LG Accelerates Heat Pump Research
(Courtesy of LG Electronics)
SEOUL — LG Electronics (LG), through its Global Heat Pump Consortium, is expanding research across diverse climate conditions — from cold-humid regions to extreme heat, with a sharpened focus on efficiency, dependability and field-validated performance.
As global demand for cleaner heating intensifies and regions such as Europe phase out fossil-fuel boilers to support decarbonization targets, heat pumps are emerging as a key technology in the transition to more sustainable climate control. However, conventional heat pump often see reduced performance in low temperatures or cold-humid conditions, limiting adoption in some markets. To overcome this challenge and accelerate global deployment, LG is ramping up collaborative research initiatives to develop solutions optimized for diverse climates.
In 2023, LG established the Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research (CAHR) in Alaska, joining forces with the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) and the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) to undertake R&D for high-efficiency cold-climate heat pump solutions. Since then, LG has expanded this collaborative network — now comprising 12 universities across five countries — and broadened its research into climate-specific heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technologies.
At AHR Expo 2025 in the United States, LG and research partners from UAA and UAF presented findings based on long-term operational data from joint laboratories in Anchorage and Fairbanks, demonstrating improved low-temperature heating performance and efficiency by reducing thermal resistance in outdoor heat exchangers. The research contributed to the development of LG’s residential cold-climate heat pump, winner of the 2025 AHR Innovation Award in the Sustainable Solutions category.
Further momentum is coming from the European Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research (ECAHR), founded in June 2024. The consortium recently completed real-world testing of LG’s R32-based Air-to-Air Heat Pump (AAHP) in Norway. Results showed that energy use and carbon emissions reductions of approximately 60 to 80 percent, compared with an electric heater. These findings were published in the August and October issues of REHVA Journal.
To verify product performance in real-life environments, LG is conducting field testing across seven global locations worldwide – including the United States, China, Norway and Saudi Arabia — spanning LG’s air-to-water heat pumps (AWHP), Multi V systems and residential air conditioners.
These field studies generate insights that directly influence product design. For example, observations that frost commonly accumulates on the lower section of outdoor heat exchangers in extreme cold led LG to introduce a redesigned structure that reduces frost buildup and enhances operational stability in severe winter conditions.
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Strengthened by its global research collaborations and robust field-testing infrastructure, LG is advancing the development of next-generation heat pump technologies that deliver high efficiency and reliable performance in diverse climates. Recently, LG announced a partnership with King Saud University and Pusan National University to establish a tropical-climate testing facility in Saudi Arabia — reinforcing the company’s commitment to regionally optimized HVAC innovation.
“Through strengthened global research collaboration and extensive field validation, LG is accelerating the advancement of heat pump technology,” said James Lee, president of the LG ES Company. “We remain committed to delivering reliable, high-efficiency, and sustainable heat pump solutions that meet the needs of customers around the world.”
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