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Category: News
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Unlocking the Mpemba Effect
A new research study at Simon Fraser University in Canada may lead the way to exploiting the mysterious Mpemba Effect – the process by which hot water freezes faster than cold water. The Mpemba Effect is named after Tanzanian school student Erasto Bartholomeo Mpemba who, legend has it, was making ice-cream in a food tech […]
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Vale to Harrison’s grandson
The heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry owes much to James Harrison (1816–1893). He emigrated to Australia from Scotland in 1837 and later developed the first successful large-scale ice making machinery sold to industry. He also founded The Geelong Advertiser, was an editor at the The Age and was a member for the town of […]
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HVAC&R cleared to work through new restrictions
For the past week the HVAC&R and wider building industry has been scrambling to assess the impacts that stricter COVID-19 restrictions will have on businesses and employees. On August 2, the Victorian government declared a state of disaster and imposed new Stage 4 lockdown measures. Rules around workplaces, which extend to construction sites, were further […]
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New REHVA guidelines focus on airborne COVID-19
The European Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) has released an updated guide on how to operate HVAC and other building service systems to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. The revised document puts a greater emphasis on the potential for airborne transmission of COVID-19. Accordingly, it proposes an infection […]
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COVID-19 treatment facility completed inside 12 weeks
A Melbourne building that formerly served as part of the Peter MacCallum Hospital has been converted into a specialist 84-bed COVID-19 treatment facility inside three months. Completed as part of the Victorian government’s $1.9 billion health funding boost, St Vincent’s on the Park has substantially increased Victoria’s ability to deal with pandemic patients. Head contractor […]
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Improved MOF offers leap forward for cooling
New research at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has uncovered a new way to create an improved metal-organic framework (MOF) for adsorption cooling. Adsorption cooling systems depend on a solid adsorbent and a refrigerant, which transform heat into energy for cooling when they interact. This process can be driven by waste heat from an industrial […]
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Renewables all the way in WA with clean energy plan
The Western Australian government has announced a $66.3 million renewable energy technologies package, which aims to kick-start the state’s economy, create jobs, and reduce energy costs. In Western Australia’s North-West, $44.5 million worth of infrastructure will be installed as part of a Regional Infrastructure Stimulus package. This includes an additional 50 standalone power systems, the […]
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Dairy farmers eligible for energy grants
Dairy farmers are now eligible to receive up to $20,000 in business grants to improve energy efficiency, reduce energy costs and lower on-farm emissions. The Dairy Farming Business Grants are part of a $40m Energy Efficient Communities Program that is designed to help eligible businesses effectively reduce energy bills and slash related emissions. The grants […]
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EnergyTech Hub to accelerate energy transition
Energy businesses will be given a helping hand to enter the Australian clean energy market following the launch of the EnergyTech Hub, a new scale program powered by the international startup business accelerator Startupbootcamp. The EnergyTech Hub is designed to accelerate Australia’s energy transition. Its intention is to ensure some of the best new global […]
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Kirby Apprentice Fund celebrates first birthday
On World Refrigeration Day in June, the Kirby Apprentice Fund celebrated its first anniversary. The fund accumulated $6,065 in donations with 83 HVAC&R apprentices registered across 63 companies. The fundraising efforts made by Kirby staff, customers and suppliers CPS, Supercool Group, Testo, Fieldpiece, HLP Controls, Danfoss, Emerson, Tesuco, Sauermann, VetoProPak and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, have […]
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New guide on moisture control
AIRAH is releasing the latest design application (DA) manual into its stable of technical publications in August: DA07 Criteria for Moisture Control Design Analysis in Buildings. The purpose of the manual is to specify performance-based design criteria for predicting, mitigating, or reducing moisture damage to the building envelope, materials, components, systems, and furnishings, depending on […]
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ASHRAE releases reopening guide for schools
The ASHRAE Epidemic Task Force has developed guidance on the operation of HVAC systems to help mitigate the airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19 disease) as US schools prepare to reopen for a new academic year. ASHRAE’s position is that “transmission of SARS-CoV-2 through the air is sufficiently likely that airborne exposure […]
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1.02bn people face severe lack of cooling
An analysis of 54 countries shows that 1.02bn people among the rural and urban poor still lack access to cooling, which threatens their immediate health and safety, and intensifies the regions’ economic challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. The new report from Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) – Chilling Prospects: Tracking Sustainable Cooling for […]
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HVAC&R is the key to averting climate crisis
A new report from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) has flagged the huge potential of the HVAC&R sector to reduce global emissions. The Cooling Emissions and Policy Synthesis Report notes that over the next four decades, international action on energy-efficient, climate-friendly cooling could avoid as much as 460 […]
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Northern Territory to be a net zero hero by 2050
The Northern Territory has committed to achieving net zero emissions by 2050. Recently the NT government released its Climate Change Response: Towards 2050 document and a three-year action plan, which are built around four key objectives. The objectives are: Slashing emissions to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 Building a resilient Territory that adapts and […]
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NSW announces $79m renewable energy zone
The New South Wales government has unveiled a $79m plan to develop a Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in the New England region in the north of the state. The 8,000MW REZ is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs and generate enough power for 3.5 million homes. The main purpose of the REZ is to […]
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The $5b green hydrogen project
A $5bn green hydrogen-based ammonia facility powered by renewable energy will be constructed in Saudi Arabia. Air Products announced that they had signed an agreement with ACWA Power and NEOM for the plant, which will be equally owned by the three partners. The project will supply 650 tonnes per day of green hydrogen, via electrolysis […]
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Water-filled windows make a splash
Loughborough University’s Dr Matyas Gutai has developed a system that can allegedly save up to 72 per cent more energy than buildings fitted with traditional heating systems and double glass. The material he uses? Water. “Water-filled glass” (WFG) involves a sheet of water being trapped between a panel of glass. Gutai has been researching the […]
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‘Watching brief’ on airborne COVID-19
The World Health Organization (WHO) has acknowledged growing concerns surrounding the airborne transmission of the coronavirus, following the publication of an open letter addressed to the Geneva-based agency, but says more evidence is still required. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the organisation has advised that the virus is primarily spread through large respiratory droplets […]
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International response to resilience
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has teamed up with leading industry organisations to launch a new initiative to coordinate an international response to improving the resilience of the built environment. Together with the National Research Council of Canada, the New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, and the International Code Council; the ABCB […]