On January 7, 2026, our lab hosted a seminar with Prof. Moonkeun Kim at Chonnam National University. The session covered global trends in refrigerant regulations, technical challenges in heat pump systems, and a comparative analysis of HVAC cultures between Korea and Europe, specifically Norway.
The discussion highlighted the divergence in refrigerant policies, noting Europe's strict F-gas phase-out favoring natural refrigerants like CO2 and propane, contrasting with the continued reliance on mixed refrigerants in the US and Asia.
Prof. Kim provided technical feedback on our Python-based simulation modeling for air source heat pump boiler model. He emphasized the necessity of validating boundary conditions—such as domestic hot water usage and ground temperatures—against literature and simplifying simulation scenarios to ensure logical consistency.
The key takeaway was the importance of considering the "well-to-wheel" environmental impact of electrification within Korea's specific energy mix and the need for system modularization to improve installation feasibility in domestic environments.