●  SK chemicals’ Eco Lab, internationally recognized as the best
     eco-friendly structure in Korea!

SK chemicals (CEO, Chang-Geun Kim) announced that SK chemicals’ office building, Eco Lab, located in Pangyo-dong, Seongnam-si has been certified with the platinum rate in LEED, a green building rating system of the U.S.A.

SK chemicals’ Eco Lab has been internationally recognized as an LEED platinum rate eco-friendly building, the first time for a building actually in use in Korea, recording the highest score of 55 points (maximum possible score: 69 points) of any building in Korea.

LEED is a green building rating system run by the USGBC since 1998, and is one of the most authorized certification systems used around the world as an environmental standard. Therefore, competition is fierce to acquire the LEED rating in Korea, and there are only 9 LEED-certified constructions in Korea (regardless of the grade).

SK chemicals’ Eco Lab was awarded the highest-ever score of 110 points(maximum possible score: 136 points) in the Green Building Certification Criteria(GBCC) by the Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs (MLTM) last year, after obtaining the 1st grade in the energy-efficiency grading as co-certified by the MLTM and the Ministry of Knowledge Economy (MKE) for the first time as a commercial building in Korea. Eco Lab also became the only environmentally-friendly building in Korea with triple certifications upon its recent acquisition of the LEED platinum rate.

SK chemicals’ Eco Lab was designed to reduce energy consumption by up to 45% compared to its previous office facility. Moreover, CO2 production was decreased by 33%, which is equal to the afforestation effect of some 94,000 pine trees. And, by decreasing water resource consumption by 63%, it helps to save as much as 10,000 tons of water purification.

Due to the phenomenal results achieved by its cutting-edge eco-friendly technologies, Eco Lab has experienced an explosive increase in interested visitors from academia, local governments, civil societies, environmentally-friendly building businesses and top energy-related associations, with more than 50 groups visiting SK chemicals’ Eco Lab since the building’s completion last September.
 
SK chemicals’ Eco Lab, comprising R&D part and office part, is an environmentally-friendly building built as a part of company’s environmental management system which cares both human and nature, reflecting the company’s mission ‘to improve human health and protect the environment’<The End>

<Terminology>

* Eco Lab
Eco Lab is the name of SK chemicals’ office building, which is one of the most high-end environmentally-friendly buildings in Korea, comprising an office and an R&D lab complex. It was designed to serve both humanity and nature, reflecting the company’s commitment to becoming a business group dedicated to improving human health and protecting the earth’s environment.

**LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)
The LEED is a green building rating system established in 1998 and run by a third party of composed expert groups, the USGBC(U.S. Green Building Council). Scores between 52 and 69 are conferred a platinum rating, scores between 39 and 51 a gold rating, scores between 33 and 38 a silver rating, and scores between 26 and 32 a general rating, after reviewing six areas including sustainable sites, water efficiency and indoor environmental quality.

*** Green Building Certification Criteria(GBCC)
The GBCC is an environmentally-friendly building certification system run by both the MLTM and the MKE, giving accreditation to buildings that contribute to energy-saving and decreasing environmental pollution through their design, construction, control and maintenance.
(85~136 points: Best grade; 65~84 points: Good grade)

※ Status of LEED certification in Korea
Applied: 135 buildings; Certified: 9 buildings
<Notes>
Major technologies applied to SK chemicals’ office building

1. Geothermal heat pump system
A novel energy recycling system designed to increase energy efficiency in the heating and cooling of a building via the operation of a high-efficiency heat pump using geothermal heat, which is maintained at a constant temperature of about 15°C throughout the year.

2. BIPV
An alternative energy system designed to produce electricity for lighting and heating facilities using solar cell modules installed on a building’s exterior.

3. Natural lighting system (independent optical collector)
A lighting system with an independent optical collector designed to introduce natural incident ray (sun light) to a building’s interior by using properties of light such as traveling in straight lines and reflecting.

4. Natural ventilation and air-circulation system using atrium
An air-controlling system that uses the pressure difference resulting from the temperature difference between the upper and lower parts of the atrium. This system enables air-conditioning using natural ventilation during spring and fall, reducing the cooling burden by venting out the pooled heat in the upper part of the atrium, and saving heating energy by reintroducing the heated air in the upper part of the atrium to the air circulating system.

5. Floor conditioning system
An air purifying system which uses cooled or heated air through an air-inlet located on the interior floor for air-conditioning. This system offers higher energy saving efficiency compared to conventional air-introducing systems on ceiling, improved comfort for people based indoors, and low maintenance effort.

6. Radiant heating and cooling system
A heating and cooling system that uses the radiation and convection current of the indoor atmosphere with a heat exchange panel and piping system for cold/hot water on the ceiling, whose heat source is provided from geothermal heat pump. This energy-saving system offers reduced noise and increased comfort compared to conventional heating & cooling systems using only a convection current.

7. BEWMS (Building Energy & Water Management System)
This maintenance system designed for the optimal control of energy and water in a building enables the monitoring of the consumption, efficiency, and consuming patterns of energy and CO² by individual items of equipment and systems, and the analysis of its energy profile for the preparation of an action plan for improving its energy efficiency.

8. Energy-saving curtain wall (High airtight door with triple glass layers)
This curtain wall is composed of triple glass layers with argon gas filling to improve airtightness and soundproofing. A quadruple gasket has been applied to this system to maximize airtightness.

9. Green shaft
A resting lounge created with greens inside the building designed to create a nature-friendly environment.