Consistent and diligent efforts have been put into ensuring Conghua Racecourse (CRC) adopts environmental strategies in its infrastructure and operations, from energy-saving engineering to efforts to conserve natural resources and reduce emissions, and more, as governed by CRC’s own Environmental Management Committee, which is responsible for tracking performance and ensuring the Racecourse is compliant with environmental legal obligations.

We previously explored how the 150-hectare CRC is a prime example of how the Club actively manages its environmental impact through initiatives such as wastewater recycling, waste management and converting waste to electricity. But did you know the Club’s continuous sustainability efforts also include a major commitment to reduce energy usage and investments in renewable energy and green mobility? Continue reading to find out how this is done. Caption: CRC has made a significant commitment to reduce energy usage across its stable facilities

CRC has incorporated various energy-efficient measures within its infrastructure to save energy, including adopting efficient lighting fixtures, high-efficiency air conditioners, high-power variable load water pumps, and a power factor compensation system. The latter in particular is controlled by an energy monitoring system, which can reduce energy consumption by five percent. This amounted to 1.322 million kWh in FY2023/24, based on the total power consumption of 25.116 million kWh.

Additionally, since April 2024, the fan drivers of central air conditioning in CRC’s stables were replaced with variable frequency drivers, which is expected to save 900,000 kWh each year. Caption: Solar panels installed on the rooftops at CRC facilities

CRC has invested significantly in generating its own power and heating from renewable energy resources with ongoing plans to introduce more.

Solar-powered thermal water heaters were installed on the rooftops of the existing Staff Quarters and Mafoo Quarters A and B, and are used to heat the domestic water supply through the heat radiated by the sun during the day – saving around 278,000 kWh of energy per year. During other periods, air source heat pumps and electric heaters are used for heating.

Since January 2024, photovoltaic (PV) power generation systems that leverage solar power to generate electricity have been implemented on three new double-storey stables and their supporting facilities with a capacity of 1,530.65 kW. And in May 2024, another PV system was installed on the roof of the T2 Staff hotels, with total capacity of 205.7 kW. By the end of 2025, an additional embedded PV power generation system will be installed on the roof of the new CRC Grandstand with a capacity of 3,573 kW, and another on the roof of the newly built multi-level parking garage with a capacity of 1,025 kW – with both new systems expected to be connected to the grid for power generation in October 2025. Caption: Electric Vehicle (EV) chargers have been installed in the guest parking areas to enable convenient EV charging

On top of ensuring buildings can be heated and powered by sustainable means, environmental measures also help reduce the impact of traffic emissions on the environment. Green employee transport methods offered include 250 shared bicycles deployed in CRC’s Core Bio-security Zone, 98 electric golf carts used as exclusive on-site vehicles, and five electric shuttle buses, introduced in April 2024. Caption: Shared bikes are provided in CRC’s Core Bio-security Zone

Furthermore, 85 new electric vehicle charging stations situated in various parking lots were also added to encourage employees to use electric vehicles for their commutes.

In summary, CRC’s combined energy-saving measures – from energy-efficient infrastructure to PV power generation systems and more – have saved approximately 4.02 million kWh of energy per year since adoption, amounting to 16 percent of the total electricity consumption of FY2023/24. This is equivalent to reducing approximately 2,291.4 tonnes of carbon dioxide that would otherwise be produced by nearly 500 tonnes of standard coal – thus significantly reducing CRC’s potential carbon footprint and its overall environmental impact.