Seoul City to Transform 321 Aging Senior Centers into 'Low-Carbon Eco-Friendly Buildings' by 2026 with 56 Billion Won Investment

Improving Living Environments for Vulnerable Groups Sensitive to Indoor Conditions through Insulation Reinforcement, HVAC Replacement, and Eco-Friendly Ventilation
Energy Performance Improvement Projects Implemented Since 2020... Currently, Construction Completed at 18 Senior Centers

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City announced on the 25th that it will promote a low-carbon building expansion project to improve the energy efficiency of aging senior centers. The goal is to invest 56 billion KRW over five years until 2026 to significantly enhance the energy performance of 321 locations.

Seoul City began phased construction in 2020 and, as of 2022, has completed a total of 18 senior centers. These 18 locations are expected to save approximately 84 million KRW annually in electricity bills (annual 764,498 kWh). Energy self-sufficiency rate refers to the ratio of energy production to energy consumption of a building. An energy self-sufficiency rate of 100% means the building is self-sufficient in energy.

Seoul City plans to convert 19 senior centers into low-carbon buildings by the end of this year and aims to convert 30 senior centers next year. Consulting and support applications are currently being accepted from autonomous districts. Through the senior center zero-energy conversion project, which replaces aging facilities and applies eco-friendly design techniques to improve facility environments, Seoul City plans to secure the energy self-sufficiency rate of the buildings.

Furthermore, starting in 2023, Seoul City will promote customized energy performance improvement projects according to the condition of senior center buildings. While aiming for zero-energy conversion, locations where zero-energy building conversion is difficult will be supported through the BRP project, which replaces insulation windows, high-efficiency equipment, and more to improve energy performance. The city has expanded its target for participating senior centers from 13 locations this year to 30 locations in 2023.

The three senior centers where construction has been completed are Baekryeon Senior Center in Seodaemun-gu, Sinchon Senior Center, and Hagye Senior Center in Nowon-gu. All three have obtained a building energy efficiency rating of 1++ or higher. In particular, Baekryeon Senior Center secured a building energy efficiency rating of 1+++, with an energy self-sufficiency rate of 71%.

Yoo Yeon-sik, Head of Seoul City’s Climate and Environment Headquarters, said, “This project aims to improve the energy performance and living environment of aging public buildings used by vulnerable groups. Since buildings account for 69% of Seoul’s total greenhouse gas emissions, converting them to low-carbon buildings is very necessary,” adding, “We will do our best to lead the public sector to promote this proactively to spread it to the private sector.”

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