Building Energy Commons: Three Mini-PV Installation Cases in Apartment Complexes in Seoul

Seihun Yang,Weiming Chen,Hana Kim

doi:10.3390/en14010249

Abstract

Solar photovoltaics (PV) deployment is not easy in dense urban areas because there is little space for the installation. Furthermore, tenants have few incentives to install PV panels because they frequently relocate, and most PV facilities are nonremovable. To address these factors, this study reports on an innovative model that collectively installed 260 W of mini-PV on the balconies of almost all the households in two high-rise apartment complexes in Seoul, South Korea. This project was unique in that it established energy commons in a community using private space. This study found that economic and social factors significantly influenced community-internal or micro factors, which in turn affected the success of the community energy project. Economic factors such as the expected economic benefit and residents paying no direct installation costs shaped the initial conditions for the commencement of the project. Leadership played a key role by speeding up the process, relieving residents’ concerns and distrust. This study introduced an innovative community energy model that can be referenced by megacities and communities. It provides opportunities for enhancing awareness of energy transition via on-site energy production using renewable energy and allows even communities that have insufficient common space to build energy commons.

Highlights

Community energy is a niche that can contribute to energy transition [1,2]
This study aims to analyze how communities processed the collective installation of small-scale PV in every unit of their apartment complexes, with a focus on how community internal factors apply within a dense urban context
This study introduced a new community energy model applicable to multiunit dwellings in dense urban areas, a model that collectively installed very small-scale PV on the balconies of individual units in an entire apartment complex, designated the installed mini-PV

Summary

Introduction

Community energy is a niche that can contribute to energy transition [1,2]. Community energy studies that have investigated cases in dense urban areas are rarely found. This may be attributed to the conditions in megacities, where community energy initiatives rarely develop spontaneously [3]. Literature on megacities has focused on the potential or feasibility of renewable energy deployment and has recommended enhanced measures for promoting renewable energy [4,5,6,7,8]. A handful of studies [3,9,10] have investigated collective approaches for renewable energy deployment in megacities

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Methods

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Discussion

Conclusion