Samsung Electronics begins heat pump trials for apartment heating

Samsung Electronics said it has begun field trials of its high-efficiency heat pump system designed for collective housing such as apartments. The verification project launched this month at the Samsung C&T Residential Performance Research Institute in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, where the equipment operates in an environment mimicking actual apartment conditions.

The initiative responds to growing global pressure for carbon neutrality in the building sector and the South Korean government's push to expand electric heating policies beyond single-family homes. Data from the trials will serve as foundational material for future heat pump distribution in collective housing.

The company plans to assess the heating, cooling and hot water performance of the EHS All-in-One unit, reviewing power consumption and noise levels against existing gas boiler systems. Unlike domestic residential heat pumps that typically require separate air conditioners for cooling, the model selected for testing features a single outdoor unit providing both air-to-air cooling and air-to-water floor heating.

The unit applies heat recovery technology that recycles waste heat generated during cooling to produce hot water, utilizing more than twice the thermal energy of conventional methods while reducing electricity consumption in summer. It also uses R32 refrigerant, which has a global warming potential approximately 68 percent lower than the R410A refrigerant found in existing cooling devices.

"This demonstration is not just about confirming product performance, but a project to verify whether heat pumps can practically replace existing gas boilers in real collective housing environments," said Lim Sung-taek, vice president of the DA Business Division. He added that the company plans to strengthen its leadership in the global HVAC market by introducing innovative solutions domestically in line with government policies.

Samsung Electronics plans to launch the EHS product in the domestic market within 2026.