Analysis of energy supply status based on operating performance of integrated energy business in Korea

Electricity demand is surging every year in Korea owing to economic growth and a subsequent increase in energy demand. In particular, heavy cooling load during summer and high heating load during winter to fight heat wave and cold wave, respectively, which are allegedly caused by the unpredictable climate change, trigger electricity peak and unstable energy supply as a result. Integrated Energy Business (IEB), which is known as regional heating overseas, draws attention as a distributed energy that can address such structural issues as blackout in the central supply system. Yet, electricity charge lower than production cost, realistic challenges in direct sales of energy production facilities and energy loss incurred from transporting energy from supply facilities to receiving ends keep it from rooting down in Korea. This study compared number of households, number of buildings to which electricity is supplied, capacity of supply facilities, amount of fuel and production and sales volume of energy in order to determine appropriate supply capacity of heat and electricity in regional cooling/heating areas and industrial complexes based on Korea's IEB operation. Also, the study grouped IEB systems according to sizes of energy supply facilities and compared them so as to suggest an appropriate size of IEB and an effective supply system that can be considered for new housing site projects or re-developed regions.