Senior Centers Undergo 'Green' Remodeling... Busan City Completes Pilot Project at Four Aging Facilities for the Elderly and Children

Expansion of Project Scope Next Year to Include Daycare Centers and Kindergartens

Busan City has launched a green remodeling pilot project targeting aging senior centers and childcare facilities, aiming to reduce energy consumption and improve indoor air quality.

On December 14, Busan City announced that, through the "Green Remodeling Pilot Project for Aging Facilities for the Elderly and Children" implemented this year, it had installed five heat recovery ventilation systems in four outdated senior centers. The project was carried out through a public-private partnership between the city and the Busan branch of the Korea Mechanical Equipment Construction Association, with the goal of enhancing the energy performance of aging buildings.

Facilities for the elderly and children refer to institutions that provide a variety of welfare services for seniors and young children, including senior centers, nursing homes, care facilities, kindergartens, and daycare centers.

The city selected the sites based on recommendations from districts and on-site inspections, while the association contributed by donating their expertise and installing the heat recovery ventilation systems-key equipment in green remodeling-free of charge. These systems reduce energy loss by recovering heat generated during the expulsion of indoor polluted air, while also improving indoor air quality.

The completed sites include Geumgok 3 Complex Senior Center (two units in Buk-gu), Hangwol Grandmother Senior Center (Gangseo-gu), Bohun Apartment Senior Center (Haeundae-gu), and Banyeo-dong Giro Senior Center (Haeundae-gu).

Through this pilot project, Busan City plans to raise public awareness of green remodeling for aging buildings and foster a culture of voluntary participation, thereby accelerating its vision of becoming a leading carbon-neutral city.

Green remodeling refers to the eco-friendly renovation of aging buildings in need of energy performance improvements, enhancing both energy efficiency and residential comfort. Next year, the city plans to expand the project to include daycare centers and kindergartens, continuing the spread of green buildings.

Bae Seongtaek, Director of the Housing and Architecture Bureau, emphasized, "This pilot project will broaden interest in green remodeling of buildings and, through the creation of green buildings, help us move toward a carbon-neutral city."