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Category: News
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ABCB Cadetship Program
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has opened applications for its 2022 Cadetship Program. The program provides graduates with a unique insight into the development of the National Construction Code (NCC), and the opportunity to develop skills relevant to the construction industry. It also gives candidates the opportunity to work in the Australian Public Service, […]
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ASHRAE launches Vision 2030
US engineering body ASHRAE has launched its Vision 2030 webpage. The webpage can be found at ashrae.org/vision2030. ASHRAE says its Vision 2030 is about providing professionals in the building industry with the resources to drive the innovative and strategic improvements needed to foment the revolution of the built environment. “The Vision 2030 webpage provides guidance […]
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NABERS Sustainable Portfolios Index 2021
The third edition of the NABERS Sustainable Portfolios Index (SPI) is available online. In 2021, the SPI showcases the proven environmental performance of the top 43 building portfolios and funds around Australia. The SPI provides a public portfolio of building performance in terms of emissions, water usage, waste and indoor environment quality, and tracks progress […]
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TAFE Queensland apprentice scores Woolworths role
HVAC&R may be a traditionally male dominated industry, but there are stories of change – including the experience of refrigeration and air conditioning apprentice Katie Hammill-Lovett. Hammill-Lovett is one of 15 people in Australia to secure an apprenticeship with Woolworths Group in the past year, and is one of only four female apprentices to be […]
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Australian schools failing on indoor air quality
Australian schools need better ventilation to improve student health and productivity, according to new research from the University of New South Wales (UNSW). A team from the UNSW Sydney’s School of Built Environment found concentrations of CO₂ in classrooms peaked significantly higher than the 850ppm threshold prescribed by the National Construction Code due to a […]
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Indoor Air Quality magazine launches
The Building Environmental Wellness Group has published its first edition of IAQ (Indoor Air Quality) Magazine. Ivi Sims, AM.AIRAH, and Dr Melissa Marot are the co-founders behind the quarterly digital magazine. It focuses on all aspects of indoor air quality, including: Restoration Indoor air quality, building and occupants Building physics HVAC Innovation in technology in […]
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Daikin and Gree teams win Global Cooling Prize
Team Daikin with partner Nikken Sekkei Ltd and team Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai with partner Tsinghua University have been announced dual winners of the Global Cooling Prize. The manufacturing giants showcased breakthrough technologies with five times less climate impact than conventional AC units and are planning to bring them to market by 2025. […]
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Upgrade ahead for Certificate III RAC qualification?
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is seeking feedback on cases for change for various training packages and qualifications – including the Certificate III refrigeration and air conditioning qualification. Last year, the new Certificate III qualification for refrigeration and air conditioning, UEE32220, was finalised and will come online with registered training organisations by October 2022. Although the […]
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Lendlease office assets achieve carbon-neutral status
One of Australia’s largest group of office assets, Lendlease Funds Management’s Australian office portfolio, has been certified carbon neutral. The carbon-neutral status applies to more than $11.1 billion in office assets and 566,000m2 of floor space managed by Lendlease across three of its flagship office funds. The carbon-neutral goal has been achieved five years ahead […]
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Female apprentice steps into a cool career
Brisbane resident Stephanie Peters has become the first female air conditioning and refrigeration apprentice to be hired by Broadcast Services Australia (BSA) in Queensland, a national technical services company. Peters herself admits she took a more conventional path before deciding to apply for her apprenticeship at TAFE Queensland. “In high school it was really drilled into us […]
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NSW confirms professional registration plans
The New South Wales government has taken the next step towards introducing professional registration of engineers and other building practitioners by gazetting the Design and Building Practitioners Regulation 2021. The regulation includes details on the classes of practitioners who must register, registration pathways and CPD requirements, lodgement of compliance declarations, insurance, and more. From July […]
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Changing the game for residential AC
A new air conditioner with the potential to transform the global residential AC market is set to be unveiled at the Global Cooling Prize Grand Award Ceremony on April 29. It marks the end of an innovation competition that began in 2018, but also the start of a larger effort to drive the air conditioning […]
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New modelling of aerosol movement in HVAC systems
A new Australian study published in the latest issue of Ecolibrium has sought to determine the potential for droplets expelled from people when sneezing or coughing to propagate through a typical HVAC system. “The current pandemic has forced the HVAC community to look closely at the systems we use in buildings,” says co-author and LCI […]
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Whitest ever paint promises cooling benefits
A team of engineers at Purdue University has created the whitest paint in history and says that using it on buildings may help cool them down, reducing the need for air conditioning. The research team created an ultra-white paint last year, but have since improved the formula. Purdue professor of mechanical engineering, Xiulin Ruan, told […]
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ABCB publishes indoor air quality handbook
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has published a handbook to foster a greater understanding of the indoor air quality (IAQ) verification methods in the National Construction Code (NCC) Volumes One and Two. The IAQ verification methods include FV4.1 and FV4.2 (of NCC Volume One) and V2.4.5 of (NCC Volume Two). The handbook is written by […]
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IOR joins Cool Coalition
The Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) has joined the Cool Coalition – a UNEP-led initiative that supports the UN sustainable development goals and Paris Agreement through action on cooling. The move will see the IOR working with other organisations such as the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment […]
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China and US commit to Kigali Amendment
China and the US have affirmed their joint commitment to phasing down HFCs in line with the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol. The announcement came after two days of talks between US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry and China Special Envoy for Climate Change Xie Zhenhua. Chinese president Xi Jinping had earlier […]
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Small businesses score $5m energy saver bonus
The Victorian government has launched the Small Business Energy Saver Program through Sustainability Victoria. The initiative will offer $5 million in bonuses to small businesses across the state to support their transition to a low-cost, energy-efficient business model. Victorian small businesses with 19 full-time employees or fewer can receive up to $2,000 to install energy-efficient […]
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Liquid tribute to James Harrison
A Geelong brewery has launched a new craft beer to celebrate the achievements of Australia’s refrigeration pioneer James Harrison. Harrison’s Rocky Point Dark Lager is a special release from the Southern Bay Brewery. According to general manager Michael Connell, the brew was suggested by the Geelong and Region Branch of the National Trust, which recently […]
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IIR partners with World Bank to set up Bangladesh cold chain
In partnership with British and Bangladeshi universities, the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) has inked a pact with the World Bank to develop a sustainable cold chain in Bangladesh. Named “Technical Assistance on Clean and Energy-Efficient cooling solutions for Livestock Supply Chain,” the project will provide the analytical underpinning to inform the Livestock and Dairy […]