SK Construction, Korea's First Non-Residential Building to Receive Zero Energy Grade 1 Certification

Gwacheon Weaverfield Resident Community Facility Receives Grade 1 Certification
Energy Self-Sufficiency Rate 158%, Energy Efficiency 1+++

Gwacheon Weaverfield Scheduled for Move-In at the End of This Month

Resident community facility of 'Gwacheon Weverfield' in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province. It is the first non-residential building in Korea to receive the Grade 1 certification for zero-energy buildings. (Provided by SK Construction)

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] SK Engineering & Construction has become the first in Korea to receive the highest grade 1 certification for zero-energy buildings in non-residential structures.

On the 14th, SK Engineering & Construction announced that the community facility of 'Gwacheon Weverfield' in Gwacheon-si, Gyeonggi Province, was certified as a Grade 1 zero-energy building by the Korea Energy Agency. This is the first time for a non-residential building in Korea.

A zero-energy building refers to a building that produces its own energy using renewable energy and minimizes energy loss. Certification is given in five grades according to the degree of zero-energy realization of the building. Among them, the highest grade 1 is only awarded to buildings with an energy self-sufficiency rate of 100% and energy efficiency of 1++ grade or higher.

According to SK Engineering & Construction, the community facility of Gwacheon Weverfield achieved an energy self-sufficiency rate of 158% and an energy efficiency rating of 1+++, far exceeding the required conditions, successfully obtaining the Grade 1 certification. The facility is a two-story building with a total floor area of approximately 513㎡ and is scheduled to be completed by the end of this month. The first floor houses a book cafe, and the second floor contains a guesthouse.

Through solar power facilities, all energy consumed in the building can be supplied solely by self-produced energy without separate electricity or gas supply. It is expected to reduce residents' management fees due to energy cost savings.

To build Korea's highest-level zero-energy building, SK Engineering & Construction introduced various technologies to simultaneously enhance energy productivity and efficiency. Outdoors, a 68kWp solar power system was installed, and indoors, high-insulation and high-air-tightness windows, LED lighting, and high-efficiency heating and cooling systems were applied to maximize energy efficiency.

Additionally, a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) was introduced to collect and analyze energy information within the building to enable efficient operation. Through these energy-saving technologies, it is expected that carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced by about 19 tons annually.

An SK Engineering & Construction official said, "We plan to focus on expanding the distribution of eco-friendly and low-carbon buildings such as zero-energy buildings to strengthen ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) management in the future."

Gwacheon Weverfield is an apartment complex consisting of 21 buildings with a total of 2,128 households, ranging from three basement floors to 35 above-ground floors, constructed by SK Engineering & Construction and Lotte Engineering & Construction. Move-in begins at the end of this month. Gwacheon Weverfield is recognized as a representative eco-friendly apartment, having received not only zero-energy building certification but also the highest grade in green building certification and Grade 1 in building energy efficiency.