GANGNEUNG, Gangwon Province ― Information, communications and technology companies have recently jumped into the green technology market.
SK C&C, a national IT service provider, unveiled its green IT systems set up at the green-city convention center in Gangneung City, Gangwon Province, 1 kilometer away from the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics stadium. This center was built as a microcosm of the green-city Gangneung to be revamped by 2020 with 1 trillion won ($930 million) invested by the government.

Around 40 percent of energy usage at the center and the adjacent training facility are covered by its solar power facility which generates an average of 492kWh a day, and 180,000 kWh a year.

SK C&C provides IT systems for the center including an energy management system, energy storage system and automated meter reading for smart-grid infrastructure.

The EMS allows users to check energy generation and usage of solar power and a geothermal heat pump system. This control system aims to improve energy efficiency through real-time information exchange between suppliers and users.

After being distributed during a day, the remaining energy is stored in the ESS at night when the demand is low.

“The center’s solar power facility is capable of saving some 87 tons of carbon dioxide a year,” said Yoo Kyung-su, general manager of the green IT business division.

For the air-conditioning and heating system of the building, a geothermal heat pump system was adopted. Through the 350 pipes built 150 meters deep in the earth, the system is used to cool water in the summer and warm it in the winter.

By utilizing this system, Gangneung city can save 220 million won a year, the city government official said.

SK C&C also built an automated meter at the center to allow efficient energy management by securing utility usage data and analyzing demand patterns in real-time. Individual users can also control their energy demand through the in-home device.

“In the future, when differential pricing for electric use is implemented, users will be able to save energy to resell to power corporations or to use later with the AMR system,” SK C&C said.

By Shin Ji-hye (shinjh@heraldcorp.com)