LG Electronics unveiled total heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) solutions for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in the U.S. market.
LG Electronics on the 20th (local time) unveiled a range of thermal management solutions and HVAC products for AI data centers at Data Center World (DCW) 2026, which opened for three days in Washington, D.C. DCW is a trade show joined by big tech and semiconductor corporations, featuring seminars on a variety of topics such as AI technology, trends, infrastructure and energy, as well as transaction partner meetings. LG Electronics said, "HVAC, which covers everything from thermal management to energy optimization, is a core driver in the B2B arena," adding, "We will accelerate the expansion and qualitative growth of our HVAC business."
AI data centers use numerous central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) for large-scale data processing and high-performance computing. They consume more power and generate more heat than conventional data centers.
LG Electronics introduced a liquid cooling solution at the show that effectively manages heat from chips performing high-performance computing by using liquid. The cooling distribution unit (CDU) is the key product of the liquid cooling solution. Using the direct-to-chip (DTC) method, it places a metal plate (cold plate) over the chip, through which cold coolant flows, to manage heat in AI data centers. It takes up little space while delivering high energy efficiency, drawing attention as a next-generation technology.
LG Electronics' CDU applies a metal plate structure optimized for coolant flow to effectively manage heat from high-performance chips. In addition, with virtual sensor technology, even if some sensors fail, it uses pump and other sensor data to correct the faulty sensor values, keeping the cooling system running stably. A pump with high-efficiency inverter technology sends out only as much coolant as needed depending on conditions, improving energy efficiency. Cooling capacity has been increased more than twofold, from the previous 650 kW to 1.4 MW.
An immersion cooling solution being co-developed by U.S. immersion cooling specialist Green Revolution Cooling (GRC) and SK Enmove is also being unveiled for the first time. Immersion cooling solutions cool electronic devices that generate heat, such as data center servers, by submerging them directly in a special, nonconductive cooling fluid. The products unveiled include ▲ an immersion cooling tank system co-developed with GRC ▲ a coolant co-developed with SK Enmove. In addition to liquid cooling solutions such as the CDU, which will go into full-scale supply to the market this year, LG Electronics plans to continue developing immersion cooling technology to further strengthen its portfolio of cooling solutions for data centers.
LG Electronics also has strengths in air cooling, which precisely controls the temperature and humidity of air inside AI data center server rooms. Having supplied cooling solutions to data centers in and outside Korea for more than 10 years and built up its technological capabilities, LG Electronics is expanding its lineup from water-cooled chillers to air-cooled free-cooling chillers.
LG Electronics' air-cooled free-cooling chiller optimizes energy consumption and operating modes based on internal temperature, making it well suited for data centers with high energy use. By applying a high-performance inverter compressor, it manages energy loads efficiently.
LG Electronics' HVAC solutions incorporate in-house–developed components including ▲ magnetic compressors ▲ gas foil compressors ▲ computer room air handlers (CRAH) ▲ EC fans ▲ fan motors.
LG Electronics also has a data center cooling management (DCCM) system. It remotely monitors complex facilities such as CDUs, CRAHs and chillers, and performs data analysis and optimal control. It detects changes in component lifespan and signs of abnormality in advance to enable proactive responses, helping prevent servers themselves from shutting down.
Beyond cooling technology, LG Electronics is strengthening software (SW) and power infrastructure solutions to improve energy efficiency. Given the high power consumption characteristics of AI data centers, boosting energy efficiency is regarded as a core technology because it allows more data processing while reducing power consumption.
LG Electronics is also unveiling at this show an energy operations platform developed in collaboration with cleantech startup PADO, which spun off from LG NOVA. The platform monitors data centers' cooling and power systems in real time to identify wasted energy and redistribute it to where it is most needed.
A direct current (DC) grid solution for data center operations co-developed with LG Energy Solution, LS Electric and LS Cable & System is also being presented. The DC grid solution minimizes the power conversion stages common in traditional alternating current (AC) systems to reduce energy losses. While about 25% of energy can be lost in conventional systems, using this solution can lower initial power losses to around 15%.
Lee Jae-sung, president and head of the ES Business Division at LG Electronics, said, "Leveraging our total solution capabilities and differentiated technologies, from thermal management to energy efficiency, we will continue to expand business opportunities in the AI data center HVAC market."