Seoul Association for Green Campus Initiative and Seoul City Administers met to celebrate the opening ceremony of the “Green Campus Virtual Power Plant” on November 23. Dean Yeom Jae Ho of Korea University (KU), as well as the head of the Green Campus Initiative attended this ceremony and announced that KU will be participating in the Seoul “One Less Nuclear Plant Campaign,” along with 15 other universities in Seoul.

 

Schools that participate in this campaign aim to save energy on campus, which is one of the most energy spending public places. By saving energy in the lecture halls, and adjusting the air conditioning and heating, schools are expected to save approximately 5.6MW—which is equal to the amount of energy that 1800 households could use at the same time. KU’s goal in participating in this project is to save at least 10 percent of energy by 2017, compared to the energy consumption rates of 2012.

 

The energy that is saved from the campuses, or produced from virtual power plants, will be resold via the Renewable Energy Certificate (REC) Trading System. The profit is expected to be two hundred million won—this money will then be used for energy welfare policies of Seoul. Seoul Mayor Park Won Soon expressed delight at the participation of the 16 campuses. “The Virtual Power Plants will not only contribute in conserving the environment, but it could also work as a live lecture hall for university students,” he added.