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Author: Mark Vender
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Regulation update for RAC industry
Changes have been made to the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act that will affect the refrigeration and air conditioning industry. The act – Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Amendment (Methyl Bromide, Fire Protection and Other Measures) Regulations 2018 – commenced on December 12. The new regulations update references to Australian Standards relevant to the […]
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Wilson Industries launches Hydralux
After two years of development with an overseas partner, Wilson Hot Water has released a new imported thermal storage vessel called Hydralux Thermal Storage into the Australian market. “Standout quality at an understated price,” says the company, “Hydralux offers high-quality, high-performance thermal storage with Australian electrical and watermark approvals. “Our vessels are manufactured from Duplex […]
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A Peek “Under the Hood” of the new High Precision CRAC
To a visitor who walks into a data centre only once every five years, the computer room air conditioner (CRAC) units that line the perimeter may look remarkably the same as they did five or even 10 years ago. It’s like an imaginary alien who comes to visit earth in 1957 and sees a Mercedes-Benz […]
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Industry demands energy efficient homes
More than 30 consumer, social sector, industry, environment and local government organisations have signed a joint statement urging COAG Energy Council to commit to action to raise the energy performance of all Australian homes at its December meeting. At the meeting, COAG EC will consider the recommendations of the Department of Environment & Energy’s Trajectory […]
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Fujitsu General acquires Precise Air Group
Fujitsu General Australia has announced the acquisition by parent company Fujitsu General Limited of Precise Air Group (Holding) Pty Limited (PAG), a leading Australian provider of HVAC, fire and bundled maintenance services. The move signals Fujitsu’s intention to expand its business from home air conditioning – where it is currently a market leader in Australia […]
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Michael Bennett becomes new ARC chair
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has appointed Michael Bennett as its new chairman. He replaces outgoing chairman Kevin O’Shea, who stepped down from the role after reaching the term limit under the ARC’s constitution. Bennett is moving from his long-held role as General Manager at Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA). Since RRA’s commencement in 1993, he […]
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Boost for bush apprentices
The federal government will invest $60m to trial a wage subsidy as an incentive for employers in regional and rural communities to engage more apprentices. The Apprentice Wage Subsidy will see up to 1,630 new Australian apprentices in areas of skills needs – including refrigeration and air conditioning. The scheme is open to employers who […]
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Focus on flammable refrigerants
The HFC phase-down has seen increasing use of refrigerants with lower GWP but higher flammability such as R290 (propane) and R32. In turn, this has raised major concerns about the safe use of these gases. According to the Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA), recent workplace fire incidents involving flammable refrigerant gases have “directly contributed […]
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BBP calls to expand the band
The Better Building Partnership (BBP) has launched the Expand the Band campaign to revise outdated set-points and deadband temperatures in Australian office buildings. The campaign offers building owners a simple and extremely low-cost way of reducing energy costs and emissions. Currently, most commercial leases specify a set-point temperature of 22°C. This is based on 1950s […]
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Aussies score silver in Solar Decathlon
Team Desert Rose from the University of Wollongong has finished second in the Solar Decathlon Middle East. The competition saw 15 teams and 600 students from around the world battling for top honours at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, said to be the largest single-site solar project in the world. The challenge […]
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Daikin acquires major refrigeration business
Daikin has confirmed plans to purchase AHT Cooling Systems – a European manufacturer of plug-in refrigerator and freezer systems – for €881m (Au$1.38bn). AHT has its headquarters in Austria, as well as major facilities in China, the US and Brazil. It sells its products to 115 countries worldwide, and boasts a client list that includes […]
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Sydney Fish Market casts $250m green line
The Sydney Fish Market has announced plans for a $250m development with ambitions to achieve a 5 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA). Located in close proximity to the CBD at the head of Blackwattle Bay, the renowned market and tourist attraction hopes to revitalise the area while prioritising […]
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Conex Bänninger strengthens local presence
Conex Bänninger has appointed Nick Ryan, Affil.AIRAH, as Specification Manager for Australia and the South Pacific. Ryan has extensive experience within the HVAC&R sector, having worked for Conex Bänninger’s partner, the Reece Group, where he held positions in field marketing supporting key brands, business development and branch management. “I’m delighted to be joining the Australia […]
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Mandatory disclosure for tenants
A new report produced by Energy Action and EnergyConsult for the City of Sydney has highlighted the benefits of expanding the Commercial Building Disclosure (CBD) program to include tenancies. The CBD program is a national initiative that requires energy efficiency information to be provided when commercial office spaces of 1,000m2 or more are sold or […]
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Smart Buildings Summit
The Smart Buildings Summit is being held in Sydney from November 28–30. The event will examine smart buildings from the developer, tenant and user perspectives. More than 30 speakers will explore the latest trends, strategies and technologies that are transforming the use of space and workplace productivity. Developers will also discuss their latest smart building […]
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AIRAH launches HVAC&R podcast
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has released the first episode of a new podcast that will explore key issues in HVAC&R and the built environment, and their impact on the wider world. AIRAH on Air is a monthly podcast hosted by regular Climactic podcaster Mark Spencer with commentary from industry […]
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Desert Rose: Open for inspection!
After a frantic 15-day build stage, the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018 competition has moved into its final stage, with competing teams opening their houses for public tours. The Solar Decathlon is the world’s largest international engineering and architectural competition for collegiate institutions, held once every two years. It challenges teams to design, construct and […]
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Mitsubishi Electric celebrates winning month
Mitsubishi Electric Australia has won four industry awards this month for outstanding products and service in 2018. The company’s refrigerators won the Canstar Blue 2018 Award for Customer Satisfaction. These awards commission market research companies to survey Australians on their experiences with products and services. Shoppers rate their satisfaction levels with particular brands, allowing Canstar to select winners in each […]
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AIRAH Award winners announced
The stand-out projects, people and products of the Australian HVAC&R industry took centre stage at the black-tie AIRAH Awards presentation dinner held at Melbourne’s Central Pier on Thursday, November 15. Recognised as Australia’s premier annual HVAC&R awards ceremony, the AIRAH Awards celebrate the industry’s exemplar projects, high achievers and ground-breaking research. Winners were announced across […]
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NT developing climate change strategy
The Northern Territory government has released a discussion paper titled Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Opportunities in the Northern Territory. As part of an eight-week public consultation process, targeted stakeholder consultations are taking place across the Northern Territory in the form of sectoral and bilateral meetings. The objectives of the stakeholder meetings are to reignite […]