Sustainable development and requirements for energy efficiency in buildings – The Korean perspectives

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of developments in Korea in relation to its energy consumption and sustainable development policies and progress in achieving its energy targets as given by the Building Energy Codes. Building insulation and passive building technologies are also reviewed for achieving passive house standards by 2017 and zero-energy or near zero-energy buildings (nZEB) by 2025 in Korea, and to identify strategies to further reduce usage of primary energy and to achieve energy efficiency targets. A defining feature of a sustainable building is its ability to reduce significantly its environmental impacts and its embodied energy and greenhouse gas emissions over its whole life, including use of natural resources and releases of pollutants, to promote reuse and recycling of materials and sustainable development of buildings whilst ensuring the building satisfy the indoor environmental quality requirements for occupants. Passive technologies include the use of natural ventilation, energy storage such as using phase change materials (PCM) and high thermal mass structure, high energy efficiency windows and lighting and maximizing daylighting and use of renewable energy technologies. Technologies for refurbishment of building envelopes, windows and ventilation systems are reviewed to improve and upgrade the energy efficiency of existing buildings as well as focusing on new builds. The various options for heating, ventilating, cooling and air-conditioning of buildings are also discussed. Green Buildings and Energy Efficiency Labels and Standards should have a pertinent role to affect energy efficiency measures in building developments.