Developing a strategic framework for prioritizing green remodeling in early childhood education and daycare centers in South Korea

Upgrading buildings for energy efficiency and sustainability is crucial for achieving national sustainable development goals (SDGs). Among the 17 SDGs, quality education and well-being are closely linked to education facilities. This study develops a strategic green remodeling (GR) framework for early childhood education centers in South Korea by (i) identifying key GR features and retrofit strategies and (ii) assessing energy efficiency improvements. The framework was applied to 30 case studies of green retrofitted daycare centers across Gyeonggi-do and Jeollanam-do. Energy consumption data for heating, cooling, domestic hot water, lighting, and ventilation were analyzed using descriptive analysis and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results indicate an overall reduction in energy consumption, with 18 projects achieving over 30% energy savings. Significant improvements were observed in heating and lighting efficiency. Implementing this framework can help policymakers, educators, and stakeholders develop targeted retrofitting strategies, fostering healthier and more sustainable learning environments.