Strengthening Energy Performance Standards for Newly Built Apartment Complexes with 30 or More Households Starting Next July

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Jiwon] From July next year, energy performance standards for newly built apartment complexes with 30 or more households will be strengthened.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 22nd that it will issue an administrative notice to revise the "Construction Standards for Energy-Saving Eco-Friendly Housing," which includes raising the energy performance standards for newly built apartment complexes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and alleviate housing costs for the public.

First, the energy performance standards for newly built apartment complexes with 30 or more households, which require project plan approval, will be raised from the current Building Energy Efficiency Grade 1 to 1+ or higher.

As a result, the energy saving rate will be strengthened by 3 percentage points, from 60% or more to 63% or more.

The Ministry of Land has been continuously strengthening energy performance standards since 2009, aiming to mandate zero-energy building certification for newly built apartment complexes by 2025.

In 2025, the Building Energy Efficiency Grade will be raised to 1++.

To uniformly manage energy performance standards for buildings, the energy performance indicator for apartment complexes will be unified as the "Building Energy Efficiency Grade."

Until now, energy performance indicators under the Housing Act and the Green Building Act were dualized as "energy saving rate" and "Building Energy Efficiency Grade," causing difficulties on site.

Additionally, the scoring for the installation of renewable energy facilities will be expanded when evaluating energy performance.

The minimum required score for renewable energy facility items will be raised from the current 10 points to 25 points.

The Ministry of Land plans to continuously reflect new energy reduction technologies that are not currently included in the design standards for energy-saving eco-friendly housing.

Kim Kyunghun, Director of the Housing Construction Supply Division, said, "Apartment complexes are spaces where more than two-thirds of our citizens reside, and strengthening energy performance standards not only contributes to the national greenhouse gas reduction goals to respond to climate change but also reduces housing cost burdens, achieving a twofold benefit."