LG Electronics is installing heat pumps for the first time in Korea in an apartment complex where residents actually live, advancing a demonstration project for cooling, heating, and hot water electrification. The company aims to present a Korean-model apartment building electrification solution that replaces existing boilers and gas piping with heat pump solutions.

 

On the 15th, LG Electronics signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at the Jeju International Convention Center with Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, Jeju Development Corporation, and Korea Institute of Industrial Technology (KITECH) to advance the "Apartment Building Cooling and Heating Electrification and P2H (Power to Heat) Demonstration Project."

The signing ceremony was attended by Wi Sung-gon, Governor of Jeju Province; Kim Dae-hyun, Head of Housing and Welfare Projects Division at Jeju Development Corporation; Kim Taek-soo, Acting President of Korea Institute of Industrial Technology; and Oh Se-ki, Senior Vice President and Head of LG Electronics' Energy Solutions Research Laboratory, among others.

 

The demonstration target is Shinyo Apartment located in Hyodong-dong, Seogwipo, a seven-story structure above one basement level housing 12 units where residents currently live.

Design is to be completed by October, construction will begin, and following completion in December, the complex will move into full operation.

LG Electronics is responsible for overall heat pump system design, product supply, commissioning, maintenance, and performance evaluation, while Jeju Province handles institutional improvements and policy linkage; Jeju Development Corporation provides the building and manages operations; and Korea Institute of Industrial Technology handles P2H system design and data analysis.

 

The core solutions consist of △integrated heat pump cooling and heating systems for each unit and △a combination with a centralized hot water P2H system utilizing common building spaces.

The heat pump installed in each unit provides direct cooling and floor heating simultaneously with a single outdoor unit, reducing installation space and enabling customized heating and cooling per unit.

The centralized hot water system is a method of installing an air-source heat pump and large-capacity hot water tank in the vacant piloti space on the first floor to collectively supply hot water to each unit.

LG Electronics stated that by driving heat pumps with surplus renewable energy from solar power and others and storing and utilizing the heat produced, the system can contribute to power grid stabilization and energy cost reduction.

 

LG Electronics has been developing its heat pump business globally since 2008, and in 2018 was the first in Korea to supply residential integrated heat pump boilers.

The company was also selected as the top supplier in the '2026 Jeju Daily Life Heat Pump Distribution Project' conducted this year based on combined first and second half volumes.

LG Electronics stated that it plans to establish a "Korean-model apartment building electrification standard model" tailored to various residential types such as public rental housing, existing remodeling, and new complexes based on operational data secured from this demonstration.

Senior Vice President Oh Se-ki stated, "This demonstration project targeting an apartment complex where actual residents live holds significant meaning in validating a heat pump cooling, heating, and hot water electrification model optimized for apartment building characteristics."