Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), the country's largest electric utility, will construct the nation's first large-scale commercial facility as a Zero Energy Building (ZEB) with an energy self-sufficiency rate of 100% or higher.
KEPCO announced Wednesday that it will build its new Gangwon branch office as a Grade 1 Zero Energy Building. Located in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province, the new office will have a total floor area of 16,471㎡. This marks the first time a Grade 1 Zero Energy Building has been built among commercial facilities with a total floor area of 15,000㎡ or more in Korea.
A Grade 1 Zero Energy Building is a structure with an energy self-sufficiency rate of 100% or higher. "We initially obtained preliminary certification for ZEB Grade 3, but as the government is pursuing RE100 — 100% renewable energy for public institutions — we decided to upgrade to Grade 1 to take a leading role in implementing government policy," a KEPCO official said. The building is scheduled for completion in 2029.
To achieve an energy self-sufficiency rate of 100% or more, KEPCO plans to expand the installation of high-efficiency panels and integrate cutting-edge energy technologies into the building. The utility intends to pilot technologies currently under in-house research and development, including perovskite building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) using glass window-type panels, ultra-high-efficiency tandem solar cells, and hydrogen fuel cells.
KEPCO also decided to maximize space utilization by adopting a modular construction design with adjustable interior walls. This flexible structure will allow the building to adapt to newly developed technologies and changing energy environments in the future.
"The pursuit of ZEB Grade 1 for the new Gangwon branch office will serve as a symbolic model case of a public institution leading government energy policy," KEPCO CEO Kim Dong-cheol said. "We will continue to expand the construction of top-tier zero energy buildings and elevate energy technology to the next level to foster a robust industrial ecosystem."