Shanghai aims to cut energy consumption by 20 percent in old offices, hotels, hospitals, schools and theaters by the end of 2014, through modernizing lighting and air-conditioning.

Building owners will receive 80 yuan (US$13.1) per square meter if they renovate their premises and achieve the 20 percent saving, Pei Xiao, chief engineer with Shanghai's construction and traffic commission, said yesterday.

This is part of a nationwide campaign targeting systems in old public buildings that consume large amount of energy.

Shanghai is among pilot cities carrying out work on a total of 4 million square meters of old buildings in these categories by the end of 2014. Twenty yuan of the sum paid per meter comes from central government.

"These buildings account for 25 percent of areas of all constructions across the city but consume some 55 percent of energy," said Pei.

The Shanghai Grand Theatre, among 20 buildings featured in a test run, reopened its small stage last Thursday.

"Energy consumption has been reduced by more than 20 percent, helping improve the audience experience," said Zhang Bolun, chief designer of the renovation work with the East China Architectural Design and Research Institute.

Now all stage, backstage and facade lights are more energy efficient LEDs, said Zhang.

And the theatre's air-conditioning system includes a frequency conversion feature that adjusts temperatures according to the audience size.

The theater was built in 1998 and many of its facilities were getting old, said Zhang.

Other renovation measures include installing solar energy panels to supply hot water, especially in hotels and hospitals.

Building management should also be improved so that some lights and electronic appliances are turned off at night.

Outlay on renovations can easily be recouped in huge energy savings, said Zhang.

The Shanghai Pullman Skyway Hotel on Dapu Road, in Huangpu District, for instance, spent 15 million yuan renovating energy systems, saving some 4 million yuan a year.

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