Korean giant LG Electronics has opened an R&D lab in Frankfurt, Germany that the company says will help it develop new products tailored for the UK and the wider European market.
The 10,000 sq ft Air Solution Lab will join existing LG labs in Changwon, South Korea; and Atlanta, Georgia, USA, to form a global R&D triangle, the firm says.
The new lab will focus primarily on developing high-efficiency HVAC solutions for Europe’s varied local climates, with testing carried out on a wide range of residential and light commercial systems, including heat pumps, energy monitoring systems and energy management platforms.
The new lab will collaborate with the company’s recently launched European Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research to develop heat pumps that can reliably deliver top-tier heating performance for Northern Europe’s harsh winters, LG added.
The company said: “To strengthen the capabilities of its European HVAC business, LG plans to nurture and actively recruit local talent in fields such as heat pump design and smart home technology.
The manufacturer says the European market will be a major focus, since significant growth is expected from EU energy policies that aim to cut carbon and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
The company added: “The EU’s energy policies have significantly increased the demand for high-efficiency electrical products, particularly high-efficiency heat pump heating and cooling systems.
LG believes a key strength of its technology is its in-house development of key components such as compressors and motors, as well as its continuous investment in R&D.
LG says its HVAC business is in the midst of developing a comprehensive local system encompassing all operational areas, from R&D and sales to maintenance and customer service. As part of this initiative, LG has expanded its network of HVAC academies to 62 locations in 43 countries, training over 30,000 HVAC engineers annually.
James Lee, head of the Air Solution Business Unit at LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company said:
Along with developing differentiated HVAC solutions tailored to Europe’s regional climates, our new lab in Frankfurt will support our ongoing global efforts in decarbonisation and electrification. LG will continue to strengthen its HVAC leadership in Europe and globally.
The move follows the establishment of the European Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research (ECAHR), which aims to spur the development of next-generation heat pumps specifically designed for cold climate zones.
Members include Oslo Metropolitan University, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the University of Naples Federico II, an institute in Italy actively pursuing research in cold-climate HVAC.
The consortium was set up in light of record-breaking cold weather in northern Europe last winter, with temperatures dropping below -40 deg C. In these regions, achieving high heating efficiency is challenging due to the difficulty of compressing refrigerants at lower pressures, LG notes. To address this, LG established a consortium to develop heat pumps that deliver top-tier heating performance even in extreme cold conditions.
