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Category: News
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On butterfly wings: new nanofilms reflect light
Researchers from Shenzhen University in China have created a new nanofilm inspired by the structures in butterfly wings that could significantly reduce the energy needed for cooling buildings or vehicles. In a recent paper published in Science Daily, researchers explained how the new films avoid the heating effect usually experienced by coloured objects absorbing light on […]
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Winners are grinners at WorldSkills Nationals
The WorldSkills Australia National Championships were held in Melbourne over the weekend, with 470 competitors from around Australia vying for medals in different areas of vocational education and training (VET). The aim of the event is to get young Australians excited about skills and trades and growing Australia’s skills culture. It’s also about building the […]
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CO2 scholarship program open for applications
The Kirby Apprentice Fund has opened applications for the CO2 Training Scholarship program to fourth-year HVAC&R industry apprentices. The scholarship includes a two-day CO2 systems training experience, including: CO2 safety and CO2 repair and service systems training (held at the Sydney-based Beijer Ref Training Academy) Australian Refrigeration Council Green Scheme Accreditation, upon successful completion of […]
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Engineers Australia embarks on European tour
Engineers Australia’s CEO Romilly Madew and Board Chair Nick Fleming are travelling to Europe in August and September with the goal of strengthening international relations. The pair will begin the tour in Denmark, then travel on to London and Dublin. The purpose of the trip is to strengthen their post-COVID relationships and connect with overseas […]
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Students design a sustainable future
ASHRAE has announced the winners of the 2023 Student Design Competition and the Setty Family Foundation Applied Engineering Challenge. Students were challenged to design the HVAC system for a laboratory facility located in Cairo, Egypt, for the 2023 Student Design Competition. This consisted of a large single-story building with a rooftop penthouse equalling about 2,515m2. The teams were […]
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High hopes for freeze ray technology
An unusual discovery by a University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Science professor is being developed as an on-demand cooling solution for high-flying military electronics. Mechanical and aerospace engineering professor Patrick Hopkins wants to create on-demand surface cooling for electronics inside spacecraft and high-altitude jets because “a lot of electronics on board heat […]
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States move ahead on road to registration
It may have taken some time since the recommendations originally appeared at the top of the priority list in the 2018 Building Confidence report, but professional registration schemes are now spreading quickly across the country, and establishing new rules to lift standards in Australia’s building and construction industry. Practice Standard in New South Wales This […]
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Highlighting the ‘health’ in OH&S
Although the concept of occupational health and safety (OH&S) is enshrined in our laws and even our culture, how much of the focus is on immediate safety issues, rather than health and wellbeing? This question is at the heart of a new book by Helen Lingard and Michelle Turner, both professors at The Centre for […]
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Supermarkets hold the key to a cool future
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is working with Enel X to launch “Unlocking Flexible Demand in the Commercial Refrigeration Sector”, a program that will assist with integrating renewable energy sources into electricity networks. ARENA has granted Enel X $3.7 million in funding to demonstrate how the flexible demand systems can work in the commercial […]
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Getting warmer on solid-state heat pumps
Scientists at Germany’s Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) have made a breakthrough in refrigerant-free heating and cooling technology: a circuit topology for voltage converters with an electrical efficiency of 99.74 per cent. According to the AIF, the technology could considerably raise the coefficient of performance for electrocaloric heat pumps and the scientists […]
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EIA launches “What the F” campaign
The Environmental Investigation Authority (EIA) has launched a new campaign to educate consumers about the impact of fluorinated gases on the environment. “EIA’s Climate campaign has long advocated tackling the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of climate-warming emissions, specifically the phasing out or down of fluorinated gases, or F-gases,” says the EIA. “These are a range of greenhouse […]
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ACT seeks input on electrification plan
The ACT government is seeking input on its Integrated Energy Plan to guide the energy transition away from gas to renewable energy. “The ACT continues to lead the world in taking action on climate change,” says the ACT government. “We are set to become the first Australian jurisdiction to be powered exclusively by renewable energy, […]
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Government survey on pair coil issues
The Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) is conducting a survey to investigate issues with pair coil. There have been reports of ant nesting and corrosion problems with pair coils, resulting in the leaking of refrigerant. DCCEEW notes that under consumer guarantee law this issue could be costing businesses time and […]
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Daikin opens cutting-edge facility in Brisbane
Daikin Australia has officially opened Daikin Park Brisbane, a cutting-edge centre located in Murarrie, Queensland. The park encompasses a range of features and initiatives aimed at optimising logistics, promoting sustainability, and enhancing customer experience. “The centrepiece is the implementation of the Manhattan Warehouse Management System, providing a comprehensive logistics solution for efficient fulfillment and dispatch […]
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Unlocking educational potential in Northern Australia
Charles Darwin University’s new trades training facility is ready for development, with tender applications for construction now being assessed. The new teaching and training facilities to be built at Charles Darwin University (CDU) will aim to unlock education potential across Northern Australia, preparing for a future where the dual-sector university will reinvigorate industry growth in […]
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Momentum building on IAQ
The push for improving indoor air quality in Australia appears to be gaining traction. At recent industry conferences, within large Australian research projects, and this week at a roundtable event at Parliament House, leaders from a wide range of sectors are joining forces to advocate for action. At AIRAH’s recent IAQ Conference held over two […]
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Vale Klaas Visser
Refrigeration pioneer Klaas Visser, L.AIRAH, has passed away at the age of 83. A passionate advocate for natural refrigerant systems, particularly CO2 and ammonia, Visser worked extensively in the food industry, and was internationally renowned for his contribution to developing large-scale automatic plate freezers. Transforming the meat industry Born and educated in the Netherlands, Visser […]
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July 2023 hottest month in recorded history
July is set to be the hottest July and hottest month ever recorded on Earth. According to data from the EU-funded Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), the first three weeks of July were the warmest three-week period on record since record-keeping began in 1880. And analysis from the Leipzig University determined that July 2023 will be 0.2°C […]
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Researchers develop low-cost heat flow sensor
Researchers from the University of Tokyo have found a way to monitor the flow of heat in electronic or mechanical devices and improve their efficiency using embedded sensors. University of Tokyo, Department of Physics Project Associate Professor Tomoya Higo and Professor Satoru Nakatsuji, worked with their team of researchers and a corporate partnership to track […]
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Grid-interactive buildings on the road to net zero
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has launched its first report on grid-interactive buildings, highlighting how these can help achieve a zero-carbon future. Grid-interactive buildings are designed to use electricity in a smart and efficient way, shifting energy usage to times when it’s both cheaper and cleaner, helping to generate clean energy and reduce […]