• Resources Recycling
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.12-18
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• 2023

In 2018, the demand for silver (referred to as Ag) in the electrical and electronics sector was 249 million tons. The demand stood at 81 million tons in the solar module production sector. Currently, due to the rapid increase in solar module installation, the demand for silver is increasing drastically in Korea. However, Korea's natural metal resources and reserves are insufficient in comparison to their consumption, and the domestic silver ore self-sufficiency rate was as low as 2.2% as of 2021. This implies that a recycling technology is necessary to recover valuable metal resources contained in the waste plating solution generated in the metal industry. Therefore, this study compared and analyzed, the results of the impact evaluation through life cycle assessment according to an improvement in the process of recovery of valuable metals in the waste plating solution. The process improvement resulted in reducing GWP (Global Warming Potential) and ADP(Abiotic Depletion Potential) by 50% and 67%, respectively. The GWP of electricity and industrial water was reduced by 98% and 93%, respectively, which significantly contributed to the minimization of energy and water consumption. Thus, the improvement in recycling technology has a high potential to reduce chemical and energy use and improve resource productivity in the urban mining industry.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.38 no.6 s.175
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• pp.717-729
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• 2005

Peak cooling load of large buildings is generally greater than their peak heating load. Internal and solar heat gains are used fur selection of adquate equipment in large building in cold winter climate like Canada and even Korea. The cost of geothermal heat exchanger to meet the cooling loads can increase the initial cost of ground source heat pump system to the extend less costly conventional system often chosen. Thermal ice storage system has been used for many years in Korea to reduce chiller capacity and shift Peak electrical time and demand. A distribution system designed to take advantage of heat extracted from the ice, and use of geothermal loop (geothermal heat exchanger) to heat as an alternate heat source and sink is well known to provide many benifits. The use of thermal energy storage (TES) reduces the heat pump capacity and peak cooling load needed in large building by as much as 40 to $60\%$ with less mechanical equipment and less space for mechanical room. Additionally TES can reduce the size and cost of the geothermal loop by 1/3 to 1/4 compared to ground coupled heat pump system that is designed to meet the peak heating and cooling load and also can eliminate difficuties of geothermal loop installation such as space requirements and thermal conditions of soil and rock at the urban area.