Community Energy Emerges as Eco-Friendly Energy amid Rising Public Concern

President Kim Kyung-won of Korea District Heating Corp. (KDHC), concurrently chairman of the Korean Society for Energy (KOSE).

A special session on community energy, part of the spring academic symposium of the Korean Society for Energy (KOSE), took place at Maisonglad Jeju Hotel from April 4 to 6. As the public’s focus is on environment issues such as climate change and fine dust, the special session gave a glimpse into technology trends related to the eco-friendly community energy as well as new and renewable energies and an insight into how to cope with future energy industries. The special session on community energy, organized by the Korea District Heating Corp. (KDHC), attracted about energy industry officials.
KOSE Chairman Kim Kyung-won, concurrently KDHC president, said in a speech at an opening ceremony, “Our society is proactively participating in exploring people-oriented energy paradigm shift tasks, ensuring a stable energy supply and reducing greenhouse gas emissions so that no technology problems will be hit in the course of implementing the government’s basic plan on energies and continue to pay attention on growth engines in the energy sector and ways of creating jobs.”
A total of 322 papers were submitted during the spring academic symposium, which progressed with 15 special sessions on all energy areas, including community energy, bio fuel and greenhouse gas emission reduction, as well as six general sessions.
In particular, energy industry officials discussed four session topics, including community energy convergence technology and unutilized energy during the special session on community energy.
The special session on community energy was designed to look at the latest technology outcomes and discuss effective policy options, with the goal of spreading the base of community energy, which is emerging as an eco-friendly option amid rising public concern over climate change and fine dust, a KDHC official said.
KOSE was established in 1992 with the goal of contributing to energy sector development and spreading science technology development. The academic society holds regular academic symposiums on diverse topics designed to solve national issues related to energy and the environment.
KDHC Signs MOU on R&D Technology Cooperation with Doosan Heavy
KDHC has struck an MOU on R&D technology cooperation and information exchange with Doosan Heavy Industries & Construction Technology Research Institute. Under the deal, the two agreed to ramp up collaboration in technology in areas of mutual concern and new technologies related to energy.
The KDHC said the corporation expected the deal to have synergetic effects through mutual development and work cooperation. Starting with a study on the experimentation of capacitive deionization related to water treatment of cogeneration plant, the KDHC plans to expand cooperation to diverse energy and environment sectors, a KDHC official said.
KDHC Spearheads New, Renewable Energy Development
The Korea District Heating Corp. (KDHC) is considered to be synonymous with the Korean community energy industry. The predecessor of the KDHC was established as the nation’s first home and commercial district heat business operator in 1986. It shifted into a public entity with the current name in May 1992 in accordance with the enactment of the Community Energy Business Act.
The corporation is the nation’s largest district heating business operator with 18 business sites, 12 in the Seoul metropolitan area and six in provincial districts, covering 1.44 million apartment housing units and 2,260 commercial buildings.
The KDHC has so far made strenuous efforts to expand eco-friendly power generation. On top of solar energy, the corporation generates power using heat from the burning of garbage, methane gas from landfill sites, bio gas, geothermal heat, and other new and renewable energies.

한국지역난방공사(사장 김경원)는 4월 4일(수)부터 6일(금)까지 메종글래드 제주호텔에서 개최된 2018년 한국에너지학회 춘계학술발표회에서 집단에너지 관련 특별세션 진행을 성공적으로 마쳤다고 밝혔다.

이번 발표회는 기후변화와 미세먼지 등 환경문제가 많은 국민들의 관심사로 부상한 가운데 청정에너지인 집단에너지 및 신재생에너지 관련 기술동향을 알아보고, 향후 에너지 산업의 대응방향을 모색하는 자리로 400여명의 에너지업계 관계자들이 참석했다.

한국에너지학회장인 공사 김경원 사장은 개회식에서“우리 학회는 정부의 에너지기본계획에 따른 정책 추진 시 기술적인 어려움이 없도록 국민 중심의 에너지 전환 과제 도출 및 에너지의 안정적 공급, 온실가스 감축 등에 적극 참여하고 있으며, 에너지 분야 성장 동력 및 고용 창출 방안 등에 대해서도 지속적으로 관심을 기울일 예정이다.”라고 강조했다.

이번 발표회에 제출된 논문은 총 322편에 달했으며, 집단에너지, 바이오 연료, 온실가스 감축 등 에너지 전 분야를 망라해 15개 특별세션과 6개 일반세션으로 나누어 발표가 진행되었다.특히 집단에너지 특별세션에서는 집단에너지 융복합 기술 및 미활용에너지 등 총 4개 세션을 주제로 에너지업계 관계자와 토론의 장을 마련했다.

한국지역난방공사 관계자는“집단에너지 특별세션은 기후변화와 미세먼지 등 환경문제가 많은 국민들의 관심사로 부상한 가운데 친환경에너지인 집단에너지 저변 확대를 목적으로 최근의 기술적인 성과를 알아보고 유효한 정책 방안을 논의하는 자리를 마련하고자 추진했다.”고 말했다.

한국에너지학회는 에너지 분야의 발전 및 보급에 기여하고 과학기술 발전에 이바지함을 목적으로 1992년에 설립된 학회로, 에너지·환경 분야의 국가 현안 해결을 위한 다양한 주제를 대상으로 정기 학술 발표회를 매년 시행하고 있다.

<출처:한국지역난방공사>

A view of the spring academic symposium of the Korean Society for Energy (KOSE) that took place at Maisonglad Jeju Hotel from April 4 to 6. (Photos: KDHC)