As the mandatory certification of zero energy buildings (ZEB) took effect, domestic construction companies and apartment complexes began introducing eco-friendly technologies while working to cut maintenance fees.
According to the construction industry on the 7th, some complexes are introducing advanced energy management systems, such as smart meters, solar power generation facilities, and ESS (energy storage systems), to reduce maintenance fees.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has been promoting carbon neutrality in the building sector with a focus on the public sphere by making ZEB certification mandatory for public buildings. It later mandated that private buildings also secure energy performance at the ZEB grade 5 level.
Accordingly, construction companies reflected high-efficiency materials and new and renewable energy facilities from the design stage. Major builders are operating AI-based energy management platforms they developed in-house to analyze and forecast complex power data and charge ESS during hours when electricity rates are low.
Smart BEMS (Building Energy Management System), operated by Hyundai E&C, is a system that integrally manages building energy production, storage, and consumption, providing AI-based analysis and control functions. It was first applied to the Green Smart Innovation Center in 2014 and expanded to multifamily housing (Hillstate Lake Songdo) in 2018, earning Korea's first ZEB certification. Hyundai E&C said Hillstate Lake Songdo showed savings of 51% in electricity and 43% in heating compared with the multifamily housing average.
Samsung C&T's construction division has established design guidelines for ZEB certification and prepared solar application design guidelines, reviewing various application methods for rooftops, walls, railings, and more. In 2022, the Busan Eco Delta City smart village project received ZEB grade 1 certification.
GS Engineering and Construction developed its own "energy-saving lighting" in line with the ZEB era and is applying it to its Xi brand. The eco-friendly energy-saving lighting reduces unnecessary energy consumption by about 30% to 50% compared with existing lighting, achieving tangible electricity bill savings and carbon emission cuts at the same time.
The institutional sector, where mandatory ZEB certification was applied first, has also moved to eco-friendly energy management. The Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) piloted ESS in public rental housing in Sejong and the Geomdan new town in Incheon. It is using the stored power during extreme heat. LH said the pilot complexes saw average monthly maintenance fees per household fall by about 7% to 10%.
The construction industry says that while additional expenses such as construction costs are inevitable, eco-friendly and smart energy systems are essential. A construction company official said, "With ZEB now mandatory, devising energy-saving measures has effectively become a must," adding, "In the short term, it may lead to higher construction costs and sales prices, which could draw complaints from residents, but as these technologies continue to be introduced, people will begin to feel the savings in electricity and heating bills."