Seoul, KOREA ¶ Jan 25, 2012 (Whowired) -- The City of Gwangju is recasting itself as a center of renewable energy resources. Celebrated as the sustainable technologies that can save the earth from global warming, renewables include solar energy, fuel cell, wind power, and biomass.

Gwangju has since 2000 promoted such technologies and now hosts several leading research institutes such as the Solar City Center, the Solar Energy Research Institute, the Heeger Center for New Materials, and the Solar Energy Research Center.

The city government is expanding this technology infrastructure to include hydrogen fuel cell and the smart grid while holding international conferences and exhibitions. A city government official said, “The year 2012 will be the important watershed year for our city in our effort to become the world’s best location for renewable technology research.”

[Photo Description] "Green Village" in Joseon University, Gwangju, South Korea: most buildings in the Green Village have equipped with solar-energy power systems -- as seen on the rooftops of the buildings on the image, being the very first renewable energy featured pilot village in Korea, vindicating Gwangju's efforts to make it much eco-friendly community

Sean Chung (press@whowired.com)