Samsung explores next-gen heating with ORNL
9th August 2026
SOUTH KOREA: Samsung Electronics is working with the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) to develop a heat pump capable of performing in ambients below -30ºC.
This research, which will be conducted until the first half of next year, will verify the performance and reliability of the technology in the extreme environment of Alaska and apply it to various heat pump HVAC products.
Samsung plans to employ rotary scroll compressors and flash injection in various HVAC systems. Following field testing of the new technology in Alaska, Samsung plans to demonstrate the technology at the field test lab of the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR) located in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Fairbanks is a cold region with an average monthly low of around -40ºC and historical lows dropping to -50ºC or lower.
The research team plans to comprehensively verify heating performance, energy efficiency, long-term operational stability, and hot water supply performance during the cold season to determine whether it can be used stably in actual residential environments.
In the future, this technology is planned to be expanded and applied to various HVAC products, such as combined heating and cooling system air conditioners and heat pump boilers.
“This collaboration will be an important opportunity to demonstrate Samsung’s unrivaled high-efficiency technology and device reliability in actual cryogenic environments,” said Lim Sung-taek, vice president of Samsung Electronics’ DA Business Division. “Based on research data, we will introduce heat pump products to the global market that maximise performance and energy efficiency while reducing carbon emissions.”
