ⓒ SAMSUNG

The company we’re going to talk about today is perhaps Korea’s most well-known. Samsung Electronics is famous worldwide for its smartphones, televisions, microchips, and much more. But perhaps less well-known is the company’s commitment to the environment and innovative green energy solutions, which Samsung Electronics showcased at this year’s Korea Energy Show. Let’s hear from Tae Sang-jin(태상진), researcher at the company’s Home Appliances Business Department.  

Many visitors made a positive response to our products at the energy show. They were amazed by our wind-free air conditioner, in particular, after they directly experienced how it worked. 

Visitors showed great interest in air-conditioning and heating facilities using the energy storage system that we unveiled for the first time as well as home appliances with IoT features and our smart building management solution known as b.IoT. 

The 2018 Korea Energy Show was held at Kintex in Ilsan, northwest of Seoul, from October 2 to 5. At the nation’s largest energy fair, Samsung Electronics displayed a variety of products featuring wind-free cooling technology, green energy, the Internet of Things and artificial intelligence. It also set up an experience booth where visitors can directly experience these innovations. Visitors were drawn to highly efficient products that reduced electricity consumption by up to 90 percent over previous models. But the most attention-grabbing product was a wind-free air conditioner. 

ⓒ SAMSUNG

Many health-conscious consumers, including older people and pregnant women, dislike strong and cold winds on their body. Taking their needs into account, Samsung developed the world’s first cooling system that keeps indoor temperatures moderate without any direct wind by dispersing cool air gently and evenly through as many as 21-thousand micro air holes installed on the surface of the air conditioners. 

1.5 million wind-free air conditioner units were sold in just two years since 2016, when Samsung first released the invention after four years of research and development. 

Samsung Electronics recognized that consumers wanted to stay cool without the discomfort of direct cold airflow. Inspired by Seokbinggo(석빙고), a cold storage room where Koreans of the past stored ice, the company decided to apply radiant cooling technology to its new air-conditioning device. The technology allows users to feel cool and refreshed without strong wind. 

Starting with a new design in 2011, Samsung studied different technologies to adjust the strength of air currents and experimented with various materials, including cloth and metal, for micro air holes. Finally, the company successfully developed the wind-free air conditioner. The new device first lowers indoor temperature quickly with a powerful whirlwind, similar to other products. But once reaching the desired temperature, it automatically switches to its wind-free cooling mode by distributing cold air through 135,000 micro air holes on the unit’s front metal panel. The initial, fast cooling mode and the subsequent wind-free cooling mode significantly increases energy efficiency. 

Thanks to wind-free cooling technology, this air conditioner only consumes one-tenth of the energy used by conventional models operating at full capacity. People want to turn off the air conditioner while they are asleep, as the cold wind makes them uncomfortable. But the residence will quickly heat up without the air conditioner on, causing discomfort. Thus, wind-free cooling technology maintains optimal temperature for a sound sleep while not causing outrageous electricity fees. 

Wind-free air conditioners can reduce electricity prices by up to 65 percent compared to some conventional air conditioning units. Combined with AI technology, the innovative cooling system is operated in line with the user’s lifestyle, outside environment and weather information. Mr. Tae talks more about Samsung’s power-saving solutions. 

In general, a large amount of electricity is needed to operate air conditioners. But our technology stores nighttime electricity in a battery and supplies the saved energy during the day when demand is higher, so power loads at peak times can be controlled in an effective way. With this energy storage system or ESS, Samsung Electronics will be the first Korean company to receive a certification from the Korea Electric Power Corporation. The achievement will mark a milestone in the use of an ESS for cooling and heating devices.  

The combination of an efficient ESS with air-conditioning and heating facilities is expected to open a new chapter in energy sustainability. It’s innovations like this that continue to propel Samsung Electronics forward. 

Established by Lee Byung-chul in 1969 under the name of Samsung Electric Industries, the company successfully developed color television sets with its own technology by 1976. Two years later, Samsung produced 4 million units of black-and-white TVs to take the top position in the world market. In 1983, Samsung Electronics announced an ambitious plan to enter the semiconductor industry. That same year, it became the world’s third company to develop 64K dynamic random access memory, or DRAM, after firms in the U.S. and Japan. In 1994, it made inroads into the mobile phone market by introducing the Anycall brand. 

Thanks to its continuous innovation and industry-leading products, the tech giant is now the world’s top maker of memory chips and smartphones, and accounts for 50 percent of the global premium TV market. 

Indeed, the company has made strenuous efforts for the future, rather than settling for the present, and it now stands atop the global market. And the company shows no signs of slowing down.

ⓒ SAMSUNG

Samsung Electronics’ home appliances, including air conditioners, have been well received by consumers. We’ll continue to provide energy-saving solutions that will contribute to protecting the environment and benefit customers economically. In this way, we’ll sharpen our competitiveness further. 

U.S.-based industry tracker Brand Keys has included Samsung Electronics in its top- five list of the world’s most innovative tech brands for five consecutive years. Having prepared for the future with innovative technology, the company is now blazing a trail in the field of energy conservation and efficiency.