Zero Emission Buildings in Korea—History, Status Quo, and Future Prospects

Thorsten Schuetze

doi:10.3390/su7032745

Abstract

This paper discusses the history, status quo, and future prospects of Zero Emission Buildings (ZEBs) in the Republic of Korea. The advantages of, and requirements for ZEBs are described, concerning the factors of energy, water, nutrients, and biomass. ZEBs are characterized by net zero energy consumption through the minimization of the energy demand, as well as the onsite production and use of renewable energy. The direct water footprint is reduced by up to 100% through on-site water supply and wastewater management according to the principles of Sustainable Sanitation. The fresh water demand is reduced by using water saving technologies and by recycling of wastewater. Rainwater harvesting, utilization, and infiltration facilitates for onsite drinking water production. Nutrients and biomass from sanitation systems are recycled for local soil application. While traditional Korean buildings can be generally regarded as ZEBs, traditional know-how has been overlooked in the process of modernization and implementation of centralized infrastructure systems in the 20th century. However, the growing interest in sustainability issues in Korea since the beginning of the 21st century is reflected in a growing number of research and development activities, including the design, construction, and operation of ZEBs. The widespread implementation of ZEBs would significantly contribute to sustainable development in the Republic of Korea.

Highlights

The sustainable use of resources plays a key role in the global challenge to cope with the extensive resource consumption that exceeds the natural capacity of our planet, and the related environmental, economic, and social impacts
This paper discusses the development of Zero Emission Buildings (ZEBs) in the Republic of Korea
The ZEB approach discussed in this paper focuses on the operation of buildings and generally does not discuss aspects of emission related to the construction, maintenance, and deconstruction of buildings

Summary

Introduction

The sustainable use of resources plays a key role in the global challenge to cope with the extensive resource consumption that exceeds the natural capacity of our planet, and the related environmental, economic, and social impacts. The building sector plays a significant role in this regard, with its portion of global recourses consumption at more than 33% [1]. The building sector portion of the total global energy consumption is 40%. Most of the anthropogenic CO2 emissions result from the burning of fossil fuels [2]. Conventional food production is responsible for a large portion of the global CO2 emissions and energy consumption for farming, harvesting, storage, and transport of agricultural products. Conventional farming is globally responsible for most of the anthropogenic freshwater consumption [3]

Methods

Results

Conclusion