Renewable energy applications skyrocket, but attaching remote Hong Kong houses to the grid is proving to be a challenge
- Interest soars after changes announced in Chief Executive Carrie Lam’s policy address
- But not everywhere in city has infrastructure capable of dealing with power surge
Hong Kong’s biggest electricity supplier has received more than 1,100 applications to sell renewable energy into the grid since the scheme was announced earlier this year, with applications skyrocketing after the government dismantled some of the red tape in October.
But CLP Power said there were multiple challenges in connecting premises in remote and rural areas, and not all interested applicants were able to secure the price range because of voltage and infrastructure issues.
Under the new “feed-in tariff” scheme announced by the government in April, households, businesses or institutions with rooftop solar panels, or wind systems, will be able to sell the clean electricity to the power grid at higher than market rates.
Of the 1,100 applicants, 85 per cent have been vetted and given the go-ahead. Together, they account for about 25,000 kilowatts of installed capacity, and about 62 of these account holders are already hooked up and selling clean power to the grid.
More than two-thirds of approved applicants lived in village houses, while about 30 per cent came from owners of industrial or commercial premises. It is uncertain how much electricity they will produce for now.
