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Category: News
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Michael Riese joins AIRAH board
Following a vote at the Institute’s annual Convention, Dr Michael Riese, M.AIRAH, has officially joined AIRAH’s national board. Originally from Germany and now based in Adelaide, Riese works for industrial and commercial refrigeration specialist Cold Logic, where he leads the Defence Division and is also responsible for Cold Logic’s R&D effort. AIRAH President Paul Jackson, […]
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World-first thermal energy storage gigafactory
Israel-based thermal energy storage firm Brenmiller Energy claims it has created a world-first gigafactory, targeting 4GWh of annual production capacity by the end of 2023. In early May, Brenmiller Energy announced the opening of its thermal energy storage gigafactory in Dimona, Israel, saying the gigafactory will be its primary manufacturing hub. The company expects production […]
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ASHRAE releases draft pathogen mitigation standard
ASHRAE has announced the completion of the first draft of its standard for maintaining healthy indoor air quality (IAQ), with final approval expected in June and publishing anticipated in July. ASHRAE Standard 241P, Control of Infectious Aerosols provides minimum requirements for HVAC-related measures to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19, influenza, and other airborne […]
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National Skills Agreement to lift VET completion rates
Boosting VET completion rates will be one of the key elements in a new National Skills Agreement, according to the Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor. O’Connor says that, together with other state and territory ministers, he will be looking at “myriad ways we can improve the completion rates”. “It’s going to be subject […]
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Budget offers launchpad, now we must aim high, says AIRAH
AIRAH has applauded the Australian 2023–24 Federal Budget and its strong investment in a net zero future. It also notes that success will require ambition, as well as continued cooperation between government and industry. AIRAH CEO Trish Hyde says the federal government has wisely combined short-term relief with investments that will bring energy bills down […]
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Cloudy with a chance of data errors
Industry stakeholders have highlighted issues with widely used weather and climate datasets that they say can cause significant errors for building energy modellers. Since August 2021, the CSIRO has distributed free weather and climate datasets for use by building energy modellers for estimating HVAC energy demand and consumption, as well as moisture management under typical […]
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New approaches to addressing hidden energy poverty
As energy prices rise and temperatures drop, RMIT researchers note that one in four Australian households are struggling to pay their power bills. Despite this, many are missing out on welfare benefits because their circumstances do not fit within assistance programs, a phenomenon known as “hidden energy poverty”. A new study, published in Energy Research […]
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Humidity may increase heat risk in urban climates
Researchers at Yale University have found that heat stress in urban areas is dependent on local climate, and that a humidifying effect can erase the cooling benefits that would come from trees and vegetation. According to the researchers, as temperatures across the globe reach record-level highs, it follows that urban areas are also facing increased […]
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All systems go for NCC 2022
As of May 1, 2023, NCC 2022 has officially been adopted by the states and territories. The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) says this marks one of the biggest changes to an edition of the National Construction Code (NCC) since the Building Codes of Australia and the Plumbing Code of Australia were combined in 2011. […]
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Social media provides data on heat-vulnerable regions
New research into social media data at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, has provided insight into what motivates people to buy air conditioners worldwide. With temperatures rising around the world, more and more people globally regard air conditioning as an essential part of living. But AC units are also likely to increase energy consumption. […]
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World ‘gravely impacted by extreme weather and climate events’
According to the annual report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), climate change continued to advance at a tremendous and impactful clip in 2022. The WMO says droughts, floods and heatwaves affected communities on every continent and cost many billions of dollars. Antarctic sea ice fell to its lowest extent on record, and there was […]
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ARBS Foundation marks milestone in support for HVAC&R
The ARBS Foundation – the foundation for industry education and research – is celebrating nearly a decade of support for the HVAC&R industry. Now in its ninth year, the foundation has made significant contributions to the air conditioning, refrigeration, and building services industry through grants for various projects and initiatives. ARBS Executive Officer David Eynon […]
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Buildings the key to Australia’s net zero target
A new joint report by the Property Council of Australia and the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) sets out a suite of property-focused policy recommendations to help Australia achieve its decarbonisation goals. Every Building Counts 2.0 is a revision of the roadmap originally launched in 2019, and updates the original eight key policy recommendations […]
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CFCs on the rise again?
A new study has found increased emissions of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), despite their production being banned under the Montreal Protocol. The researchers say the most likely cause is a “loophole” that allows the creation of CFCs during the production of other chemicals, including common synthetic refrigerants. The research, published in Nature Geoscience and led by the […]
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Carrier acquires Viessmann Climate Solutions for $20 billion
Carrier Global Corporation will acquire Viessmann Climate Solutions, the largest segment of the German HVAC&R manufacturer the Viessmann Group, in a cash and stock transaction valued at AUD$20 billion, subject to working capital and other adjustments. “A privately held company with a 106-year legacy of innovation, Viessmann Climate Solutions provides Carrier with an iconic, premium […]
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Clean Air Accelerator seeks IAQ innovators
A new accelerator focused on clean air technologies is seeking 10 startups to receive mentoring and guidance from experienced startup founders and investors, and deep domain input from scientific and industry experts. The Clean Air Accelerator is a not-for-profit initiative that will support the development and implementation of technologies that can “provide clean air to […]
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Magnetic cooling technology attracts major funding
A magnetic cooling startup company in Darmstadt, Germany, has attracted the equivalent of more than $AU10 million in funding to begin mass production of its beverage refrigerators, which are cooled by a temperature-active metal. The company, MagnoTherm Solutions, was established in 2019 by a team of specialists in the field of permanent magnets and magnetic […]
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Demographic data shows workforce in its prime, says ARC
Australia’s HVAC&R workforce may not be as old as previously believed, with new figures released by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) showing that the dominant age group for refrigerant handling licence (RHL) holders is 30–39 years old. ARC CEO Glenn Evans says the figures challenge the concept of an ageing workforce, since more than half […]
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Spray cooling to lower carbon footprint for data centres
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) researchers in Singapore say they have developed a more sustainable and green method for cooling down servers in data centres, potentially reducing both energy costs and carbon footprint by up to 26 per cent. Data centres in Singapore currently account for 7 per cent of the nation’s total electricity consumption. With […]
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SPI index reveals top sustainability performers
NABERS has released its Sustainable Portfolios Index for 2023, showing an increase in participation and high levels of performance. Now in its fifth year, the index was developed as a benchmarking tool to allow portfolios to compare their overall sustainability performance with their competitors. According to NABERS, the SPI offers the only publicly available, whole-of-portfolio […]