Seoul Energy Dream Center

With the Energy Dream Center, the Seoul metropolitan government realizes its goal to construct a center for renewable energy. With a floor space of 3500 m², the zero energy building houses exhibitions and offers a wide range of information related to the field of renewable energy. Headed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE, an interdisciplinary team designed the building and accompanied the construction. The biggest challenge faced by the team of scientists, engineers and architects was to create a harmonious concept which combines energy savings and efficiency with architecture and functionality. What resulted is a flagship project which demonstrates applications of the latest technologies and the successful use of renewable energies.

“Build us a zero energy building!” were the words spoken by the Mayor of Seoul to the Director of Fraunhofer ISE, Prof. Eicke R. Weber, during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the area of “Energy Saving & Energy Efficiency”. The City of Seoul provided the plot of land for the building site which is located in World Cup Park, a popular recreational area in Seoul. Fraunhofer ISE coordinated an interdisciplinary team made up of German and South Korean project partners. “The goal of all participants was to develop a building that exemplifies renewable energy in form and function,” says Dr.-Ing. Jan Wienold, project leader at Fraunhofer ISE. As a zero energy building, the Energy Dream Center is to generate as much energy annually as it consumes over the year. The total energy needs must be met by renewable energy technologies implemented on and in the building.