LG Leading the Charge to Adapt to a Low-GWP Future

As the world grapples with the urgent issue of climate change, the refrigeration industry is undergoing a significant transformation. In the U.S., the federal government and several states have enacted legislation to regulate Hydrofluorocarbon refrigerant (HFC) use and production.¹⁾ Therefore, the LG Component Solutions team has developed appliances with low GWP based on the new regulations and customers’ demands. The article below is about Mr. Seong Soon Jang, a senior compressor engineer at LG Components Solution North America discusses the current refrigerant issues in the North American region. 

I joined LG Electronics HA Compressor & Motor Division in 2007 and have been in charge of the development and commercialization of LG Scroll Compressors since then. Now, as a Senior Compressor Sales Engineer at the Technical Support Center under the North American subsidiary in Dallas, Texas, I am continuing B2B Technical & Engineering solution support activities for LG compressors to B2B customers of various HVAC application products throughout North America for the past 6 years.

The major trend in the North American market these days is the transition to low GWP refrigerants. Following the regulation of switching to refrigeration GWP 700 or lower by January 2025, a rapid transition is taking place from the existing R410A to R454B for air conditioning and from R134A to R513A for water heaters.
Also, swimming pool culture has developed in North America. The conversion of existing swimming pool gas heaters to heat pumps using compressors is attracting attention due to the IES’s emphasis on electrification. By this, LG Compressor is also proactively preparing products to respond to customer demands.

It is expected that there will be a shift to lower GWP refrigerants such as R290 as the GWP regulations become more stringent due to global warming. However, since the manufacturing/installation/service infrastructure is currently insufficient, it might proceed with some time.

We are currently developing a new scroll compressor for pool heat pumps with low GWP R454B. It is developed to meet the demands of the market where heat pumps ranging from 6 tons to 9 tons are used. This compressor will allow us to cater to a wider range of heat pumps, as the market previously only used heat pumps for 6 tons to 8 tons and relied on gas heaters for 9 tons.

We are responsible for the technical aspects such as performance matching and improvement, as well as quality aspects such as cause analysis and response when customer field issues occur. In addition, we also serve as a window of communication for customer-tailored development and response to discuss future directions and respond to market changes and regulations.

LG Component Solutions is always open to customers to listen to their voices and demands and provide solutions accordingly. To provide the new low GWP R454B scroll compressor development solution, our team met and talked with many customers in person, and through this, a single-phase 9-ton capacity scroll solution was created.

As the GWP regulations tighten and the demand for energy-efficient solutions grows, LG Component Solutions is leading the refrigeration industry's transition to low GWP refrigerants. By developing innovative compressor technology and fostering strong customer relationships, LG is poised to lead the market in providing energy-saving and efficient cooling solutions for the North American region and beyond.

1) HFC Policy Tracker. (n.d.). North American Sustainable Refrigeration Council. https://nasrc.org/hfc-policy