Samsung, Hanwha Q Cells to offer IoT home energy solutions in US, EU

Samsung Electronics Co. and South Korea’s leading solar panel maker Hanwha Q Cells Co. have joined hands to provide smart home energy solutions globally.

The two companies on July 5 said that they have signed a strategic partnership agreement to offer “zero energy home” solutions to houses around the world, with a primary focus on the US and European markets.

A zero energy home is one that is energy self-sufficient by only using energy that is drawn from the home itself, according to Samsung. The company added that self-sufficiency is achieved by both producing energy through renewables like solar power, and reducing consumption with the use of more efficient devices.

SAMSUNG-HANWHA Q CELLS PARTNERSHIP

Under the new deal, Hanwha Q Cells will generate power using its solar modules and energy storage systems (ESS), while Samsung’s SmartThings Energy service will help homeowners to monitor and optimize energy consumption in their home appliances and heat pumps.

Samsung’s SmartThings Energy is an open Internet of Things (IoT) platform, which can be connected to home appliances or devices made by other manufacturers as well.

Samsung and Hanwha Q Cells said that their solutions will allow users to switch home appliances -- connected to the SmartThings Energy platform -- to energy-saving mode at night or on cloudy days, when solar energy capture levels are low.

“We anticipate great synergy between our smart home appliances and SmartThings platform, and Q Cells’ solar energy and storage solutions,” said Lee Jae-seung, president and head of Samsung Electronics’ Digital Appliances Business.

Samsung’s late focus apart from the mobile and semiconductor sectors has been expanding the global market for smart homes, smart buildings and smart cities.

The company last year signed a partnership with British real estate developer Etopia to provide eco-friendly heating systems and home appliances, which can be connected to SmartThings Energy, to around 6,000 eco-friendly houses.

“We expect the partnership will provide our global customers with even more competitive energy solutions. Synergizing with Samsung will help strengthen our leading position in the global residential energy market,” said Hanwha Q Cells CEO Kim Hee-cheul.

Write to Hyung-suk Song at click@hankyung.com
Daniel Cho edited this article.