 60 of fossil fuel and while diesel contributed to 40 of fossil fuels. In terms of carbon emission into the atmosphere, use of diesel was responsible for 70 of the emissions while gasoline was responsible for 30 of the emission. The research identified environmental degradation as the main reason for the campaign against the use of fossil energy within the ocean park. This accounted for 68 of the reasons for discouraging fossil energy usage while the fear of resource extinction accounted for 33 of the reasons for discouraging use of fossil fuels.
The research also sought the views of renewable energy experts on the sustainability of the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park. Research findings indicate that the experts were of the opinion that use of solar energy was 72 sustainable. Use of wind energy was 68 sustainable while the use of biomass energy was only 25 sustainable. Tidal energy was found to be 40 sustainable.
Chart 4
A survey of the hospitality facilities in Hong Kong Ocean Park indicated that solar energy was the dominant renewable energy used in the facilities accounting for 60.Wind energy accounted for 25 while biomass energy accounted for 15 of renewable energy usage. The survey identified water heating and lightning as the main uses of solar energy with water heating accounting for 52 of solar energy use, lightning accounted for 40 of the solar energy use while other uses accounted for 8.
Chart 5
Lightning was the main use of wind energy accounting for a total of 75 of its use while entertainment accounted for 20 of wind energy use. Other services utilized 5 of the wind energy. Cooking was the main use of biomass energy and accounted for a total of 85 of its use while room heating accounted for 12.Use of biomass energy was minimal and accounted for only 3 of its use.
Research findings indicated that the high cost involved in the harnessing the renewable sources of energy was the main deferent to its application in Hong Kong Ocean Park. The other limitation related to reliability and sustainability of the use of the various forms of renewable energy to support the operations of activities within the Ocean Park. Initial costs of establishment accounted for 70 of the reasons for the minimal use of renewable energy sources while reliability and sustainability concerns accounted for 30 of the deterrents to the use of renewable energy.
Chart 6
62 of these interviewed however agreed that the use of renewable energy sources is cheaper in the long run while 30 were of the opinion that it would take a very long time to recover the very high initial costs involved.8 of those interviewed would not give their evaluation and preferred to use whatever is readily available.
When asked whether the Hong Kong Government was doing enough to promote the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park, 60 of those interviewed were of the opinion that the campaigns by the Government have made significant achievement while 35 felt that the Government should expand its investment to into renewable energy harnessing .5 of the informants did not see any relationship between government initiatives and the use of renewable energy. The views on the sustainability of the use of renewable energy indicated that 72 of experts expressed optimism that with relevant expertise, the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park can be sustained.25 of the experts expressed concerns on sustainability given the high energy demands on the tourism dominated Island.12 of the experts totally doubted the sustainability of the application of renewable energy.
Research findings indicate that 80 of all those who were interviewed were of the opinion that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park had a future.12 expressed doubts on the future of renewable energy application while 8 remained non-committal on the future of the application of renewable energy.
Chart 7
The numerous potentials for harnessing wind energy in the upper section of the park was the main reason for the optimism while the unreliability of the sunlight was sighted for the doubts .Water resources though available in advance could not be expressly harnessed to give energy.
Chapter 5 Discussion
Hong Kong Ocean Park plays a very central role as a tourism destination in South Eastern China. Tourism is a very important sector in the economy of any country. The economy of Hong Kong is not an exception. It benefits a lot from the high tourism activities of the Ocean Park Island. Tourism is highly dependent on investment in modern hospitality facilities which tourists utilize in accommodation, catering and entertainment. These tourism activities are highly dependent of energy use and are indeed the highest energy consumers in Hong Kong Ocean Park. It is on this basis that the discussion on the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park cannot be complete without due consideration being given to the energy requirements and consumption of the hospitality sector of the ocean Park.
The key activities of the hospitality industry that are highly energy dependent include accommodation, catering and entertainment. Energy is required in accommodation facilities for purposes of temperature regulation, lightning and powering of gadgets and laundry activities. Warming of water is energy reliant. The catering activities that require the use of energy involves cooking. Energy is required in entertainment for the purposes of powering entertainment machines as well as lightning. All these activities require the application of one form of energy or the other.
The concern over continued use of fossil energy in Hong Kong relates to the fact that China is a highly populous country yet there is a very limited fossil fuel resource. The very high population already posses major strains on existing energy resources. This existing strain has been compounded by the high number of tourists that visit the country especially the Ocean Park Island. This has the effect of significantly raising the demands energy to such a point those posses a threat to the limited sources of energy. This notwithstanding increased usage of fossil energy also poses major threats to the environment through carbon commission that significantly increase the impact of global warming. Being a very small, Island the use of fossil energy in the Ocean Park Island posses a real threat on the climate of the Island.
In order that the possible negative effects that relate to the usage of fossil energy are avoided, it is important to explore the application of other sources of energy in the Ocean Park Island. The key area that has drawn a lot of interest is the application of renewable energy including solar energy, wind energy, water energy, and Biomass energy. All these are environment friendly and renewable energy sources which can considerably be harnessed to meet the energy requirements of the Island. Proponents of the application of renewable energy in the Ocean Park Island argue that the opportunities that though there are very heavy initial investment costs that are associated with the establishment of equipment for harnessing such renewable energy, the long term benefits are quite paramount.
Application of renewable energy according to the proponents would help save a lot of energy costs especially those costs that relate to importation of crude oil and the environmental degradation costs. Given the current campaigns by environmental lobbies that industrialists pay for carbon pollution of the atmosphere, the application of renewable energy becomes the most immediate alternative energy source. There is also the general threat of diminishing fossil fuel resources in the Far East. This would mean over reliance on fuel importation which is constantly affected by the global economic crisis as well as political instability in key oil producing regions of the Middle East. This means that investment in application of renewable energy remain the best choice to Hong Kong Ocean Park.
The world competition for tourists that has reached cut throat levels and Hong Kong in particular faces very stiff competition from the neighboring Dubai. Environment tourism is also anew concept that is fast gaining ground all over the world. This means that tourist6s will tend to have a preference to destinations that show significant concern to matters of the environment. The application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park would be a major boost to environmental tourism and help put the Ocean Park Island ahead of its competitors. The existing vast potential for harnessing renewable energy in the Island particularly solar and wind energy should not also be left untapped. This calls not only for the participation of the government but also the private sector participation.
Though the Government of Hong Kong has done a lot through campaigns to promote the use of renewable sources of energy, there are still feelings within certain quarters that mere campaigns by the government are not sufficient. Instead there is a feeling that for significant gains to be attained, resources should be specifically set aside and more funds invested by the Government towards harnessing of renewable energy in the Ocean Park Island. The Government should also capitalize on the good gesture on the part of investors to move from one use of fossil energy towards the use of renewable energy which is more environmental friendly.
It is on this basis of the potential benefits that the application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park posses over fossil energy that this study aims at advocating for a major shift among investors and energy consumers to renewable energy that is friendlier and has substantial cost reduction benefits in the long run. The successful application of renewable energy in Hong Kong Ocean Park should act as a showcase that can be applied to other parts of the world.
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