Analysis of Korea’s Building Energy Codes and Certification Systems for the Implementation of the Grid-Interactive Efficient Building (GEB)

This study investigates the potential implementation of Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings (GEBs) in South Korea by analyzing four key regulatory frameworks: the Standard for Building Energy Saving, the Standard for Building Energy Saving Green Homes, the Zero Energy Building Certification, and the Green Building Certification. These frameworks were assessed based on their support for four core GEB strategies: data collection and monitoring, integration of distributed energy resources (DER), demand flexibility control, and grid interactivity. The findings indicate that while data monitoring and DER installation are adequately addressed, provisions for demand flexibility and grid connectivity are limited. Notably, the standards for building energy management systems offer a foundational mechanism for enabling GEB functionality and future institutional development. The study concludes that GEB capabilities can be gradually integrated into the existing prescriptive framework and highlights the importance of developing performance-based metrics and simulation tools for quantitative evaluation and long-term implementation of GEB strategies.