[What is the FOC compliance form? What situations does it apply to? ]

The "FOC Compliance Form" is an energy certification document submitted to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department of Hong Kong. As the statutory body in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government responsible for regulating and promoting the safety, efficiency and sustainable development of electrical and mechanical equipment, the owner or person in charge must obtain the Compliance Form, also known as EE4 ("Specified Form" under Section 18(1)(b) of the Buildings Energy Efficiency Ordinance (Chapter 610)) within 2 months after the completion of the major renovation works. The form must be certified by a qualified REA Registered Energy Efficiency Assessor to prove that the replaced or added building services installation complies with the latest version of the Building Energy Code.

Application of FOC Compliance Form

Scope of application: Which projects need to submit FOC form?

The scope of application of the FOC form covers major retrofitting works under the definition of EMSD, which are mainly defined by the area of ​​works or the addition or replacement of central building services installations:

Project Area

Addition or replacement of building services installations specified in the Building Energy Codes and meeting the following conditions:

• Calculated in relation to one unit or one common area, the total floor area (i.e. the works area) covered by the works is not less than 500 m2; or if the works are carried out in phases or at different locations in one unit or one common area as a series of works, the total floor area (i.e. the works area) covered by these works in aggregate within 12 months is not less than 500 m2.

Addition or replacement of central building services installations Addition or replacement of major components of central building services installations, including:

• A complete circuit rated 400 amperes or more or
• — a unitary packaged air conditioner, heat pump or chiller with a cooling or heating rating of 350 kW or more; or
• The motor drive and mechanical drive of a lift, escalator or passenger conveyor

Projects that meet the following conditions are not included in the major renovation projects:

Buildings where the permitted load of the main power switch does not exceed 100A (single-phase or three-phase) or buildings that meet the following requirements
- No more than 3 storeys high
- Covered area not exceeding 65.03 square metres
- height not exceeding 8.23 ​​metres;
- monuments or historical buildings declared or proposed under the Antiquities and Monuments Ordinance;
- Buildings demolished or rebuilt within 12 months.

Content structure and filling requirements of FOC form

FOC Compliance Form Sample

A completed FOC form must contain the following core fields and be signed and certified by a REA registered energy efficiency assessor:

Building Information

Information about units/common areas

Information of the responsible person (The responsible person must be the responsible person or owner who obtains this compliance form in accordance with section 17 of the Ordinance. He or she may be a company or an owners corporation. If the relevant responsible person or owner obtains this form in the name of a company, please fill in the name of the company in the blank. If the relevant responsible person or owner obtains this form in the name of the owners corporation of the building, please fill in the name of the corporation in the blank. If the company or corporation, as the responsible person of the building, has appointed a representative to obtain this form, please fill in the information of the representative.)

Under section 18(5) of the Ordinance, a registered energy assessor who issues a compliance form shall (a) send a copy of the form together with the documents specified in the compliance form to the Director; and (b) send another copy of the form to (i) the property management company of the building concerned; or (ii) if there is no such property management company or the relevant property management company cannot be found or ascertained, the owner of the building. Under section 18(6) of the Ordinance, any registered energy assessor who fails to comply with section 18(5) of the Ordinance commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 3 (currently $10,000).

REA Registered Energy Efficiency Assessor Information and Signature

Detailed information about the major renovation works needs to be filled in on another form, EESU, and the FOC Form (EE4) must be submitted to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department together with the Form EESU.

Engineering Process

REA "Registered Energy Assessors" must submit a copy of the "Compliance Form" (Specified Form EE4) to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department and the property management company for record. If the building does not have a property management company representative, REA must send a copy to the owner of the building, and the list of "Compliance Forms" will be uploaded to the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department website for public inspection. There is no need to renew the form in the future.

Our HKEA REA team provides energy certification and FOC compliance form signing and submission services for major renovation works . Please feel free to contact our customer service for service arrangements and quotations.