Seoul Energy Information Integration System

The Seoul Energy Information Integration System covers all buildings in Seoul and incorporates monthly data from 2018 to 2024. The platform unifies energy information by linking multiple existing systems for data collection and management.

It provides monthly, regional, and building-specific data on electricity, district heating energy use, and GHG emissions, as well as information on energy-saving methods. The system also tracks apartment-level electricity usage to encourage citizens’ voluntary participation in GHG reduction.

The unified platform offers differentiated services for citizens and for internal city operations.

For Citizens:

• Real-time access to household and district-level solar generation data.
• Mobile apps to monitor personal energy use and compare with neighborhood averages.
• Notifications on energy-saving opportunities and incentives.
• Transparent access to the city’s renewable energy performance through open data portals.

For Internal Use (City & Utilities):

• Centralized dashboard for managing solar, geothermal, and renewable energy systems.
• Maintenance management tools for public solar facilities.
• Integrated GHG monitoring to track emissions reduction progress.
• Scenario modeling to optimize energy distribution and investment.
• Data-sharing functions across departments to avoid duplication and improve efficiency.

The goal of the Seoul Energy Information Integration System is to unify data collection, eliminate redundant functions, and develop a single integrated platform. Its implementation followed several carefully planned steps to ensure scalability and resilience:

1. Foundation: Energy Platforms (2013–2021)
Seoul deployed multiple platforms, such as the Integrated Solar Monitoring System (2013), the GHG Monitoring System (2021), the Energy Information Platform (2021), the Magok Energy Platform (2022), and the Solar Map (2023), to manage energy production and consumption in line with its 2050 GHG reduction goals. The need to integrate these dispersed systems led to standardized data collection, the development of core infrastructure, and the first steps in linking geothermal, renewable, and building energy systems under unified data-sharing protocols.

2. Establishment of the Information Strategy Plan (2022–2024)
A comprehensive Information Strategy Plan was developed to guide integration. This step expanded the platform to cover both public and private buildings, introduced citizen engagement apps, and incorporated AI-powered analytics for more accurate demand forecasting. It also enabled the integration of electric vehicle charging data and smart meters into the system, as well as the inclusion of all the existing dispersed platforms.

3. System Integration, operation and mantainece service (2025–2026)
The city is moving toward full-scale integration of dispersed platforms. Public solar monitoring systems will be fully integrated by 2025, while geothermal monitoring will be constructed and operational by 2026. This phase also expands the platform to include hydrogen and fuel cell monitoring as part of renewable energy management.

4. Future Direction (Beyond 2026)
Seoul’s vision is to build a comprehensive citywide energy digital twin, capable of simulating future energy scenarios and guiding investment decisions. The digital twin will incorporate hydrogen, electric vehicle fleets, and advanced demand-response systems, positioning Seoul as a global leader in smart, sustainable energy management.

Collaboration is essential to success. Partnerships include:

• Seoul Metropolitan Government: core leadership, funding, and coordination.
• Local energy utilities: provision of operational data and infrastructure management.
• Research institutions & universities: system design, innovation, and evaluation.
• Private tech companies: development of the digital platform, IoT sensors, and AI algorithms.
• Civil society groups: engagement in awareness and citizen feedback.

Seoul placed emphasis on communication to secure citizen buy-in and participation:

• Citizen-facing mobile apps provide real-time energy usage and savings opportunities.
• Awareness campaigns link household energy behavior to the city’s climate goals.
• Public information dashboards and open data portals encourage trust and accountability.
• Education programs in schools highlight how renewable energy supports community resilience.

The Energy Integration System has been supported through a combination of municipal and national funds:

• USD 30 million (KRW 40 billion) in total investment to date.
• Core funding from the Seoul Metropolitan Government budget.
• Supplementary support from national digital innovation and climate programs.
• Long-term sustainability reinforced by savings in energy efficiency and reduced duplication of infrastructure.

The project has already delivered measurable results:

• Increased energy transparency across multiple sectors.
• Enhanced decision-making capacity of policymakers through integrated datasets.
• Improved citizen engagement with renewable energy via apps and dashboards.
• Reduced greenhouse gas emissions by optimizing renewable energy production.
• Strengthened policy alignment with national climate commitments.
• Ongoing integration milestones: solar monitoring nearing completion in 2025; geothermal systems to be fully operational and integrated by 2026; expansion to hydrogen and fuel cell monitoring systems underway.

Despite progress, implementation encountered obstacles:

• Integration of legacy systems required significant technical adaptations.
• Data privacy concerns demanded strict security frameworks.
• Initial citizen adoption was slow due to unfamiliarity with digital platforms.
• Coordinating across multiple utilities and agencies required continuous negotiation.

Seoul’s experience shows that integrated energy management systems are not only feasible but highly impactful.

The modular design of the platform means that other cities—large or small—can adopt elements of it, depending on their infrastructure. Even cities with limited digital capacity can start with monitoring and scale over time.

In this way, Seoul demonstrates how data-driven governance accelerates the path to carbon neutrality. The Energy Integration System strengthens transparency, empowers citizens, and creates efficiency gains that justify investment. This model is a cornerstone for smart, sustainable cities worldwide.

• Seoul Metropolitan Government Climate & Energy: https://english.seoul.go.kr/policy/smart-city/
• Seoul’s Digital Twin and Smart City Initiatives

Seoul Metropolitan Government - Climate & Environment Department
climate@seoul.go.kr