Fireplace Talk: Energy Efficiency in Buildings

On May 29th, energy experts took the opportunity at the 7th Fireplace Talk to exchange views on strategies, challenges and successes with regard to increasing energy efficiency in the building sector in both partner countries. After the welcoming remarks from Mr. Peter Winkler, Deputy Head of Mission of the German Embassy in Seoul, Ms. Eva Maria Kasparek (Department for Energy Policy Issues in the Building Sector of the BMWi) and Mr. Sung-Ho Kong (Department for Energy Efficiency at MOTIE) gave an introduction to the respective German and Korean energy efficiency policies. Afterwards, Mr. Mingu Kang, Head of the Building Energy Management Division of the Korean Energy Agency (KEA), presented concrete programs and measures. Mr. Georg Zielke, architect and passive house expert, then showed how thermal optimization of the building envelope can contribute massively to increasing energy efficiency. The concluding Q&A session highlighted the strong interest in bilateral exchange on political, economic and research levels. Due to the current Covid-19 situation, the Fireplace Talk for the first time took place as a virtual meeting.