LG, University of Alaska Open Heat Pump Research Labs
RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP: In partnership with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), LG Electronics recently opened two laboratories for the research of cold-climate heat-pump technology. At the ribbon-cutting for the Anchorage lab are, from left, UAA associate professor Getu Hailu, LG director of research and development Sangok Kweon, UAA chancellor Sean Parnell, LG Air Conditioning Technologies USA senior vice president Steve Scarbrough, UAA College of Engineering dean Kenrick Mock, and LG Air Conditioning Technologies USA senior director of marketing Suzanne Rigdon. (Courtesy of LG Electronics Inc.)
ANCHORAGE, Ala. — The Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research, a partnership between LG Electronics Inc. and the University of Alaska at Anchorage (UAA), has opened two laboratories for the study of cold-climate heat-pump solutions.
LG and university researchers will conduct studies in the dedicated labs, located in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska. The facilities are configured to replicate home environments, enabling a realistic approach to heat-pump research, according to a press release from LG. The labs will research a variety of LG’s heat-pump solutions, including both ducted and ductless indoor and outdoor units.
The consortium’s work exemplifies Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s focus on nurturing technology initiatives built on public-private partnerships, the press release said.
“Together, researchers from the University of Alaska Anchorage and global innovator LG Electronics are advancing the state of the art in heat-pump technology,” Dunleavy said. “These advanced research labs show how new business and investment in Alaska can have a major impact on our nation and the world.”
“Heat-pump technology is integral to HVAC-related decarbonization efforts, and the research conducted at these new labs will help to further drive progress,” said Chris Ahn, president of LG Eco Solutions USA. “This research into advancing progress in heat-pump system technology supports the promotion of clean-energy advances that are among the primary targets for IRA (Inflation Reduction Act) funding in most states, including those in colder climates.”
The labs in Alaska will leverage LG’s heat-pump technology to deliver region-specific comfort solutions designed to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel secondary heating sources. The Anchorage and Fairbanks labs are committed to enhancing the capabilities of air-source heat pumps to be the primary source of heating in ambient temperatures as low as -40°F, LG’s press release said
LG’s residential cold-climate heat pump, which was awarded a 2025 AHR Innovation Award in the Sustainable Solutions category, underscores the company’s ongoing research and development efforts for products under cold conditions, the press release said.
“The research conducted between LG Electronics and UAA will provide groundbreaking insight into heat pump technology to create the best-performing, most energy-efficient solutions possible,” said Sean Parnell, the UAA chancellor. “We’re proud to bring this cornerstone of our university to the HVAC market with LG.”
The partnership between LG and UAA, launched a year ago, brings together LG experts, university researchers, local industry, and government agencies to drive market transformation through research on heat-pump technology and electrification. The partnership is a component of LG’s network of heat-pump research partnerships across Korea, Europe, and China. These collaborations collectively form the Global Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research.
LG is dedicated to broadening its research and development programs, and the formation of the consortiums has resulted in a global research-and-development infrastructure, the company said. The approach gives LG the capability to develop technologies appropriate to specific climatic and housing conditions, the company said.
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