Solar Apartments to Debut Next Year

Solar apartment housing, which gets its electricity from sunlight, will be showed off for the first time next year.

The Ministry of Planning and Budget (MPB) announced yesterday that 54 billion won from the electric power industry fund would be invested in next year to install　solar energy generators in 1,400 low-income bracket rental apartment households, and in 2,000 general houses.

Although general houses, including multi-family and row houses, have been fitted with solar equipment since 2004, it is the first time that solar equipment is introduced to apartment households.

A solar house is characterized by little electric charges, because a solar energy generator on the roof provides electricity for home appliances.

The government is planning to give trial solar energy generators at an expense of 6.4 billion won to 1,400 rental apartment households in Deokgok district　of Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province, in Geonji district　of　Samcheok, Gangwon Province, and in the Seonghwa district　of Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province. They are being constructed by the Korea National Housing Corporation.

The government decided to expand solar equipment installments for general houses, the business which had started from 2004, and it will likely increase the solar equipment installing budget from 16 billion won this year to 47.6 billion won next year. Solar general houses were introduced to 200 households in 2004, and 600 in 2005.

Regarding solar equipment for general houses, the government grants financial aid of totaling 70% of the installment expenses. The government provides a total of 21 hundred won as financial aid for the installation of the three-kilowatt generators, which costs 30 hundred won.

Song Byoung-seon, director of industry and information public expenditure division in MPB, explained that “house owners could offset their installment expenses after 12 years and six months on average,” saying that “around 60,000 won could be saved in 300 kilowatt electricity a month.”

The government will introduce solar housing to 100,000 households by 2012.

legman@donga.com