The partnership is intended to facilitate collaboration among LG innovators, university researchers, local industry, and government agencies to help drive market transformation through research on heat pump technology and electrification, according to a press release from LG.

Addressing the growing worldwide interest in cold-climate heat pump technologies, the consortium will leverage the expertise of technologists at LG Electronics, a global heat pump manufacturer, and the UAA College of Engineering and its HVAC laboratory.

According to James Lee, global president of the LG Electronics Air Solutions unit, joint research initiatives at UAA are expected to make a global impact, establishing new benchmarks for energy efficiency and sustainability while demonstrating the depth of LG’s HVAC product capabilities in both heating and cooling and championing environmentally responsible solutions.

“The Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research will raise the bar and push the limits of the high-performance, high-capacity heat pump industry,” Lee said. “Results from the joint research will be used in North America and Europe to help shape the future of the HVAC industry.”

Lee said Alaska is the perfect place to do this research “both for the opportunity to work closely with the talented UAA engineering faculty and graduate students and because of the state’s extreme temperatures.”

“Collaboration in research is a cornerstone of UAA’s mission,” said UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell. “Our partnership with LG Electronics advances climate solutions in the HVAC industry and beyond. UAA is proud to lead this collaboration with LG to further innovation across industry and our communities.

The activities of the consortium will include identifying pivotal research areas as well as comprehensive studies and presentations on advanced heat pump technology, Parnell said. 

The consortium will foster entrepreneurship and problem-solving through enhanced research and development, the press release said. LG and university researchers will conduct studies in dedicated LG cold-climate heat pump labs in Alaska, one in Anchorage and the other in Fairbanks. These facilities will be configured like real-world homes, using a range of LG’s HVAC solutions, including both ducted and ductless equipment, along with LG’s inverter heat pump water heaters.

Joining Lee and Parnell at a signing ceremony on the UAA campus to formalize the partnership was LG Electronics North America CEO Thomas Yoon.

“This cutting-edge consortium sets the stage for a new era of electrification, enabled by heat pump innovations as well as energy storage systems and smart appliances,” Yoon said. “Working with the University of Alaska will further accelerate LG’s efforts to drive market transformation supporting the decarbonization of buildings throughout North America and around the world.”

LG Electronics USA is an active member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Manufacturers’ Action Councils for heat pump HVAC systems and water heaters, and participates in the Advanced Water Heater Initiative.