Across Southeast Asia and Oceania, many office towers, hotels, malls and mixed-use developments were constructed before today’s energy-efficiency expectations. With fluctuating climates across the region, Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) is among the fastest-growing uses of energy in buildings in Southeast Asia[2] — and as electricity prices climb, these ageing properties grow can more expensive to run over time.

That makes HVAC systems a key area to consider in retrofit. It can also be feasible to upgrade without major structural work, depending on the building. Tearing a building down to start over, by contrast, can be costly, carbon-intensive and slow. As such, a growing number of owners are now asking a different question: what if the smarter move is to upgrade what is already standing?

There are hardware and management tools that can address this growing need. For instance, integrating Samsung’s AI-powered energy management solutions with its intelligent HVAC and connected building technology can help improve efficiency.

Samsung’s DVM S2, Samsung’s Variable Refrigerant Flow system connects a single outdoor unit to as many as 64 indoor units, which may reduce the new piping and structural work a retrofit demands, while SmartThings[3] Pro’s AI Energy Mode[4] can automatically adjust compatible connected devices based on real-time conditions, electricity rates and comfort levels. Together they can help make an older property more responsive and efficient.

AI-enabled HVAC management: a route to potential energy savings

Because cooling often carries the heaviest energy load in commercial buildings, it is a logical place to look for potential efficiency gains.

Preserving heritage, upgrading comfort: how the Bali Beach Hotel Sanur retrofitted Samsung’s DVM solution across lobbies, spa rooms and fitness centres

Keen to balance historical preservation with guest comfort, the Bali Beach Hotel Sanur turned to Samsung’s DVM solution for space-tailored cooling — where temperatures are tuned to different environments like lobbies, spa rooms and fitness centres — paired with energy-saving technology and integrated B2B controls. With customisable systems and end-to-end support from consultation through to maintenance, the hotel was modernised.

Where the DVM S2 goes further is efficiency. The system can adapt its operation to a building’s recent usage patterns to help maintain the target conditions each space requires, which in internal testing reduced compressor energy usage by up to 15%.[5] Beyond hotels, a Bangkok office tower or a Sydney shopping centre may also see efficiency gains, depending on installation and operating conditions.

The rise of buildings that adapt how they are used

Historically, a retrofit was typically a single intervention whose performance could decline gradually as conditions changed. Intelligent systems can change that: the system can continue to adapt after installation is complete. The DVM S2 continuously detects indoor conditions and responds in real time, while SmartThings Pro’s AI Energy Mode5 can take into account conditions such as occupancy, weather and electricity tariffs when adjusting how hard each unit works.

The intended outcome is a building that adapts to how it is actually used — easing demand on unoccupied floors, and shifting load away from peak-tariff periods. These features are designed to help maintain over time.

How connected ecosystems reduce operating and maintenance costs

Savings may also be found in service calls that become unnecessary.

Since the DVM S2 and SmartThings Pro operate on a single connected platform, a facilities team can oversee an entire estate from one dashboard: viewing real-time energy analytics, performance trends and early warnings that surface before a fault escalates into a failure.

Predictive maintenance and remote diagnostics may help identify a struggling compressor or a refrigerant leak, supporting earlier intervention.

For owners running portfolios spread across cities, multi-site monitoring consolidates a dispersed estate into a single coherent view — this may help reduce emergency repairs and downtime, and support a maintenance program guided by real-time condition data rather than fixed intervals.

This connected ecosystem approach is being incorporated into new developments like Grantz Forest Park, a mixed-use project led by Samsung’s B2B Integrated Offering Center. The development is planned for Cebu, the Philippines, where residential facility managers will be able to remotely check in on the status of facilities through SmartThings Pro, while the Samsung Building Integrated Solution ‘b.IoT’ will enable control and management of HVAC, lighting, and power facilities to enhance building energy efficiency.

The path forward runs through buildings we already have

It’s tempting to treat new construction as the only real form of progress. But in Southeast Asia and Oceania, where HVAC systems consume significant volumes of energy and thousands of buildings already stand, the bigger opportunity isn’t in what gets built next — it’s in upgrading what’s already there.

For building owners across Southeast Asia and Oceania, the question shifts from whether to modernise, to how they can retrofit existing structures. With AI-powered HVAC solutions from Samsung, the region’s offices, hotel buildings, mixed-used developments and more, can take advantage of to the benefits offered by efficient and intelligent HVAC systems.

Frequently Asked Questions

[1] Over 10 different types of indoor units, ranging from 5,000 to 96,000 Btu/h.

[2] https://www.iea.org/reports/the-future-of-cooling-in-southeast-asia

[3] Available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. For a list of compatible connected devices, visit https://www.samsung.com/au/smartthings/.

[4] AI Energy Mode can be activated through Smart Things app while using a Auto mode. A Wi-Fi connection, Smart Things App and Samsung account are required. Smart Things App Stores user data, preferences and usage patterns in Samsung AI Cloud to suggest most useful options.

[5] Based on internal testing with an AM080AXVGGH/EU outdoor unit connected to AM083NN4DBH1 and AM145NN4DBH1 indoor units with 25m of piping, using the cooling operation in Auto mode for 4 hours, with an external temperature of 30°C of and a set temperature of 22°C. Results may vary depending on the actual installation and usage conditions, such as the piping length, elevation and external temperature.