Save Energy, Postechians!
Save Energy, Postechians!
  • Reporter Song Geun-seok
  • 승인 2022.06.19 23:46
  • 댓글 0
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▲Energy consumption statistics at POSTECH in 2019-2021
▲Energy consumption statistics at POSTECH in 2019-2021

 

POSTECH consumes quite a lot of energy, particularly, electricity. In a previous article written by The Postech Times in 2001 that discussed POSTECH’s energy usage, POSTECH ranked top in the usage of electricity among the many universities in Korea with approximately 2,700 kWh consumed. Now that 20 years have passed since then, how much electricity does POSTECH consume?
The Postech Times investigated POSTECH’s electricity usage over the past three years (2019.1~2021.12) based on the Energy Consumption Report published on POVIS by the Energy Management Committee. The statistic measured monthly electricity usage at POSTECH among 37 buildings. The statistic excluded some major facilities such as the Pohang Accelerator Laboratory (PAL), the Korea Institute of Robotics, the Technology Convergence (KIRO), and the faculty apartments.
The annual electricity usage 59,714,711kWh in 2019, 59,125,164kWh in 2020, and 63,116,484 kWh in 2021, which is more than double the amount used 20 years ago. Accordingly, the annual electricity cost in 2021 was approximately 5.96 billion KRW, compared to 5.87 billion KRW in 2019 and 5.66 billion KRW in 2020. During the three years, while there was a slight increase in the annual usage in 2021, the monthly trend in all three years remained quite similar with an increase in its usage during the summer period (from June to August), which may be attributed to the increased power consumption for cooling. 
One reason for POSTECH’s high usage of electricity is active research and frequent use of sophisticated experimental equipment that requires a lot of energy. In fact, the 2021 energy consumption report identified that a majority portion of electricity consumption came from research centers. According to the report, National Institute for Nanomaterials Technology (NINT) was the facility with the most electricity consumption, followed by Taejoon Park Digital Library and POSTECH Biotech Center. On the contrary, electricity consumption from dormitories or community centers was relatively minor. In 2021, the total electricity consumption by the student dormitories was 4,013,758kWh, which only accounts for 6.13% of the total electricity consumed.
Still, it is important to reduce unnecessary energy consumption. Considering that 98.5% of the energy in Korea is imported and POSTECH is provided with a limited budget for electricity, it is important to consume energy efficiently and reasonably. The Facilities Management team provides guidelines for saving energy. These include unplugging unused laboratory equipment, turning off unnecessary lights, adjusting FCU (fan coil unit), and complying with recommended temperatures (26°C in summer).
High electricity consumption means that POSTECH provides quality education and research. As Postechians, we should thank the school’s efforts to provide such a research and study environment, and thus try to consume electricity efficiently. Small habits as suggested above could affect our school’s energy economy significantly, and in a larger sense, could lead to a healthier environment for everyone’s well-being.
The monthly energy consumption report can