Improving energy savings in the South Korean apartment housing sector

Since ‘Low Carbon and Green Growth’ was published in 2008, the South Korean government has attempted to achieve fuel energy savings and carbon dioxide reduction for the housing sector. The green housing regulation established in 2009 required all construction companies to build new housing with 15% total energy savings compared with housing built before 2008. The authors surveyed the annual heating and hot water consumption data for 795 housing units with 84 m² net area in two estates to determine the energy savings gap between design performance and actual performance. After adjustment for outside temperature influence, the thermal energy (heating and hot water) savings gap was calculated to be about 17% in both the middle and south areas of South Korea. The analysed data in this study will be used with feedback data to design future green housing and will serve to amend the government policy of energy savings of 40% in 2015 and 70% in 2018, and to analyse the cost benefit for residents.