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Category: Features
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The proof is in for biosolar roof innovation
Research has demonstrated that the first substantial installation of a biosolar roof in Australia at Bradfield City in Sydney’s West delivers improved energy generation while supporting biodiversity.
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Rebate programs – too complicated or just what the customer ordered?
Government schemes that offer rebates for the purchase of energy efficient residential cooling and heating equipment might at first glance seem like a free kick for HVAC suppliers and installers. However, for some, concerns around potential paperwork and admin have been taking the sweetness out of the deal.
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From panel van to boardroom – Noel Courtney’s awesome Airmaster adventure
It’s always a seismic shift when the founder of a business steps down from day-to-day operations. For Airmaster, the retirement of Noel Courtney, M.AIRAH, as CEO is part of yet another evolution of the company and its structure. It’s been quite a trajectory – a story of how three guys with panel vans went on to become one of Australia’s most innovative, award-winning HVAC&R service providers.
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Why Plandroid’s newest update isn’t adding AI (yet)
When Mike Garrett first launched specialist HVAC&R digital design and takeoff platform, Plandroid 18 years ago, many people didn’t think it was possible to simplify the process for system design, procurement and installation.
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Sustainable House Day series: The challenge of shared sustainability
On Sunday, May 17, 2026, AIRAH’s Advocacy and Policy Manager, Mark Vender, headed to Belvedere Gardens in Randwick (Gadigal), NSW for Sustainable House Day.
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Appropriate technology and the future of HVAC
What if the future we need doesn’t mean adding AI to common household equipment, but does need us to get smarter with cooling technology and energy management? The Scenarios for Future Living: Emerging technology innovation and development report examines how the promise of technology is likely to serve us in the coming decades.
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Global cooling market on the rise
In 2025, global demand for space cooling consumed more energy than the entire European Union, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). This is expected to continue growing, as rising heat sends demand for cooling equipment soaring.
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Sonia Holzheimer: role change, and reflecting on the HVAC&R profession
AIRAH Associate Director, Sonia Holzheimer, M.AIRAH, has moved into a new role as Partner at Queensland-based multidisciplinary engineering consultancy, STP Consultants.
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Ready, set, benchmark! NatHERS for existing homes now live.
Research has delivered abundant evidence that the energy and thermal comfort performance of much of Australia’s existing housing is woeful. Changing this starts now, with the full public release of NatHERS for existing homes. Here’s why it matters.
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Sustainable House Day series: Retrofitting the 70s
On Sunday, May 17, 2026, homeowners around Australia opened their doors to the public for Sustainable House Day. Some of the AIRAH team took the chance to have a peek at renovations, retrofits and new builds on display; each story will be showcased as part of a series on HVAC&R News.
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Whitepaper unpacks food retail energy efficiency
Refrigeration accounts for a major share of energy use in supermarkets, making HVAC&R a prime candidate for optimisation, as a new white paper from CAREL explains.
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Medal-winning trade skills
In a warm-up for the major WorldSkills International Competition in Shanghai in September, HVAC&R apprentices from six countries converged on Wollongong, with Australia’s Adam Morgan taking home a silver medal.
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Future-proofing the third space in Tokyo
Heat records are shattering around the world, including Japan, where Daikin is collaborating to trial new ways to keep outside areas safe and comfortable.
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It’s the festival of fridgies – AKA World Refrigeration Day
The annual World Refrigeration Day on June 26 is a chance to recognise the skills and contributions of professionals in the refrigeration, cooling and heating sectors. Here’s how AIRAH is celebrating the day.
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Global scheme helping laboratories reach net zero
The International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories (I2SL) aims to address a significant gap in resources for lab buildings by developing performance assessment, performance improvement, and professional accreditation tools specific to the energy-intensive laboratory sector.
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Call for mandated data centre energy and water efficiency
A new report from the Climate Council is calling for improved planning and policy to ensure improvements to energy efficiency and water efficiency in data centre developments.
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Heat warning issued for the world
The briefing: a selection of the latest research, reports and commentary mapping the escalating trajectory of climate change.
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Beyond bulky waste: Australia’s growing end-of-life appliance challenge
End-of-life household appliances are placing growing pressure on councils, industry and recovery systems as environmental risks, refrigerant management and disposal obligations become increasingly complex. General Manager of Refrigerant Reclaim Australia, Kylie Farrelley, reports on discussions at the Waste 2026 Conference.
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Portfolios scale up ambition in NABERS 2026 SPI
For eight years, the NABERS Sustainable Portfolios Index (SPI) has been creating a league table for property’s heavy hitters, showcasing progress across energy efficiency, decarbonisation, electrification, water, waste and Indoor Environment Quality (IEQ).
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CSIRO goes to the edge with CO2 cooling
Data centre developments often come under fire for their massive thirst, competing with communities, agriculture and nature for both groundwater and surface water supplies. CSIRO’s new data centre project in Queensland, however, is utilising advanced cooling solutions to conserve precious H2O.