Trane Secures Double Win at 2026 ASHRAE Regional Technology Award for Chiller Retrofit Excellence |
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Hong Kong, June 16, 2026 — Trane Hong Kong, a business of global climate innovator Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), has been recognized as a Regional Winner of the 2026 ASHRAE Regional XIII Technology Award for two of its chiller upgrade projects. The award-winning retrofits, at Alexandra House in Central and Princess Margaret Hospital in Kowloon, respectively, demonstrate Trane’s capabilities as an innovation‑driven technical partner to transform existing buildings into high‑performance, low‑carbon assets.
Mr. Frankie Chan, Managing Director of Trane Hong Kong, commented:
“Through continuous technological innovation and engineering excellence, Trane aims to transform buildings into sustainable, net‑zero assets that deliver long-term value for future generations. These two ASHRAE awards affirm a core principle: aging buildings and round‑the‑clock critical facilities alike are viable opportunities for low-carbon upgrades.” |
Alexandra House: 25% Energy Savings in a 50‑Year‑Old Tower
Alexandra House, a 50-year-old Grade-A commercial landmark managed by Hongkong Land (Property Management) Limited, received recognition in the Commercial Buildings – EBCx (Existing Building Commissioning) category, serving as a key benchmark for sustainable retrofits of large existing buildings to meet modern performance standards.
To address efficiency degradation in the original aging R134a chillers, the 350,000‑square‑foot facility’s chiller plant was modernized with five high-efficiency Trane® CenTraVac® water-cooled centrifugal chillers utilizing hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) refrigerant R514A, which has an ultra-low global warming potential (GWP) of less than 2. Through advanced plant optimization using TRACE™ 700 simulation and a hybrid variable speed drive (VSD) and constant speed drive (CSD) configuration, the upgraded chiller system achieved a coefficient of performance (COP) exceeding statutory requirements by more than 6%.
Compared with the 2019 baseline, the building achieved a roughly 25% reduction in total energy consumption in 2025, despite an approximately 20% increase in cooling demand. The transition to R514A also delivers a 99.9% reduction in direct refrigerant-related climate impact compared with traditional R134a (GWP = 1,430), supporting Hongkong Land’s long-term 2050 carbon neutrality goals.
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President of ASHRAE Hong Kong Chapter, Mr. Jason Kwok (6th from right), presents the 2026 ASHRAE Regional XIII Technology Award, to representatives from Hongkong Land (led by Assistant General Manager and Head of Property Management Mr. Don Tse (7th from right)), and Trane Hong Kong (led by Managing Director Mr. Frankie Chan (4th from right)) |
Princess Margaret Hospital: Low‑Carbon Healthcare Model
Partnering with the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD), Trane Hong Kong delivered an end-to-end chiller plant retrofit at Princess Margaret Hospital, a major acute care facility operated by the Hospital Authority (HA). The project balanced strict indoor thermal comfort standards and ambitious carbon reduction targets, securing recognition under the Health Care Facilities (Existing) category.
After many years of operation, the original chiller plant experienced significant performance degradation, with the average COP declining to around 2.5. To address this issue, the plant was retrofitted with high-performance VSD screw‑type Trane Series R™ helical rotary chillers.
Serving as a best‑practice pilot for low‑carbon hospital retrofits in Hong Kong’s public healthcare sector, the retrofit project achieved total annual energy savings of 685,311 kWh in the reporting period from April 2025 to March 2026, a year‑over‑year reduction of 35%. In parallel, the project achieved annual direct CO₂ reductions of 35,010 kg, while indirect CO₂ emissions were reduced by 479,718 kg through the adoption of new chillers.
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President of ASHRAE Hong Kong Chapter, Mr. Jason Kwok (7th from right), presents the 2026 ASHRAE Regional XIII Technology Award, to representatives from the EMSD (led by Director Mr. Poon Kwok-ying, Raymond (8th from left)), HA (led by Senior Manager Ms. Fong Chi-sum, Carmen) (10th from right)), Trane Hong Kong (led by Managing Director Mr. Frankie Chan (6th from right)), General Manager of Carewin Engineering Limited, Mr. Alex Hui (5th from right), etc.
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About the ASHRAE Technology Awards
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air‑Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) Technology Awards Program recognizes successful applications of innovative HVAC&R designs that demonstrate effective energy management and sound mechanical engineering. Regional winners advance to global society‑level competitions.
This double win further underscores Trane Hong Kong’s staunch commitment to accelerating the transition toward a net‑zero built environment in the city. ### |
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About Trane
Trane – by Trane Technologies (NYSE: TT), a global climate innovator – creates comfortable, energy efficient indoor environments for commercial and residential applications. For more information, please visit www.trane.com or www.tranetechnologies.com.
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