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Category: News
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ARC activates fully online licence applications
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has now activated a completely online licence application process. ARC chief executive officer Glenn Evans says the system has been built around improving convenience for applicants, enabling them to upload qualifications and photographs and then finalise payment by credit card online. “The system puts control of an application or renewal […]
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Coconut and lemon composite to heat and cool homes
Researchers in Stockholm, Sweden have developed an eco-friendly material that they say can be used to cool and even heat homes. The team of researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology – Sweden’s largest technical university – used coconuts, lemons, and modified wood, to create a “wood composite thermal battery.” According to the research […]
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Greater visibility coming for gender pay gap
A major step towards addressing the gender pay gap has been taken with the passing of the Workplace Gender Equality Amendment (Closing the Gender Pay Gap) Bill 2023 in federal parliament. From 2024, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) will publish gender pay gaps by employer, in addition to publishing the gender pay gap at […]
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Engineering essential for improving indoor air
Improving indoor air quality was the focus of a recent full-day event at Parliament House in Canberra that brought together leaders from public health, engineering, architecture, law, economics and politics to discuss the state of play and the way forward. The Clean Air Forum was opened by Australia’s Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly, who […]
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New tool tracks global contributions to climate change
University of East Anglia (UEA) researchers in the UK have published findings that show how countries have contributed to global warming through their emissions of key greenhouse gases since 1850. The work builds on published records of historical emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrous oxide (N2O) – gases that have made significant […]
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Professional Engineers Act 2023 passed in the ACT
The Professional Engineers Act 2023 has been passed in the ACT Legislative Assembly. This brings the ACT into line with other states that are rolling out professional registration regimes, or that already have them in place, including Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. In Queensland, practising engineers have been required to be registered since 2002. […]
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Cambodia sets example for climate action in cooling
Cambodia, with support from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), has launched its first national strategic plan on cooling for a greener, cleaner and low-carbon future. “Sustainable approaches to cooling are critical to tackle climate change,” says UNEP. “Such approaches reduce […]
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Europe commits to ambitious HFC phase-down
The EU Parliament has voted to accept revisions to the F-gas regulation that will result in a steeper phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) on the EU market from 2039 onwards, with a full HFC production and consumption phase-out by 2050. This aligns with the EU’s 2050 climate neutrality goal. “To stimulate the uptake of climate-friendly solutions […]
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Scientists back hydrocarbon heat pumps
As the debate over the revisions to the F-gas regulation rumbles on, a group of more than 40 scientists from 24 different universities and research institutes in Europe have signed a position paper supporting the use of hydrocarbons as refrigerants in heat pumps. The researchers argue that hydrocarbons such as propane and isobutane are just […]
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Phase-change inks to revolutionise cooling and heating
A team of researchers from the University of Melbourne has developed new phase-change inks that could slash energy use in buildings through passive heating and cooling. According to the research team, the inks can adjust the amount of radiation that passes through them based on the surrounding environment, and could be used to develop coatings […]
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Electrification paving path towards decarbonisation
As building owners and businesses seek to reduce emissions, there is a growing requirement to convert buildings to be fully electric in order to decarbonise. At least that’s the case according to the latest Advisory Note from integrated building technical services provider A.G. Coombs. The note explores reasons for electrification, traditional fuels used in buildings, […]
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GBCA puts focus on nature and biodiversity
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has released the first step towards developing a roadmap for building with nature that can be adopted by industry. Building with Nature 2.0 consolidates the latest science and global trends, research, policies, and views from industry, and will be used to inform the nature roadmap which will be […]
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Sustainable cooling could save thousands of lives
A collaborative study by the International Energy Agency (IEA) and Yale University has found that it is possible to provide affordable cooling to an ever-growing population and also avoid increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Keeping people cool can save tens of thousands of lives each year, the report says. Those without access to indoor […]
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Scientists issue ‘final warning’ on climate crisis
As rising greenhouse gas emissions force the world to the brink of irreversible damage, scientists have delivered a “final warning” on the climate crisis. The message was issued by a panel of the world’s leading climate scientists in the final part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) sixth assessment report. According to the […]
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Yellowstone pool provides insights into hydrothermal systems
A small pool just north of Yellowstone National Park’s famous Old Faithful geyser is helping University of Utah researchers to gain new understandings of the fluctuations of energy in the park’s extensive hydrothermal system. Doublet Pool is a pair of hydrothermal pools connected by a small neck, situated on Geyser Hill in Yellowstone National Park. […]
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NT mentoring program for women in trades
Charles Darwin University (CDU) has marked International Women’s Day 2023 by announcing the launch of a new Women in Trades mentoring program. The program connects young women commencing their apprenticeships with women working in the NT trades sector. CDU Careers Centre has partnered with the NT chapter of the National Association of Women in Construction […]
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ARBS celebrates the past – and looks to a bright future
Approaching its 10-year milestone, the ARBS Foundation is looking back at the work it has done to support Australia’s HVAC&R industry through $400,000 worth of grants. In 2014, ARBS Exhibitions Limited created the ARBS Foundation to support the HVAC&R industry. The goal was to promote education and research in the industry, solicit donations to help […]
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The EU phase-down plan – brave or foolhardy?
At the end of February, the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI) agreed to major amendments to the F-gas regulation – the EU legislation that controls emissions from fluorinated greenhouse gases. If the changes are confirmed by the European Parliament, it will effectively see a phase-out of HFC refrigerants […]
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A sustainable solution to the engineering skills shortage
Inspiring a stronger connection with engineering among current and future engineers is the key to permanently solving the skills shortage, according to new research published by Dr Maryam Raji at the University of Melbourne. The skills shortage has in recent years become perhaps the biggest issue facing the building and construction sector, and that is […]
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Can growing crops at solar farms boost panel performance?
According to new research from Cornell University, growing commercial agricultural crops on solar farms can both increase commercial food production and improve solar panel performance and longevity. The research was published in the journal Applied Energy. “We now have, for the first time, a physics-based tool to estimate the costs and benefits of co-locating solar […]