26/03/2026
📢 Decarbonizing Beyond Electricity: Launch of Korea’s First Private-Sector H-REC Technical Committee
On March 25, the Corporate Renewable Energy Foundation (CREF) officially launched the Renewable Heat Energy Certificate (H-REC) Technical Committee, holding its inaugural discussions on technical standards and operational frameworks. This marks a pivotal milestone in designing a highly credible, private-sector certification system for the renewable heat sector.
✅ Why is this important?
• Addresses the gap in internationally recognized certification frameworks for renewable heat.
• Officially recognizes ‘heat pumps’ as an eligible renewable heat source, institutionally validating the decarbonization contribution of electricity-based thermal energy.
• Establishes a credible basis for corporate environmental claims regarding renewable heat use.
• Builds an institutional foundation for a rigorous, attribute-based certification system.
• Accelerates corporate Net-Zero efforts by expanding available decarbonization pathways.
🔍 Why Focus on Renewable Heat?
Renewable heat accounts for a substantial share of energy consumption in industrial processes and buildings. However, the absence of an established international certification framework has historically hindered companies from credibly demonstrating the environmental value of their thermal energy use. This Technical Committee was formed to close this gap by systematically designing a globally aligned, attribute-based framework.
📝Core Agenda Discussed
• Definition and eligibility of renewable heat sources
• Strict alignment with international GHG accounting standards
• Structural mechanisms to prevent double counting and greenwashing
• Foundational technical standards for certificate issuance and trading
👥 Technical Committee Leadership & Members
The Committee unites top experts from academia, research institutions, industry, and civil society to ensure independent and objective technical judgments.
• Chair: Sung-woo Choi (Head of Renewable Energy Div., Seoul Energy Corporation; formerly Korea Energy Agency)
• Members (alphabetical order): Chang-yong Park (Prof., Seoul National University of Science and Technology), Dong-chan Lee (Prof., University of Seoul), Il-sang Jung (Principal Project Manager, Korea District Heating Engineering), Jong-won Choi (Principal Researcher, Korea Institute of Energy Research), Sang-in Lee (Division Head, Ecoian), Tae-han Kim (Director, KoSIF), Yoon-chul Park (Prof., Jeju National University).
➡️ Next Steps for CREF
Leveraging these foundational discussions, CREF will move forward in earnest to finalize the H-REC issuance and trading system, systematically building a robust certification ecosystem for the renewable heat market.
🔗 The related press release is available at the link below.
https://cref.or.kr/en/news/newsroom/77