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Category: News
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Building for a future climate
Global warming is pushing temperatures upwards, but are Australia’s buildings being designed to handle these future conditions? Probably not, according to a report produced by DeltaQ for the COAG Energy Council. The report aims to quantify the impacts of climate change on the built environment, and recommend how building regulations should adapt. “The key thing […]
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Celebrate healing of the ozone layer
World Ozone Day is held on September 16 to commemorate the anniversary as well as achievements of the Montreal Protocol. The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was signed on September 16, 1987, to protect the ozone layer by limiting the production and use of ozone-depleting substances. Hailed as the most successful […]
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Workers ‘fly the flag’ to address suicide crisis
Thousands of construction workers across Australia are flying flags on major projects today to highlight the suicide crisis facing the industry, and to promote efforts to save lives by looking out for workmates. According to MATES in Construction, each year 190 Australian construction workers take their lives – six times the number killed by workplace […]
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Could thermal ‘LEGO’ blocks be the future?
The University of Newcastle has patented a new type of stackable thermal storage material, which can be housed in blocks, stored cheaply and safely, and then used to run steam turbines at power stations rather than burning coal. Dubbed Miscibility Gaps Alloy (MGA), the blocks are capable of receiving energy generated by renewables. A team […]
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Bangladesh blueprint for COVID-19 vaccine delivery
An international team of researchers will assess Bangladesh’s cold-chain framework and create a blueprint for delivering mass vaccination for COVID-19 across the Global South. With a vaccination framework supported by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance and the World Health Organisation (WHO), Bangladesh has one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical and vaccine industries. However, like many countries, […]
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Carel releases white paper on humidification in healthcare facilities
Carel, a manufacturer of HVAC-related control and humidification solutions, has published a white paper on the importance of air humidification inside healthcare facilities. As epidemiologists ruminate on whether to classify COVID-19 as being “airborne”, the paper discusses a timely subject on the pivotal role of relative humidity (RH) in environmental control for the airborne transmission […]
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Green light for new training package
Changes to Australia’s most widely offered RAC qualification were finally approved by the Australian Industry Skills Committee (AISC) on August 12 as part of Release 2 of the UEE Electrotechnology Training Package. The qualification, UEE32220 Certificate III in Air Conditioning and Refrigeration, will supersede the current UEE32211 course. Apart from amendments to meet the 2012 […]
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Construction sector calls for help
The Australian economy was officially declared in recession this week, with the announcement of a record 7 per cent drop in GDP for the June quarter – the largest fall in quarterly GDP since records began in 1959. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), the plunge in GDP was due to the combined […]
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Funding for gas industry could harm economy
A new report by energy thinktank the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) suggests proposals for providing long-term subsidies to the flailing gas industry could cause significant long-term economic damage to Australia. Led by Western Australian gas industry executive Nev Power, the National COVID-19 Commission (Advisory Board) (NCC) is proposing taxpayer funds steered […]
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Cooling solution doubles as installation art
The Panasonic Corporation, in collaboration with Obuchi Laboratory from Advanced Design Studies at the Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Engineering of the University of Tokyo (T_ADS Obuchi Lab), has conducted a field test to assess the effectiveness of its Green AC Flex innovation both as an outdoor air cooling solution and as installation art. […]
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Cold Tube: Chilled panels beat the heat
A team of researchers has created a new way to cool down without using air conditioning. Researchers from the University of British Columbia, Princeton University, the University of California, Berkeley and the Singapore-ETH Centre claim that the creation known as Cold Tube is a better alternative to using air conditioning. The Cold Tube is a […]
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ARBS partners with NABERS on scholarships
The ARBS Education and Research Foundation has partnered with NABERS to provide scholarships to HVAC&R sole traders studying to become accredited energy and water assessors. “The ARBS Education and Research Foundation is committed to supporting further education of people employed in the HVAC industry, along with practical research into contemporary industry issues,” says ARBS Foundation […]
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ASHRAE updates Building Readiness Guide
The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has updated its guidance on building readiness to help mitigate the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. The Building Readiness Guide focuses on the operation of HVAC systems to help reduce the potential health risks when buildings reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic. “The Building Readiness Guide includes additional information and clarifications so that […]
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Clean energy in Alice Springs
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $2.17 million in funding to support the Alice Springs Future Grid Project. The two-year project will focus on addressing barriers to further renewable energy penetration in the local electricity network. Alice Springs has approximately 10 per cent renewable energy generation, and faces a unique challenge in overcoming […]
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COVID-19 forcing a rethink on ventilation
Over the past few weeks, as the world registers more outbreaks of COVID-19, the attention on aerosol transmission of the virus has intensified. Researchers at the University of Florida have now made an important breakthrough. The team isolated viable virus from aerosols collected in a hospital room dedicated to two patients with COVID-19. The air […]
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Share how you work and you could win
The University of Wollongong (UOW) is conducting an online survey of HVAC technicians and contractors who service office buildings around Australia. The survey will help UOW support the Australian government in understanding the industry and shape future policies and programs. “Well-maintained HVAC systems function better, use less energy, emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions and boost […]
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ARBS moves to 2022
ARBS has been postponed, shifting to 2022. Originally planned for May 19–21, 2020, the exhibition was previously rescheduled to February, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ARBS 2022 will now be held from April 27–29, 2022, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. With Melbourne currently in stage-four lockdown, the COVID-19 situation remains largely unclear. […]
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ARBS to fund diploma in sustainable design
The ARBS Education and Research Foundation has announced a grant of $39,000 to the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) to assist in the development of a Professional Diploma in Energy-Efficient Sustainable HVAC. The diploma will consist of four key units of competence: Compliance with energy and sustainable codes of practice Energy […]
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TechEmerge expands to Latin America
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is expanding its program TechEmerge to Latin America. The TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling program is offering the innovators working on sustainable cooling technologies, products and services an opportunity to enter the growing market of Latin America. The program will match the innovators with companies and municipalities to conduct pilot projects and […]
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COVID-19 and gender equality in lockdown
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and the Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC) have partnered with the University of Queensland to understand how COVID-19 is impacting men’s and women’s careers. The research project, which takes the form of an online survey, aims to explore how people’s home and work lives have been altered during the […]