Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Marks Earth Day with Light-Off and Waste Heat Recovery in Push for Carbon Neutrality

Participation in Light-Off Event at Six Sites Including Giheung, Hwaseong, and Pyeongtaek
Power Consumption Reduced by Replacing 17,000 Lights with "Smart Lighting"

In celebration of Earth Day on April 22, Samsung Electronics Semiconductor participated in a large-scale light-off event and is actively pursuing carbon neutrality through measures such as the implementation of waste heat recovery systems and smart lighting to enhance energy efficiency.

Before and after view of Samsung Electronics' Hwaseong DSR lighting located in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. Samsung Electronics Semiconductor

Samsung Electronics Semiconductor announced on April 24 that it had participated for the eighth consecutive year in the nationwide light-off event, turning off the lights at six business sites across the country on April 22. This initiative goes beyond simple energy saving, aiming to raise public awareness of energy issues.

This year’s light-off event included the company’s semiconductor facilities in Giheung, Hwaseong, Pyeongtaek, Cheonan, Onyang, and Suwon (SAIT). Focusing on office spaces—excluding manufacturing facilities operating 24 hours and emergency zones—the company simultaneously switched off a total of 25,914 lights for 10 minutes starting at 8 p.m. As a result, approximately 217 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity were saved, which is equivalent to reducing about 90 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂eq) greenhouse gas emissions. A representative from Samsung Electronics Semiconductor stated, “We are reducing power consumption through campaigns to turn off lights at all sites nationwide during lunchtime every day, and we continue to make various efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

Samsung Electronics has also achieved results with its waste heat recovery system, which recycles heat generated during the semiconductor manufacturing process. By recovering waste heat from the cooling process and reusing it as a heating source for air-handling units throughout the year, the company has significantly reduced the operation of liquefied natural gas (LNG) boilers. Notably, after applying an automated waste heat utilization system to new production lines, the waste heat usage rate at the Giheung, Hwaseong, and Pyeongtaek sites improved from 51% in 2024 to 55% in 2025. Samsung Electronics plans to expand this system to existing production lines and, starting in December 2024, will also extend the treated water heat recovery facilities—currently applied at the Giheung and Hwaseong sites—to Pyeongtaek, maximizing heat energy efficiency.

The company is also making significant strides in innovating its lighting systems for greater energy efficiency. From December 2024 to August 2025, Samsung Electronics replaced approximately 17,000 parking tower lights at its Giheung, Hwaseong, and Pyeongtaek sites with “smart lighting.” These smart lights automatically adjust their brightness between 20% and 80% depending on the conditions, thereby improving energy efficiency. Analysis of power consumption over the four months following the replacement showed a savings of more than 650,000 kWh (about 49%) compared to the same period the previous year.

These efforts are part of the “New Environmental Management Strategy” declared in 2022. Samsung Electronics Semiconductor is working toward achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, simultaneously developing technologies to reduce direct emissions of process gases and enhancing energy use efficiency to lower indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.