Measurement and Normalization Methods to Provide Detailed Information on Energy Consumption by Usage in Apartment Buildings

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions nationwide, the Korean government has announced a target of reducing greenhouse gases by 37% relative to the business-as-usual (BAU) level by 2030. Because the building sector is important for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, various policies are being strengthened to reduce building energy. For these policies to have a substantial effect, it is necessary to ensure technological and economic feasibility in the marketplace and to provide energy information that can be easily understood and evaluated by building owners and engineers. Providing information that accounts for the status of energy consumption by end use (heating, cooling, domestic hot water, lighting, etc.) is a very important part of establishing a concrete action plan for energy conservation in separate equipment systems. In response, a national research project is being conducted regarding the installation of systems for the continuous measurement of energy consumption by end use in sample buildings and the creation of a reference energy-use intensity (EUI) database and benchmarking system for comparative analysis. As a basis for this national project, this study defined energy consumption by end use for both apartment units and public areas in an apartment complex. The study also found ways to measure such consumption and convert the results into EUI data. Forty complexes, including a total of 200 units, were selected as samples. The installation for the sample buildings is scheduled to be completed in phases over 4 years starting in 2015, and systems have thus far been installed in 10 complexes and 50 units. A reference EUI database for apartment buildings and a benchmarking tool based on this database will be made available after 2020, and similar systems for office buildings are now being established.