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Category: News
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Promising signs for electrocaloric heat pump
Scientists have created a prototype of a heat pump from a ceramic with a strong electrocaloric effect. It uses the ceramic and electric fields to heat up when exposed to electric fields – and has the potential to replace a standard heat pump, which uses refrigerants. The team, from the Luxembourg Institute of Science and […]
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RMIT awards recognise VE excellence
On Thursday, November 23, RMIT held its Vocational Education Student Awards at the Capitol Theatre in Melbourne. The awards ceremony was the first of its kind, bringing together students from all streams of VE to celebrate the institute’s highest achievers in 2023. Deputy Vice Chancellor of Vocational Education and Vice President of RMIT University Mish […]
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Industry leaders celebrated at gala dinner
The winners of the AIRAH Awards 2023 were announced at a glittering gala dinner held on Thursday, November 30 in Sydney. More than 250 members of Australia’s HVAC&R community gathered on AIRAH’s night of nights to recognise the outstanding achievements of individuals and companies within the sector. The annual awards gala is one of the […]
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Peak bodies bring decarbonising message to COP28
A group of 18 peak bodies from the HVAC&R and sustainable construction industries around the world has written an open letter to government representatives attending the COP28 summit in Dubai from November 30 to December 12. The letter urges governments to consider the significant carbon impact of the global building industry and the need to […]
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AIRAH names Sami Zheng as new CEO
After a thorough executive search, Sami Zheng has been appointed to the position of AIRAHChief Executive Officer. Having joined the Institute seven years ago to work in finance, Zheng has most recently served as Chief Operating Officer. AIRAH President Paul Jackson, F.AIRAH, says that in her seven years with AIRAH, Zheng has shown all the […]
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The Passivhaus Playbook
The Australian Passivhaus Association has released an industry resource titled The Passivhaus Playbook that covers all things Passivhaus. Created in collaboration with Development Victoria and Introba, the Playbook started as a project to develop a practical approach to designing a Passivhaus project. CEO of the Australian Passivhaus Association, Alexia Lidas, says the successful delivery of a Passivhaus project […]
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Gender Equality Scorecard shows pay gap shrinking
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has released its annual update on the state of workplace gender equality, showing that although inequality remains pronounced, the pay gap is shrinking. The positive news from this year’s Gender Equality Scorecard is that the average total remuneration gender pay gap has dropped to 21.7 per cent in 2023, […]
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Need to know: key updates to AS 1668
One of the most important Australian Standards used by HVAC practitioners, AS 1668, is being reviewed. Brett Fairweather, M.AIRAH, from It’s Engineered takes us through the major changes and the key talking points in the drafts of AS 1668.2 and AS 1668.4, which are open for public comment until January 23, 2024. Why is an […]
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Cooling ceramic offers energy-efficiency breakthrough
A breakthrough in developing a passive radiative cooling (PRC) material has been announced by researchers at City University of Hong Kong, with findings published in Science. Known as cooling ceramic, the material has achieved high-performance optical properties for energy-free and refrigerant-free cooling generation. The researchers say its cost-effectiveness, durability and versatility make it suitable for […]
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Refrigeration helping elite athletes
The University of Melbourne has found a new use for one of its research refrigerators: helping to train a woman for an arctic marathon. Sia Kindberg is undertaking the 230km Ice Ultra Arctic marathon in February next year at Swedish Lapland, Sweden. Temperatures can drop to -40°C, and Kindberg will be expected to carry her […]
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Women in construction speak out
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has released the results from its Women in Construction Future Leaders Pilot scoping study. With assistance from the NSW government’s Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program (IIP) grant, ASBEC launched the pilot to create lasting change in the industry and promote gender diversity. It is also a part […]
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Industry collaborates to strengthen fire safety
A new course has become available for HVAC&R technicians maintaining or signing off mechanical services for Annual Fire Safety Statements.
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Public v private: the great trade training debate
November has been a busy month for skills training in Australia. The federal and Victorian governments combined to announce funding for up to 62,800 new fee-free TAFE positions in Victoria – with the construction industry highlighted as a major area of need. Meanwhile, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released a report suggesting […]
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New views of the engineering skills shortage
Engineers Australia has launched its latest statistical overview of the engineering profession in Australia, which it says sheds light on the concerning state of the engineering workforce. The report, now into its 15th iteration, is based on Australian census data and offers high-level insights about the engineering workforce. This edition covers the 2016-2021 census surveys […]
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A super-model for green technologies
A research team at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has developed a super-model to project how three green technologies will perform in Switzerland. As many countries aim for carbon neutrality by 2050 – including Switzerland – the need for projection tools is ever increasing, although many models have limitations. According to UNIGE, they can take […]
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Hunter prize for Adelaide refrigeration business
Australian business Cold Logic has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to construct and install cold and cool rooms for the first batch of three Hunter class frigates. The Adelaide-based refrigeration specialist will partner with UK company Ernest West & Beynon (EWB), leveraging EWB’s experience in supplying into the Type 26 program, the reference design for […]
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More work to do – ACIF reviews building reforms
The Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) has released a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Building Confidence Report recommendations. It finds that that although the states and territories have made progress towards implementing the recommendations, there is still work to be done. After the Building Confidence Report was released in 2018, federal, state and […]
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Cooling to take centre stage at COP28
A worldwide initiative to reduce cooling-related emissions is set to be launched at COP28, slated for November 30 to December 12 in Dubai. Known as the Global Cooling Pledge, the initiative represents the world’s first collective focus on reducing energy emissions from the cooling sector. It comes in response to growing access to and demand […]
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ASHRAE releases guide on grid interactivity
US engineering organisation ASHRAE has released a guide focusing on the essential role of grid interactivity in the decarbonisation process. The second in a series of guides developed by the ASHRAE Task Force For Building Decarbonization (TFBD), the Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization: Design and Operation Resource Guide is designed to provide information on maximising carbon […]
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Cooling streams to save fish
Researchers from Dalhousie University in Canada have been working on ways to artificially cool streams to save coldwater species of fish. As water temperatures rise, various species of fish have been impacted – scientists estimate 400,000 fish make the annual salmon run in Canada, whereas 50 years ago the numbers were about a million. The […]