Korea’s green remodeling initiative completes its first signature project.
After its two-decade service to the local community, the public health center in Ssangryu, a town in Sejong, was renovated under Korea’s initiative of green remodeling of public buildings. The renovation is a milestone achievement as it is the first completion of the 32 ‘signature’ projects planned under the initiative. A public ceremony celebrating the completion was held on May 28 with Mr. Kim Heung-jin, Assistant Minister for Territorial and Urban Development of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and Mr. Cho Sang-ho, Economic Vice Mayor of Sejong city attending the ceremony.
A public health clinic reborn with green remodeling technologies
The Ssangryu public health center was an old building with concerns rising over its low-energy efficiency and degradation of in-door conditions.
Thanks to the green remodeling initiative, the old external insulation materials, windows, and the HVAC system of the building were replaced with new ones with higher energy efficiencies like the Double Low-E Glazing windows. Such improvements along with installation of solar panels will cut down the building’s energy consumption compared to its former self by around 70%.
In addition, the newly installed heat recovery ventilator will improve the indoor air quality for the local residents visiting the center.
Green remodeling: Korea’s first step toward carbon neutrality
In December 2020, the Korean government unveiled ten projects to be implemented under its post-COVID-19 recovery program titled the Korean New Deal. Included in the program, green remodeling along with zero-energy building construction also form the two key initiatives that will help Korea deliver the Strategy Carbon Neutral 2050 unveiled last December.
Under the green remodeling initiative, the government will fund reengineering of ageing public buildings hosting vulnerable groups like the elderly and children to raise building energy efficiency by at least 30% and reduce the indoor PM level by 75%.
Currently, 834 public buildings in 195 municipalities were selected for the improvement. Like the Ssangryu public health center, 32 public buildings, distributed one or two per municipality, were chosen as the targets for the signature projects, lead projects to produce good examples for the initiative.