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Category: News
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Property Council chief to step down
The Property Council of Australia has announced that Chief Executive Ken Morrison will leave the organisation in December after eight years in the role to pursue other career opportunities. Morrison has served as Chief Executive of the Property Council of Australia since 2014. He has spent a collective 25 years in the organisation, having previously […]
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Safe Work Month in October
October is National Safe Work Month, when Safe Work Australia (SWA) invites business owners, employers, and workers nationwide to commit to building safe and healthy workplaces. SWA preliminary data shows that around 163 people died while doing their job in the past year. And approximately 120,300 people made a workers’ compensation claim for serious injury […]
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Finalists named for AIRAH Awards 2022
AIRAH has named the finalists for the AIRAH Awards 2022. The AIRAH Awards celebrate the leading projects, people and products driving Australia towards a sustainable future. “Over the past few years we’ve seen how the COVID pandemic has shifted attention to the importance of the HVAC&R industry to Australia’s health, comfort and productivity,” says AIRAH […]
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Decarbonisation promise of district heating and cooling
District heating and cooling (DHC) was the focus of a full-day event held recently in Melbourne, which explored the potential of this technology. DHC systems are local energy networks provide heating and cooling to buildings in a district. They do this by supplying hot water or steam for heating systems, and chilled water for air […]
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Australia’s first all-electric aquatic centre opens its doors
The opening of the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs has been celebrated as Australia’s first all-electric, renewable energy aquatic centre. Located in Keilor Downs, the $60 million facility aims to provide an energy-efficient blueprint to councils across Australia. According to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), leisure centres are among the most […]
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Hydrogen not the future for home heating
A review of independent studies on the use of hydrogen for heating has delivered a damning verdict for the idea that we may one day replace our existing gas network with a hydrogen network. The evidence review, undertaken by energy influencer Dr Jan Rosenow, looked at 32 independent studies. These were conducted at international, regional, […]
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Research reveals huge health benefits of humble retrofits
A comprehensive study conducted through the Victorian Healthy Homes Program has measured the impact of an energy efficiency and thermal comfort home upgrade on temperature, energy use, health and quality of life. It found that for every dollar saved in energy, more than $10 is saved in health. Over three years (2018–20), Sustainability Victoria oversaw […]
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NCC 2022 now available online
The 2022 version of the National Construction Code (NCC) is now available online. The major changes are the lifting of the minimum energy efficiency requirements for new homes from 6 to 7 NatHERS stars, and a new annual energy-use budget applicable to major appliances such as space conditioning, hot water, lighting, pool and spa pumps, […]
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National campaign to promote careers in HVAC&R
A new campaign promoting careers in HVAC&R is being rolled out by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC), targeting students at almost 3,000 secondary schools across Australia. Each school’s careers adviser will receive a package explaining the careers the HVAC&R industry can offer, and how students can make a difference. ARC chairman Michael Bennett says the […]
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New guide to electrifying existing buildings
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has released A Practical Guide to Electrification for Existing Buildings. Developed in partnership with Cundall and with funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and NSW government, the guide provides a step-by-step outline of how to retrofit an existing building to be all-electric. It covers the types […]
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GJ Walker announces new industrial fan division
GJ Walker Air Handling Systems has announced its new industrial fan division, Walker Industrial Systems (WIS), as part of the company’s new focus on the industrial ventilation market. The GJ Walker Group says WIS will add a range of industrial fans and blowers to its portfolio of products, bringing a new market with different ventilation […]
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US commits to HFC phase-down
The US Senate has ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, joining the 137 other countries that have already ratified the treaty. The Kigali Amendment calls for a gradual reduction in the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gases. Many of these are used as refrigerants in HVAC&R systems. “The […]
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Launch event: NABERS for Warehouses and Cold Stores
NABERS is launching a new energy rating tool, NABERS Energy for Warehouses and Cold Stores. The ratings tool was developed with input from organisations involved in the industrial and supply chain economy. NABERS consulted with providers, peak bodies and experienced consultants, gathering data from more than 150 facilities. NABERS says its expansion into warehouses and cold stores […]
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Sweeping building reforms on the way in NSW
The NSW government is seeking industry and community input on proposed changes to building sector laws, as well as specific changes to compliance and fire-safety laws. The government says these changes are aimed at better protecting consumers and supporting businesses and workers, to improve confidence in the NSW building and construction industry. Compliance and fire […]
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The world’s largest cooling project?
New research suggests that refreezing the Earth’s poles by reducing incoming sunlight would be a feasible and cheap approach to addressing melting ice and rising sea levels. In what might be the world’s largest cooling effort, scientists proposed spraying microscopic aerosol particles into the atmosphere above the poles via high-flying jets. According to new research […]
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The gamechangers to boost Australia’s race to zero
The Climate Council has named 10 actions Australian governments can immediately begin to fast-track emissions reductions, tackle the energy and cost-of-living crises, and create new jobs. The Power Up: 10 Climate Gamechangers report is designed to provide a roadmap for the federal government to speed up its climate action in the 2020s, to ensure Australia […]
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IBM pushes limits of low-temperature refrigeration
As part of its ongoing work in quantum computing, IBM has built the world’s largest dilution refrigerator. Dubbed Project Goldeneye, the super-fridge contains 1.7m3 of experimental volume and uses two helium isotopes to run at -273.15°C – about a hundredth of a degree above absolute zero. Quantum computing is an emerging technology that harnesses the […]
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NSW heeds calls to defer licence deadline
After an intense series of meetings with stakeholders from the HVAC&R industry, the NSW government is set to push the implementation of the new mechanical services licence back from October 1, 2022, to March 1, 2023. The exception to this will be the medical gas licence, which will go ahead as planned at the end […]
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Beijer Ref continues Australian expansion
Beijer Ref has signed an agreement to acquire 51 per cent of the shares in the Australian wholesaler AAD (Australian Airconditioning Distributors) and Australian HVAC&R solution and service provider HVAC Consolidated, with the option to acquire the remaining shares. According to Beijer Ref, during the 2021/22 financial year, AAD and HVAC Consolidated had a combined […]
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Celebrating milestones on World Ozone Day
World Ozone Day is being celebrated on September 16 with the theme “global cooperation protecting life on Earth”, in recognition of the 35th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. On September 16, 1987, governments adopted the Montreal Protocol to control and reduce ozone-depleting substances, mainly chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and halons. […]