Pulmuone's New R&D Center 'Pulmuone Technology Institute' Obtains US Eco-Friendly 'LEED' Certification

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Saeng-hye] Pulmuone's new advanced research and development (R&D) center, 'Pulmuone Technology Institute,' has become the first food research institute in Korea to obtain the global eco-friendly building certification system 'LEED,' marking a new leap as a global LOHAS company.

On the 22nd, Pulmuone announced that the Pulmuone Technology Institute, newly built on a standalone site in the Osong Bio-Polis district, Chungbuk, had acquired the Gold grade in LEED, a global eco-friendly building certification system. The LEED Gold received by Pulmuone Technology Institute this time is the second-highest grade following Platinum in the latest version V4 of LEED new construction certification.

Pulmuone's acquisition of LEED Gold is the first for a Korean food research institute and corresponds to the highest grade obtained by a domestic R&D center, including non-food sectors.

LEED is one of the world's top three eco-friendly building certification systems established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In Korea, 156 buildings including Lotte World Tower, Namsan Square, and Gangnam Finance Center have received LEED certification. Among R&D centers, companies such as Hankook Tire and Kolon have obtained certification.

Pulmuone scored a total of 61 points (out of 110) in this LEED evaluation. The US Green Building Council grants grades by evaluating eight major categories: integrated design planning, building location and surrounding transportation, water use reduction, energy saving and air environment, use of eco-friendly building materials, indoor environment management, and innovative design.

Among the eight evaluation categories, Pulmuone Technology Institute particularly scored 10 out of 11 points in water use reduction. They established a system to reuse rainwater for restroom water and landscaping, introduced water-saving faucets and dual-flush toilets, and through an integrated water resource management plan, reduced water usage by 73% compared to U.S. legal standards.

In the energy saving and air environment category, they earned 19 points (out of 33). Solar power facilities installed on the roof of the Technology Institute supply 5% of the building's total electricity consumption. Seventy percent of the total lighting operates on energy obtained from solar power. Geothermal and ice thermal storage are utilized for heating and cooling, reducing energy consumption by 20% compared to LEED standards. As energy use decreased, CO2 emissions also dropped by 20% compared to LEED standards.

Lee Sang-yoon, head of Pulmuone Technology Institute, stated, "For the sustainable development of future generations, we have created the new advanced R&D center as an eco-friendly building reflecting Pulmuone's LOHAS values." He added, "Using the best research environment as a foundation, we will accelerate the development of new products that contribute to consumer safety and sustainable eating habits, as well as securing global research and technological competitiveness."

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