Private buildings must have enhanced energy performance starting in December.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport prepared a revision to the 'energy-saving design standards for buildings' to strengthen the energy performance of private buildings, which will be announced for administrative notice from the 13th of this month to the 1st of next month.
The energy-saving design standards are mandatory guidelines for permits to create a pleasant indoor environment and establish low-energy buildings through measures such as enhanced insulation and application of high-efficiency equipment from the design stage of the building.
The Ministry has been leading carbon neutrality in the building sector, primarily targeting public buildings by mandating Zero Energy Building (ZEB) certification.
This revision aims to ensure that not only public buildings but also private buildings achieve energy performance at the ZEB level 5, to reduce energy expenses and contribute to greenhouse gas reductions in the building sector. It is set to take effect in December this year.
According to this revision, the specification standards for private buildings (standard construction criteria set for each facility) will maintain the current score (65 points for private buildings), but will mandate certain items that provide a high energy-saving effect relative to expenses for buildings with a total floor area of 1,000 square meters or more to enhance energy performance.
It will improve the buildings' capacity for self-energy production by mandating the installation of renewable energy facilities to produce part of the energy used for heating, cooling, hot water supply, and lighting through solar energy, geothermal energy, and other renewable sources.
The performance criteria will apply a slightly relaxed standard of 150 kWh/㎡·yr (annual primary energy consumption per unit area), which is less stringent than ZEB level 5. The Ministry plans to allow permits even if the specification standards are not followed, as long as the performance criteria are met to encourage creative designs by the private sector.
Hong Seong-jun, director of the Green Building Division at the Ministry, noted, 'While zero-energy buildings have been led by the public sector, improving the energy performance of private buildings, which account for the majority of buildings, is essential to achieve greenhouse gas reduction targets. I expect that active participation from the private sector will reduce the public's energy expense burden and accelerate the transition to a carbon-neutral economy and society.'