Free Distribution of 'Mini Solar Panels' to 1,000 Apartment Security Offices... Saving Heating and Cooling Costs

Seoul City Accepts Applications and Submissions to District Offices from Management Offices until June 5

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] Ahead of the hot summer season, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will install solar mini power plants free of charge in apartment security offices with poor working conditions.

The city announced on the 19th that it plans to support the installation of two solar modules (300~325W each) per security office at 1,000 locations this year, totaling 2,000 modules.

Installing two mini solar panels can produce about 60 kW of electricity per month. Apartment security offices typically have an area of about 2 to 6 pyeong (approximately 6.6 to 19.8 square meters). A 6-pyeong wall-mounted air conditioner and electric stove can operate for more than 3 hours a day, and fans can run all day, which is expected to be a great help during the summer and winter seasons when cooling and heating devices are in use. The electricity produced is also consumed as common electricity for the apartment, contributing to energy savings in apartment complexes.

Since 2018, Seoul has been distributing mini solar panels free of charge to reduce the burden of using cooling and heating facilities in apartment security offices vulnerable to heatwaves and cold spells. Solar panels were installed in 548 security offices in 2018 and 970 in 2019, with a goal of distributing to a total of 4,500 locations by 2022.

The mini solar panel support project for security offices is promoted by manufacturers supplying materials to distributors at prices lower than the existing supply price, distributors providing installation personnel and technology free of charge, and offering free A/S for five years, so there is no separate cost burden for apartment complexes. The city plans to provide subsidies to distributors who complete solar panel installations in security offices at the same level as the mini solar panel subsidies for general households.

Seoul will recruit apartment complexes wishing to install the panels through energy-related departments (environment divisions) of each autonomous district from the 20th of this month to the 5th of next month, and after on-site inspections of the applicant complexes, installation will begin at the selected security offices from the end of June.

Kim Ho-sung, head of Seoul’s Green Energy Division, expressed gratitude to the solar panel companies that willingly participated in sharing for energy-vulnerable groups, and urged apartment residents and management offices to show great interest, as the consent of the apartment management entity is required to install solar panels in security offices.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.