3,850 households across 32 The Sharp complexes nationwide take part

Participants pose for a photo at the awards ceremony for "The Sharp Energy Saving Challenge" held at The Sharp Gallery in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Posco E&C]
Participants pose for a photo at the awards ceremony for "The Sharp Energy Saving Challenge" held at The Sharp Gallery in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on Friday. [Posco E&C]

Posco E&C said Tuesday it saved 8,500 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity over four months through "The Sharp Energy Saving Challenge," a program it ran jointly with the Korea Power Exchange, Posco DX and Paran Energy.

Amid growing concerns over stable power supply — driven by energy market instability from the Middle East and a prolonged heat wave — Posco E&C has built and operates an automatic demand-response (Auto DR) system based on its smart-home platform, allowing residents to take part in energy conservation effortlessly in their daily lives.

South Korea imports about 93 percent of its energy. Coal, oil, liquefied natural gas and uranium are almost entirely sourced from overseas, with the imported fuels then burned to generate electricity.

Auto DR automatically controls home appliances through the smart-home system when electricity demand surges, reducing power consumption. Residents can join the Korea Power Exchange's "Energy Pause" program without any manual input, saving electricity and receiving rewards based on their conservation results.

"Energy Pause" is a public demand-response program operated by the Korea Power Exchange. Participants who reduce their electricity use in response to grid conditions receive compensation based on how much they save.

In July 2024, Posco E&C signed an MOU with the Korea Power Exchange, Posco DX and Paran Energy to roll out Auto DR across 100,000 apartment units and began building the necessary infrastructure in earnest. Starting with The Sharp Uijeongbu Rhythm City, a newly occupied complex, the system has since expanded to about 20,000 units across 32 The Sharp complexes nationwide.

A total of 3,850 households across the 32 complexes voluntarily joined the challenge. More than 70 percent of enrolled households participated in the 15 demand-response events held over the four-month period, reflecting strong engagement.

The combined effort saved 8,500 kWh of electricity — equivalent to the amount a residential complex of about 1,000 households consumes in a single day.

"This challenge is meaningful because residents were able to participate in energy conservation easily and conveniently from home, and actually see the results of their power savings," a Posco E&C official said. "Going forward, we will continue expanding the number of complexes with Auto DR to accelerate our goal of reaching 100,000 apartment units, and lead the way in eco-friendly residential services that improve both energy efficiency and resident convenience."


hss@heraldcorp.com