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Category: News
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WorldSkills International Competition cancelled
The 46th WorldSkills International Competition scheduled to be held in Shanghai has been cancelled due to ongoing pandemic prevention and control restrictions in China. Scheduled for October 12–17, 2022, the competition was originally planned for 2021 and was postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic. “It is with deep disappointment that we announce the cancellation […]
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Australia joins global pact for energy efficiency
Amid the mounting power crises locally and globally, Australia has issued a joint statement with 25 other countries stressing the importance of energy efficiency for addressing energy supply issues, rising inflation, and greenhouse gas emissions. The statement was one of the major outcomes of the Global Conference on Energy Efficiency organised by the International Energy […]
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UNSW research underlines benefits of cool roofs
New research has confirmed the potential benefits of reflective material on buildings – and raised more questions about the NSW government’s change of heart on banning dark roofs. After conducting a technological and cost-benefit analysis across major Australian cities, the University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney team found that city-wide implementation of cool roofs […]
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New chair Tony Arnel appointed to ARBS board
Professor Tony Arnel has been appointed to chair the ARBS Exhibitions board, replacing Ian Hopkins. A professor at Deakin University, Arnel is a former president of the Energy Efficiency Council, Green Building Council of Australia and World Green Building Council. He was also the Victorian Building and Plumbing Industry Commissioner for 12 years. “I feel […]
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UNEP looks to the sea for a cool change in Egypt
The International Energy Agency states that cooling technology creates more than 7 per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. In Egypt during summer, approximately half of the country’s electricity goes towards air conditioning. Temperatures can hit 40°C and remain in the high thirties throughout the season, especially in cities experiencing the urban heat island […]
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Design competition aims for “true zero carbon”
Design Matters has launched a new design competition with ambitious sustainability goals: the True Zero Carbon Challenge. The aim of the competition is twofold. First, to design a home that produces more power than it uses over the year through energy-efficient design, careful appliance selection, and photovoltaic integration. Second, to consider and calculate embodied carbon […]
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ARC offers free A2/A2L refrigerant training resources
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has released a set of free A2/A2L refrigerant training resources for registered training organisations (RTOs). The resources, developed in partnership with Refrigerants Australia and selected TAFE colleges, build on the unit of competency for A2/A2L refrigerants that the ARC created in 2018. They have been designed to assist RTO teachers […]
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Government safeguard for construction industry
The Australian Financial Security Authority (AFSA) is promoting a financial safeguard that may be of interest to businesses in the building and construction industry, including HVAC&R: the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR). The PPSR is a public noticeboard of security interests in personal property, and provides a way for businesses to help get their invoices paid […]
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Mid-tier maladies – new research offers vital insights
HVAC maintenance in Australia’s mid-tier is the focus for a trio of reports just released through the Better Ways To Work project. The result of extensive surveys and deep-dive interviews with workers and stakeholders, the new publications shine a light on key issues in the sector. The project was led by researchers at University of […]
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New explosive gas atmospheres standard on the way
Industry is preparing for a new edition of AS/NZS 60079.10.1:2009, Classification of areas – Explosive gas atmospheres, due to appear later this year. AS/NZS 60079.10.1:2009 is a modified version of the IEC 60079-10-1 standard, published in 2008. Since then there have been two updates to the IEC standard, in 2015 and 2020. The Standards Australia […]
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The new insulation on the block
A report by researchers featured in Nano Letters has revealed a new type of lightweight foam could reduce energy costs by more than a third. Made from wood-based cellulose nanocrystals, the material is thermally insulating, can reflect sunlight and emits absorbed heat. The researchers connected the cellulose nanocrystals together with a silane bridge, before freezing and […]
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CO2 training shows an industry hungry for upskilling
Recent CO2 transcritical training carried out by CA Group with City Facilities Management (City FM) refrigeration mechanics at retail sites around the country has proved a success – and highlighted an appetite for upskilling in the trade. The training sessions took place at supermarkets supported by City FM in Victoria and South Australia, making use […]
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Applications open for small business ventilation program
The Victorian government is supporting public-facing small businesses to improve ventilation in areas accessible to customers, and thus reduce the spread of COVID-19. Applications are now open for the Small Business Ventilation Program, which provides $500 rebates and matched grants of up to $5,000 to support eligible small businesses’ investment in equipment, works and services […]
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Signs of Legionnaires’ disease outbreak in Sydney CBD
NSW Health is advising those who have been in the Sydney CBD area in the past 10 days to be on the lookout for symptoms of Legionnaires’ disease, and advising building owners to check their cooling towers. Five people who have developed the disease spent time in the area in the past three weeks. All […]
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Queensland calls for more trades to move to “paradise”
A multi-million dollar promotional blitz is under way in three states in an effort to lure more trades to Queensland to help with flood recovery efforts. The Tradies in Paradise campaign is being promoted across a range of targeted advertising platforms as well as to spectators at AFL games in South Australia, Western Australia and […]
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Deadline for new training package extended to 2023
The adoption deadline for the new electrotechnology training package UEE11, which includes various refrigeration and air conditioning qualifications, has been extended from October 5, 2022 until January 31, 2023. Within the HVAC&R industry, there is particular interest in the roll-out of the new Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration qualification UEE32220. Importantly, it includes […]
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New method for dissipating heat in electronic devices
A research team from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and University of California (UC) Berkeley has published a paper that explores a new cooling method for electronic devices. Electronic devices often generate high temperates, and these need to be cooled to prevent the device being compromised or damaged. Traditionally, exisiting cooling methods can have […]
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AREA names Coen van de Sande as President
At its recent annual general assembly held in Athens, European contractors’ association AREA unanimously elected the Netherlands’ Coen van de Sande as President, replacing Marco Buoni from Italian Association ATF. Grzegorz Michalski from Poland was named Vice President. ‘’Legislation and standardisation became more and more an EU playing field in the last two decades,” says […]
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AC company fined for unlicensed electrical testing
Following the prosecution of a Perth air conditioning company, the Western Australian government is warning manufacturers that testing of electrical equipment above a certain voltage must only be carried out by licensed electricians. Westbury Holdings, trading as Air Group Australia and CoolBreeze Air Conditioning, was fined $15,000 at Perth Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to […]
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Days of R404A are numbered
High-GWP refrigerants may soon be in short supply and rising in price as stockpiles dwindle, international pressures hit our shores, and the HFC phase-down quotas start to bite. And according to experts at AIRAH’s Refrigeration 2022 conference this week, that means it’s time for contractors to urgently switch away from R404A. When the HFC phase-down […]