RACA Journal I June 2026 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za 25
FEATURE SERIES
AI introduction to LG’ s latest technologies. The day featured product demonstrations and presentations from the company’ s leadership team, all aimed at showcasing how LG’ s HVAC solutions are evolving to meet the growing demand for intelligent, sustainable air-conditioning systems across southern Africa.
Opening the proceedings, Patrick Jung, product director for LG Energy South Africa, introduced the company’ s new product portfolio. Jung, from Korea, has been based in South Africa for over two years, overseeing the rollout of LG’ s latest energy and HVAC technologies into the local market.
“ I’ m responsible for bringing any product South Africa needs – organising, adapting and localising it for our market. Today is about introducing some of our latest innovations, from the new rooftop package unit and new air-colled Inverter Scroll chiller, and of course, the Multi Vi system,” he said.
His introduction set the stage for a day that balanced technical depth with practical insight into LG’ s engineering philosophy – one that prioritises efficiency, durability and regional relevance.
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AI-LED HVAC: A SMARTER WAY TO COOL AND HEAT The centrepiece of the launch was the presentation by Andries Bekker, Eco Solutions general manager at LG Electronics South Africa, who unveiled the Multi VI – the sixth generation in LG’ s Multi V line, now enhanced with advanced artificial intelligence.
Bekker, who has spent a decade with LG in both technical and managerial capacities, described the Multi VI as a milestone in the company’ s evolution.“ The Multi Vi is more than an upgrade. It represents a new way of thinking about HVAC – where systems can learn, predict and adapt automatically to their environment,” he said
At its core is the AI Engine, a self-learning control system that continuously monitors environmental conditions, occupancy patterns and weather forecasts to optimise performance in real time.“ With AI SmartCare, the system analyses external weather data and internal load variations, and automatically fine-tunes operation. This means no wasted energy, reduced wear on components, and consistent indoor comfort – all achieved without human intervention,” explained Bekker.
The AI Management function also enables self-learning group settings. In a space with multiple indoor units, the system identifies which areas face higher thermal loads – for instance, sun-exposed façades – and redistributes cooling or heating capacity accordingly.
BUILT FOR THE CONTINENT’ S CLIMATES Bekker was quick to address a common industry concern – that high-end HVAC systems are often not designed for Africa’ s diverse climatic conditions.“ This product has been tested right here in South Africa for a full year. We wanted to ensure
The LG control solutions on display at the 2025 launch.
it performs as efficiently in Durban’ s humidity as it does in Johannesburg’ s winter mornings,” he said.
The Multi Vi achieves its performance gains through several engineering enhancements. It offers capacities of up to 26 horsepower per unit, scalable to 96 horsepower when linked in a four-unit combination. A new three-circuit heat exchanger and upgraded defrost technology allow faster and more effective defrosting, particularly valuable in regions with wide temperature fluctuations. Despite being slightly larger in size than the Multi V5, the new model is lighter in weight and delivers a higher energy efficiency ratio( EER).
Operating ranges have also expanded: cooling from-15 ° C to 52 ° C and heating from-30 ° C to 18 ° C ambient conditions. These wide operating limits ensure reliability across South Africa’ s varied geography: from coastal installations to elevated inland sites.
All outdoor units now feature LG’ s proprietary Black Fin coating, which protects coils, panels and fasteners from corrosion. This anti-corrosive finish is standard, not optional, making the units particularly suited to coastal and industrial environments.
INTEGRATED SMART DIAGNOSTICS AND CONTROL Serviceability has also been improved. The AI Smart Diagnosis function analyses system performance data instantly, identifying potential issues before they cause downtime.“ What used to take an hour of on-site testing can now be done in minutes,” Bekker noted.
RACA Journal I June 2026 www. refrigerationandaircon. co. za 25