I visited LG’s Smart Cottage and the future looks sustainable and efficient
There are more smart homes around the world today than ever before. Approximately 30 million households have a selection of smart devices or entire ecosystems to make their home life more seamless and connected. With this in mind, LG recently unveiled its new smart living vision at IFA 2023, and I was lucky enough to have a look around.
LG is arguably best known for its extensive collection of OLED TVs, and T3 loves the LG brand so much, we even have our own dedicated best LG TV guide. Alongside its audio and video products, LG is a huge name for household appliances, particularly its fridges, washing machines and heat pumps.
One thing that LG has been intent on developing is sustainable appliances and during IFA 2023, the brand showcased its Sustainable Village with the strapline: ‘Sustainable Life, Joy For All”. Within its visually-pleasing showroom was the Smart Cottage, a prefabricated home that incorporates LG’s smart home appliances, heating, ventilation and air conditioning products and energy solutions.
The idea behind the LG Smart Cottage might look complicated from the outside, but it couldn’t be more straightforward. This compact two-story home has a studio-style layout that’s functional, convenient and linked together by LG ThinQ.
For those new to LG ThinQ, it’s LG’s app that seamlessly integrates with its many products using AI technology and voice control. All the appliances inside the Smart Cottage connect to LG ThinQ which can then be used to control and manage each appliance, while monitoring its consumption and energy storage in real time.
Looking around the LG Smart Cottage, the full housing solution is incredibly impressive. Inside the house are products designed to make your life simpler while saving energy and leaving less of an environmental footprint. Starting with the roof, there are 4kW solar panels that connect to the Energy Storage System (ESS) to power the home. The ESS ensures on-site collection and storage of solar power that’s safe and reliable, and can be stored for later use.
For the kitchen and living area, LG has the WashTower Compact washing machine, its QuadWash dishwasher, a built-in oven and induction area, and a water purifier. Taking a look at the kitchen which is what I immediately gravitated towards, I was pleasantly surprised by its looks. I find that some smart products look too tech-y and complicated, but unless told, I think you would hardly be able to tell that the appliances in the LG Smart Cottage were superpowered… which I personally think is a good thing.
Further in the house, there’s the Therma V Monobloc air-to-water heat pump which uses less power than conventional heating and cooling systems. Alongside this heating solution is the Integrated Water Tank that delivers a reliable supply of hot water.
Another sustainable move that LG has chosen is installing an electric vehicle charger onto the outside of the house. Not only is this great for homeowners who have electric cars and for the environment, but it saves people having to fit their own EV charger or having to drive around town finding one. It’s not just LG appliances that are in the home, but smart lighting, motion sensors, security cameras, and video doorbells are all linked up too, so homeowners will feel safe there as well as sustainable and connected.
As someone who’s covered smart home for a while but is still learning about it (aren’t we all?!), I was blown away by the LG Smart Cottage. I was initially skeptical – is there such a thing as something being ‘too smart’ after all – but looking around at how cleverly the entire home has been integrated really amazed me.
As Lyu Jae-cheol, head of LG Electronics Home Appliance & Air Solution Company commented in the initial press release, “LG aims to redefine residential living by seamlessly integrating its energy solutions, appliances and services into a space that lets people live life their way.” And I think it’s done just that!