Seoul's 'Energy Zero House' offers cool refuge amid heatwave, highlighting policy gaps

Even amid Seoul's first major heatwave warning, residents at the "Energy Zero House" in Nowon district are finding refuge from the extreme heat without constantly running their air conditioners. In one household, the indoor temperature remained a manageable 28 degrees Celsius despite the outdoor mercury soaring to 39.2 degrees.

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When you open the front door, the heat rushes in, making it feel like a different world, but it's bearable inside, so I only use a fan during the day. We turn on the air conditioner mainly in the evening when the whole family is together.

This remarkable thermal comfort is attributed to the "passive design" of the housing complex, South Korea's first "zero-energy apartment complex." The buildings feature 28cm-thick insulation, special triple-glazed windows, and vacuum-insulated doors with double rubber packing to minimize heat penetration. External electric blinds are particularly effective, blocking 75-80% of solar heat before it enters the building, according to Professor Lee Eung-shin of Myongji University, who participated in the design.

These features help maintain indoor temperatures between 26-28 degrees Celsius in summer and 20-22 degrees in winter. Heating and hot water are supplied by geothermal heat pumps, while a heat-recovery ventilation system exchanges indoor air while cooling incoming fresh air. The complex also generates its own energy through rooftop and facade solar panels, achieving an energy self-sufficiency rate of 98%.

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If sunlight passes through the glass and is blocked indoors, less than half of the solar radiation is blocked, but if external blinds are lowered, 75-80% can be blocked.

Despite these successes, the article highlights that South Korea's zero-energy building policies are still in their infancy. While public buildings are required to meet a certain standard, private apartment complexes currently only need to meet a lower, "level 5" standard, which requires over 20% energy self-sufficiency. Professor Lee Myung-joo, who oversaw the complex's construction, noted that zero-energy buildings are often viewed as a regulatory burden rather than a climate solution. He stressed the need for buildings that ensure human safety in an era of increasingly extreme temperatures, beyond just energy conservation.

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In an era where heatwaves and cold snaps are becoming commonplace, we need architecture that goes beyond energy saving to ensure people can stay safely inside.