Imagine a city where every building generates clean energy from the water it uses – whether for drinking, washing or cleaning.
This is the simple, yet ingenious vision proposed by Green Vigor, a Hong Kong start-up and one of 10 winners of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council’s (HKTDC) Start-up Express, which helps SMEs grow their brand awareness, find investors and expand internationally.
The start-up’s HydroVigor device is a compact, customisable hydropower unit that fits into water tanks and generates power from water pumped into the tank.
Used in residential and office buildings, factories and most water storage settings, the solution’s ensuing energy offsets the cost of pumping water, potentially recouping 25% of the pump’s energy, making it not only sustainable but economically compelling.
Apart from generating emission-free electricity, the device’s other advantages include easy installation in existing water tanks with minimal modifications, no-fuss maintenance and 24-hour functionality without generating harmful by-products.
Designed specifically for water tanks, HydroVigor is assembled in Hong Kong using components sourced from Mainland China and the US.
Due to the sophisticated engineering required to maintain consistent water pressure and flow, it is the only product of its kind available in the market.
Inspired by flood, built for sustainability
Like many great ideas, the technology was borne from accident, according to CEO Penney Chong.
She recounted how her company’s warehouse flooded three times in a single year, prompting repeated efforts to pump water away from the site.
From this, Ms Chong saw the potential of generating power from the stored water. Through rigorous research and testing, she teamed up with CTO Jason Li to prove the idea was viable and founded Green Vigor.
HydroVigor has already been fitted into a 2,000 litre water tank at a primary school in Shatin, where it is expected to produce some 17,520 kWh per year — enough to power an electric vehicle over 60,000 miles.
More devices will be installed in a 38,000 litre swimming pool surge tank in Kai Tak and in three tanks at a shopping mall in Singapore, demonstrating the system’s versatility across different environment and scales.
Green Vigor is exploring multiple revenue streams, including direct sales, rental plans, energy-as-a-service and profit-sharing arrangements.
Apart from securing a top 10 place in Start-up Express, the start-up also won the programme’s ESG Award for their sustainable and socially impactful solution.
Other accolades include being shortlisted in the Hong Kong Sustainable Development Innovation and Technology Award funded by the Hong Kong SAR Government’s Innovation and Technology Commission and taking home the Most Innovative Award in the Sustainability X Challenge sponsored by Singapore’s CapitaLand.
Scaling up, being seen
Looking ahead, Ms Chong has a bold vision to install 100 devices within two years and is confident the market is ready for her innovation.
“HydroVigor is a small-scale intervention that can be easily deployed across a city using existing infrastructure. It’s how we can reshape the urban environment - right here, right now.”
And the benefits are not just environmental, she pointed out.
“With the savings on electricity bills, property managers can generally recover their investment within a few years.”
In the short term, Green Vigor’s main challenge is to boost sales through reliable distribution channels and build public awareness.
Winning a place in the Start-up Express programme is a major step towards increasing visibility, alongside showcasing their technology at HKTDC trade exhibitions, such as Eco Expo Asia and InnoEX, where the company exhibited last October and April, respectively.
“HKTDC’s exhibitions helped us to connect with high-quality clients and partners, while winning Start-up Express has opened doors to greater visibility and improved our public communications,” Ms Chong concluded.