Amid the decarbonisation trend, South Korea's two biggest home appliance makers have stepped up competition in energy-saving technologies. Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics said on Tuesday they have set up exhibition booths at the 2026 Climate Industry International Expo in Busan.

Both companies put heat pump-based boilers, which collect heat from the air for heating, at the centre of their displays. Samsung expanded its exhibition scope to include air conditioning for AI data centres, while LG broadened its display to resource circulation and future housing.

Samsung set up its 'EHS All-in-One' at the centre of a standalone booth of about 270 square metres. It is a residential product in which a single outdoor unit handles cooling, heating and hot water, eliminating the need to install an air conditioner and boiler separately. The company also demonstrated a four-season operating scenario and remote monitoring through the SmartThings app. The 'EHS heat pump boiler' shown alongside supplies heating and hot water using air heat and electricity, and its adoption in South Korea is increasing in tandem with a government heating electrification rollout programme.

Samsung's heat pump solutions have been recognised with an excellence award at MCE 2026, the iF Design Award 2026 and a No. 1 ranking for value for money by Germany's Institute for Quality and Finance. Its business-to-business display featured a heating, ventilation and air conditioning lineup developed in cooperation with FlaktGroup, which Samsung acquired last year. It covered products ranging from cooling for AI data centres to central air conditioning for industrial complexes and large buildings. The company also introduced cases of managing power in commercial facilities in real time using SmartThings Pro.

In the home appliance area, Samsung placed energy consumption efficiency grade 1 products including refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, dishwashers and induction cookers, along with the SmartThings-based energy-saving function 'AI Saving Mode'. It also unveiled 'Home Appliance Remote Management (HRM)', which uses AI to analyse the status of a user's appliances and provide diagnostics. The company said it will support software updates for up to 7 years for Wi-Fi-enabled appliances launched since 2024.

Lim Seong-taek (임성택), a vice president in Samsung's Digital Appliances business, said the expo is a venue to show Samsung's comprehensive energy-saving capabilities, from high-efficiency home appliances to HVAC solutions for AI data centres and smart buildings. He said the company will lead innovation in energy saving by combining AI-based high-efficiency product technology with differentiated services that customers can use with confidence.

LG Electronics highlighted the 'LG Therma V heat pump boiler', which incorporates its heat pump technology. The company explained it can extract about 4 to 5 times the heat energy of the input power, reducing energy costs by about 40 to 60 percent compared with fossil-fuel boilers. In its HVAC zone, LG introduced the 'LG Whisen AI Objet Collection Tower I air conditioner', which won the grand prize at the Energy Winner Awards, along with AI-controlled system air conditioners and energy recovery ventilation products.

Products that cut washing and drying power consumption were gathered in the home appliances zone. Key examples include the 'LG Tromm AI Objet Collection' WashCombo, WashTower and dryer, which apply energy consumption efficiency grade 1 ratings and dual inverter heat pump technology. In the display zone, LG exhibited the 'LG e-paper display', which lowers power consumption by more than 99 percent compared with digital signage, and the 'LG StanbyME 2 Max', which limits standby power to 0.5 watts or less.

LG also disclosed resource circulation achievements. Its OLED TVs use composite fibre materials to reduce plastic use to about 40 percent of that of same-size LCD TVs, and the 'LG OLED evo AI G6' received Carbon Trust certification for carbon reduction. Its modular house 'LG Smart Cottage' became the first in South Korea among prefabricated buildings to obtain the top rating, 'ZEB Plus', for zero-energy buildings. LG also announced its 'Battery Turn' activity to recycle used vacuum cleaner batteries and its tumbler washer 'LG MyCup'.

Kim Young-rak (김영락), president of LG Electronics' Korea sales division, said the company will continue to introduce differentiated energy efficiency technologies and carbon-reducing products so customers can experience a sustainable lifestyle in their daily lives.