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Category: News
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Petition to ban open supermarket fridges
Concerned shoppers in the UK are supporting a petition to ban the use of open fridges and freezers in supermarkets and other retail outlets. “Retailers in the United Kingdom unnecessarily waste huge amounts of energy on open fridges and freezers,” reads the petition text. “Climate change threatens our planet. If all supermarkets had doors on […]
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Brennan wins bronze at WorldSkills Kazan
Refrigeration and air conditioning apprentice Patrick Brennan has claimed a Bronze medal at the 45th WorldSkills International Championships in Kazan, Russia. Russian champion Akeksandr Leushin shared the gold with Korea’s JuHwan, the pair scoring 747 and 745 respectively, ahead of Brennan on 739. In total there were 28 competitors in the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning […]
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Sean Treweek named CEO of Meinhardt Australia
Prominent HVAC industry identity Sean Treweek, F. AIRAH, has been named CEO of Meinhardt Australia. A former national president of AIRAH, Treweek boasts considerable experience acquired over two decades in roles with WSP Lincolne Scott, NDY and others. “Sean brings with him over 20 years’ experience in the property, construction and infrastructure engineering sectors and […]
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Crackdown on refrigerant offences
The Department of the Environment and Energy has issued a number of fines for offences under the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Act 1989. A New South Wales-based refrigeration mechanic has been fined $2,520 for discharging R410A while installing an air conditioning system. According to the Department, the offender holds a permit issued […]
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New era for Fantech
Fantech has announced the launch of Fantech Capital HVAC as a new business under its overall structure. The move will see the air movement and ventilation specialist offering a new portfolio of products such as chillers, cooling towers, AHUs and FCUs. Brands will include Clint, Mesan USA, Euroclima, Komfovent, SmartAir, Smartech, Airatherm, Liberty, Barcol-Air and […]
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Brennan ready for WorldSkills’ biggest event
Australian refrigeration and air conditioning WorldSkills champion Patrick Brennan is in the final stages of preparation for the 45th WorldSkills International Competition in Kazan, Russia. The competition will be held from August 22–27. It will bring together more than 1,600 young professionals representing more than 60 countries and regions. They will compete in 56 skills. […]
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UN project celebrates women workers
Last year the United Nations called for women working in the HVAC&R industry around the world to share their stories. These have now been compiled in a special publication – Women in the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Industry: Personal Experiences and Achievements. “If you ask the average person on the street who they think designs, manufactures, […]
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Securing your BMCS
Building services specialist A.G. Coombs has published an advisory note about building management control systems. “In modern buildings, building management and control systems (BMCS) are responsible for the operation of critical systems including air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, backup power supplies and, often, building security and access. “These critical systems can be let down by compromised […]
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Battle of the thermostat heats up
Is there a battle of the sexes when it comes to office air conditioning? And do men and women really work more efficiently at different temperatures? Certainly decades of anecdotal evidence and arguments about dress codes and set-points suggests men and women have different ideal temperature preferences at work. Now a new German study does […]
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Disruption waiting to happen for BMS industry
According to IBM researcher Arun Vishwanath, disruption is coming to the building controls industry in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning that could eventually enable self-driving buildings. Vishwanath was the keynote speaker at AIRAH’s inaugural Big Data and Analytics Forum in Sydney last week. The event saw 120 attendees – including analytics consultants, […]
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Umow Lai joins Integral Group
Australian building services and sustainability practice Umow Lai is joining Integral Group, a global network of mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, energy analysts, commissioning authorities and sustainability consultants. Founded in Melbourne in 1991 by George Umow and Dominic Lai, M.AIRAH, Umow Lai has grown to become a leading multi-disciplinary building services engineering, fire engineering, ICT […]
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Lifting HVAC&R standards in PNG
The Papua New Guinea Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Association (PNGRACA) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to promote good practices in the country’s HVAC&R sector. Under the 25-year agreement, PNGRACA will assist with regulations, laws and licensing of the industry standards, and increasing and improving the training […]
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Wearable heating and cooling?
A material called graphene is changing the game for textiles, and could revolutionise the way we cool and heat our shared spaces. Graphene is a thin form of graphite, and can radiate or detract heat. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize in Physics for their work with isolating the carbon. The scientific breakthrough […]
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Demand rises for solar heating and cooling
A new report from the International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA SHC) indicates that demand for solar heating and cooling is on the rise worldwide for the first time since 2015. The report, Solar Heat Worldwide, notes that 10 of the 20 largest national markets reported growing sales in 2018. […]
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Apprentices get a $4K boost
The Australian government is offering small businesses up to $4,000 in an attempt to address industry skills shortages. The Additional Identified Skills Shortage (AISS) package offers up to $4,000 to eligible employers in small businesses, and $2,000 to new apprentices commencing a Certificate III or IV qualification on or after July 1, 2019. Air conditioning […]
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ABCB to play key role in industry reform
The Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) met last Thursday to discuss a range of issues facing the building and construction sector – many of which were flagged in the Shergold Weir Building Confidence report. All jurisdictions agreed to a national approach to implementing the recommendations. And the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) will play a key […]
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How flammable is ‘mildly flammable’?
A multi-million-dollar research project led by AHRI, with support from ASHRAE, the US Department of Energy and the California Air Resources Board, has comprehensively tested refrigerants to answer questions around their flammability. In Australia, the topic continues to provoke debate, and understandably so. Because of the HFC phase-down, previously common non-flammable A1 refrigerants are giving way […]
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June 2019 the hottest on record
Buoyed by historic heatwaves in Europe and warmer conditions in the Arctic and Eurasia, June 2019 was the hottest on record. According to data released by NASA and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Earth soared to its highest level recorded in June. Records stretch back almost 140 years. “The record warm streaks we’ve seen in […]
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Cladding safety plan unveiled
The Victorian government has announced a plan to replace combustible cladding. But the proposed approach has not met with support from all quarters. Earlier this month, the Victorian Cladding Taskforce delivered its report. It contains the results of audits performed on buildings in Victoria. Combustible cladding: state of play The report notes that although some […]
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MHIAA scores gold for design
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) has been recognised at the 61st annual Good Design Awards ceremony. The Avanti Plus split system air conditioner received a prestigious gold accolade in the product design category for outstanding design and innovation. “With the rise in electricity costs and awareness around climate change, along with many air conditioners […]