Gunpo Mayor Han Dae-hee praised the recent recognition from the Minister of Environment, stating, "This award reflects our innovative administrative achievements in actively utilizing underused urban spaces to mitigate noise pollution while generating renewable energy."
On November 5, Mayor Han announced that he received the Minister of Environment Award in the policy performance category at the 8th Korea Solar League Awards.
His efforts to expand renewable energy through the use of urban underutilized spaces have garnered national recognition.
The award was given for the solar power project utilizing noise barriers, which successfully overcame spatial limitations in urban areas while improving residents' living conditions and producing renewable energy.
Mayor Han installed a total of 1,329 kW of solar power facilities on the Daeya Underpass and Samsung Underpass noise barriers.
Notably, the Daeya Underpass introduced the country's first integrated noise barrier that combines soundproofing, fire safety, and solar power generation by removing existing soundproof panels.
The Samsung Underpass also established a citizen-participatory solar power facility, fulfilling a long-standing community request for a noise barrier while achieving financial savings.
Through the 'Gyeonggi Hope Eco-Village Project,' Mayor Han secured a total of 8.6 billion won in external funding, including 6.6 billion won from Gyeonggi Province and 2 billion won from private capital, which accounts for 58% of the total project cost.
This reduced the expected city budget input for the Daeya Underpass project from 5 billion won to 2.8 billion won, saving 2.2 billion won.
Additionally, leasing the upper space of the noise barriers has generated an extra annual revenue of 25 million won.
This award signifies the recognition of Gunpo's policy achievements in transforming urban infrastructure into renewable energy production spaces while improving citizens' living environments and reducing local government finances.
Residents expressed their support, stating, "Utilizing noise barriers to reduce noise pollution and achieve solar power generation is a policy example that fits urban conditions. We hope to see more projects that improve citizens' living environments and save budgets."
Mayor Han emphasized, "We will continue to identify public facilities and underutilized spaces to expand reasonable renewable energy projects tailored to Gunpo's local conditions."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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