[Jeju = E-Daily Reporter JAEMIN SONG ] “Why wouldn’t I use something this great?” When asked if he would continue using it even after the trial period ended, Yang Chang-hee (74), who has lived in Donam-dong, Jeju City, for 34 years, answered without hesitation. The new addition to Mr. Yang’s backyard is SamsungElectronics’ “EHS All-in-One” heat pump heating and cooling system. A former construction engineer, the change he has welcomed most recently is that he no longer has to “peek into the underground tank, worrying about when the boiler oil might run out.”

Kim Eun-ae (54), whom we met in Aewol-eup—a 30-minute drive away—also welcomed the heat pump. “Since city gas isn’t available here, we have no choice but to use LPG or oil, but because there are only eight households in the neighborhood, the unit price is high,” she said. “In the winter, my combined electricity and boiler costs came to nearly 200,000 won a month.” She explained that her husband, after seeing the provincial government’s announcement, applied on the very first day and was selected as the “first household” to participate, adding, “This program is a perfect fit for our situation.”

In the yards of both homes stood unfamiliar boxes resembling air conditioner outdoor units. These are SamsungElectronics’ heat pumps, which utilize heat from the air to provide heating and hot water. The principle is similar to that of an air conditioner: the refrigerant absorbs heat from the outside air, which is then used to heat water for underfloor heating and hot water. It’s a system that transfers external heat indoors without directly burning fuel.

Last June, SamsungElectronics installed different heat pumps in the two homes as part of a pilot program. Mr. Yang’s home has been set up as a “Heat Pump Field Test Lab” to demonstrate the “EHS All-in-One,” which handles cooling, heating, and hot water supply using a single outdoor unit. This product recovers heat that would otherwise be discharged outdoors during the cooling process to produce hot water. It miniaturizes “heat recovery” technology—previously used in large commercial facilities—for residential use. It also utilizes R32 refrigerant, which has a global warming potential approximately 68% lower than that of the conventional R410A. At Mr. Kim’s home, the “EHS Heat Pump Boiler,” specialized for heating and hot water supply, was installed for the first time in Korea.

At Mr. Yang’s home, a single outdoor unit was connected to four wall-mounted air conditioners in the kitchen, master bedroom, second-floor living room, and master bedroom. When he turned on the kitchen faucet and waited a moment, warm water flowed out. The same system supplies hot water to the bathroom and kitchen while also handling underfloor heating on both the first and second floors. Since there is no need to install separate air conditioning and boiler systems, space utilization has been maximized.

Mr. Kim’s home features a thermal storage model focused on heating and hot water supply without cooling. It heats a 300-liter water tank to a maximum of 70 degrees and draws from it as needed. According to SamsungElectronics, it maintains its rated heating performance even when the outside temperature drops to minus 25 degrees. Under a 35-degree outlet water temperature condition, the Seasonal Coefficient of Performance (SCOP) is 4.9, exceeding the government’s efficiency guideline of 4.5. This means it produces approximately five times the heating energy relative to its power consumption. Noise levels are as low as 35 dB, so even when the compressor is running, it does not interfere with conversation.

In both homes, users can check the temperature and energy consumption via a 7-inch touchscreen and the SmartThings app. Mr. Yang said, “I wondered if even someone in their 70s like me would be able to figure this out, but as long as I set the temperature, it takes care of everything on its own,” as he held up his smartphone screen.

Jeju was selected as the first pilot site because the city has a low city gas penetration rate, leading to high reliance on LPG and kerosene, and its mild climate allows for higher efficiency of air-source heat pumps. It is also advantageous for utilizing surplus electricity generated during the day from abundant solar and wind power. At Mr. Yang’s home, an experiment is underway to operate the heat pump using surplus solar power to store heat for use at night.

Although the pilot is still in its early stages, Mr. Yang’s electricity bill last month was approximately 15,000 won lower than during the same period last year. At a demonstration site in a 30-pyeong detached house in Chungju, heating costs—which had been 490,000 won per month—were reduced by more than half to around 200,000 won. SamsungElectronics explained that, compared to conventional fuel-fired boilers, users can typically expect cost savings of around 50%. Accordingly, Mr. Kim’s household, which previously spent nearly 200,000 won per month on heating during the winter, is also expected to see its heating costs cut roughly in half.

However, since the product was installed at Mr. Kim’s home in late June and is currently being used primarily for hot water, the actual savings rate has not yet been confirmed. As costs vary depending on the home’s insulation, usage habits, and outdoor temperatures, it will be necessary to monitor operational data during the winter when heating demand peaks.

The biggest barriers to wider adoption are the initial installation costs and electricity bills. In Jeju’s heating electrification project, the total cost per household—including the heat pump boiler and thermal storage tank—is approximately 14 million won. With the government and Jeju Province subsidizing 70% of this cost, the actual out-of-pocket expense for consumers is reduced to about 4 million won. The EHS All-in-One, which has not yet been released, is still in the demonstration phase, so whether a dedicated rate plan will be applied remains to be seen. When asked about his satisfaction with the product, Mr. Yang replied, “Considering the installation costs, I’d give it about an 80,” adding, “It would be a 90 if I didn’t have to worry about the progressive electricity rate, and a 100 if there were government support,” thereby emphasizing the need for government assistance.

The government aims to provide subsidies to approximately 2,500 households in Jeju this year to promote the adoption of heat pumps, with a goal of installing 3.5 million units nationwide by 2035. SamsungElectronics plans to launch the EHS All-in-One in the domestic market next year based on the heating and cooling performance and energy usage data collected in Jeju. The SAMSUNG C&T CORPORATION Residential Performance Research Institute is currently verifying the system’s performance in apartment environments, and the company is also discussing implementation plans for multi-unit housing with the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH).

Shin Mun-seon, Senior Vice President of SamsungElectronics’ DA Business Division, stated, “As Jeju is the region where South Korea’s heating electrification policy is being implemented first, it serves as a crucial test bed for verifying the competitiveness of heat pump technology and products in real residential environments.” He added, “Moving forward, we will introduce a variety of residential HVAC solutions—covering cooling, heating, and hot water supply—based on high-efficiency heat pump technology, thereby contributing to the realization of heating electrification and carbon neutrality in South Korea.”