Samsung Electronics has become the first Korean company to sign the European Union (EU) Code of Conduct (CoC) for smart home energy, setting out to expand its AI home appliances linked to the European power grid-based energy management system. This move is interpreted as an effort to respond to the trend in the European home appliance market where power demand regulation and energy optimization functions are emerging as key standards, moving beyond mere competition for high efficiency.

Samsung Electronics announced on the 14th that it has joined the Smart Appliance Energy Action Plan operated by the Joint Research Centre (JRC) under the European Commission. The program is an agreement designed to alleviate the concentration of power usage during specific time periods and to manage energy demand more flexibly through the linkage of smart appliances and power management systems.

In Europe, energy efficiency and grid connectivity, along with AI capabilities, have recently emerged as key factors for the competitiveness of home appliances. Due to the expansion of renewable energy and rising electricity costs, there is growing interest in features that allow appliances to automatically regulate power consumption or operate during periods of low demand.

Samsung Electronics plans to expand the scope of cooperation with local European power companies through its participation in this agreement. Currently, it is operating an electricity bill reduction program in cooperation with British Gas in the UK and Cool Blue in the Netherlands, and plans to expand related services in the future.

Some of Samsung Electronics' washing machines and dishwashers have been registered as 'Energy Smart Appliances' under the EU Energy Rating Registration System (EPREL). These products support a 'Custom Reservation' function that recommends low-power usage times based on grid conditions. Since March of this year, the EU has been separately classifying and disclosing grid-connected energy-optimized products, and some countries are applying subsidies or tax benefits to these products.

Samsung Electronics is also expanding its lineup of AI home appliances with enhanced energy-saving features in the European market. The Bespoke AI dishwasher launched last month supports up to 20% additional energy savings compared to Europe's highest efficiency rating (Grade A), and the company plans to introduce a Bespoke AI washing machine in June featuring up to 65% additional savings.

The industry observes that evaluation criteria for home appliances, particularly in the European market, are expanding beyond simple power consumption to include grid responsiveness and real-time energy management capabilities. Consequently, competition among manufacturers is increasingly likely to be restructured around AI features and the ability to integrate with energy management platforms.