Global home appliance and air solutions leader LG Electronics Inc. (LG) and the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA) have formed the Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research. The agreement will facilitate collaboration among LG innovators, university researchers, local industry and government agencies to help drive market transformation through research on heat pump technology and electrification.

Addressing the growing worldwide interest in cold-climate heat pump technologies, the Consortium will leverage the complementary expertise of technologists at LG Electronics, a global heat pump leader, and the College of Engineering at UAA and its highly regarded HVAC Lab. 

According to James Lee, global president of the LG Electronics Air Solutions business unit, joint research initiatives at the University of Alaska Anchorage are expected to make a substantial global impact, establishing new benchmarks for energy efficiency and sustainability while demonstrating the depth of LG’s HVAC product capabilities in both heating and cooling, while championing environmentally responsible solutions.

“The Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research will raise the bar and push the limits of the high-performance, high-capacity heat pump industry,” Lee said. “Results from the joint research will be used in North America and Europe to help shape the future of the HVAC industry.” He said Alaska is the perfect place to do this research, “both for the opportunity to work closely with the talented UAA engineering faculty and graduate students and because of the state’s extreme temperatures.”

UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell shared the university’s excitement for the Consortium. “Collaboration in research is a cornerstone of UAA’s mission. Our partnership with LG Electronics advances climate solutions in the HVAC industry and beyond. UAA is proud to lead this collaboration with LG to further innovation across industry and our communities,” he said.

Chancellor Parnell shared that the activities of the Consortium for Advanced Heat Pump Research will include identifying pivotal research areas, as well as comprehensive studies and presentations on advanced heat pump technology.

The Consortium will foster entrepreneurship and a culture of problem-solving through enhanced research and development. LG and university researchers will conduct studies in two dedicated LG Cold Climate Heat Pump Labs in Anchorage and Fairbanks. These facilities will be configured like real-world homes, using a range of LG’s leading-edge HVAC solutions, including both ducted and duct-free indoor and outdoor units, along with LG’s inverter heat pump water heater.

Joining Lee and Parnell at the signing ceremony on the UAA campus, LG Electronics North America CEO Thomas Yoon said, “This cutting-edge Consortium sets the stage for a new era of electrification, enabled by heat pump innovations as well as energy storage systems and smart appliances. Working with the University of Alaska will further accelerate LG’s efforts to drive market transformation supporting the decarbonization of buildings throughout North America and around the world.”

Energy Star Partner of the Year LG Electronics USA is an active member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Manufacturers’ Action Councils for heat pump HVAC systems and water heaters and participates in the Advanced Water Heater Initiative. LG also is the first home appliance member of the Building Decarbonization Coalition, which is paving the way to America’s clean energy future.