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Category: News
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TAFE Queensland opens new training hub
TAFE Queensland has opened a new high-tech training hub at its Ashmore campus. The fit-out, which cost $1.5 million, boasts state-of-the-art equipment and will benefit more than 1,200 electrical and air conditioning and refrigeration students. The hub has eight coldrooms, including two with freezer room options. There is a practical workshop area, a hybrid practical […]
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NDY lends a helping hand to Melbourne City Mission
Engineering design group Norman Disney & Young, A Tetra Tech Company (NDY), recently provided pro bono engineering services to support the development of Melbourne City Mission’s (MCM) new youth refuge centre, Frontyard Youth Services. Frontyard provides 24/7 intensive support and crisis accommodation services for homeless and at-risk youth. It is a world-first model that includes […]
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Tax time for tradies
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) has prepared a one-page cheat sheet to help tradespeople work out what they can and cannot claim. To claim a work-related deduction, you must have spent the money yourself, and you can’t have been reimbursed. It must also be directly related to earning your income. And you must have a […]
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Checklist for building energy efficiency
Master Builders Victoria has collaborated with CodeSafe, ICANZ, AIVAA, AIRAH, AWCINSW, IA and NECA to create two short videos that highlight good practices in building envelope integrity. Insulation and air tightness are two factors with a large impact on the energy efficiency of a house and the comfort of the people living inside. To function […]
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HVAC Centre of Excellence opens at Holmesglen
A new HVAC Centre of Excellence at Holmesglen’s Chadstone campus was officially launched by the Victorian Skills Commissioner Neil Coulson on May 28. The launch was attended by around 100 guests from the HVAC and associated industries, including the organisations who supported the centre. The facility is a collaborative partnership between Holmesglen and the Air […]
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Cracking down on HVAC&R cowboys
NSW Fair Trading and the Australian Refrigeration Mechanics Association (ARMA) have shared information about efforts to stop air conditioning and refrigeration contractors operating outside their licenses. ARMA has been working for some time through its Mates Rates for Fridgies app to collect information about licensing breaches. According to ARMA CEO Kim Limburg, these include advertising […]
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Putting the “R” in ASHRAE
ASHRAE has announced the launch of a web page to encourage the advancement of refrigeration technology and its application. The new web page, referred to as the “R” in ASHRAE, highlights the Society’s commitment to supporting the role of refrigeration worldwide. The web page features resources, information and publications concerning refrigeration and refrigerants such as […]
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Monash sets new Passive House benchmark
Monash University’s Gillies Hall has become the first large-scale building in the southern hemisphere to earn Passive House certification. The student accommodation complex is located at the university’s Peninsula campus in Frankston. It comprises 150 studio apartments as well as communal kitchens and games rooms across a total floor area of 6,000m2. “We are thrilled […]
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Sustainable fund goes national
The Sustainable Melbourne Fund has been renamed the Sustainable Australia Fund and is now working with businesses across the country to achieve their environmental upgrades. The Sustainable Melbourne Fund was originally established by the City of Melbourne in 2002 to progress sustainable development in greater Melbourne. The City of Melbourne agreed to divest from the […]
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Professional registration on track in Victoria
Victoria’s Legislative Assembly has passed the Professional Engineers Registration Bill 2019. The legislation, modelled closely on the existing Queensland Professional Engineers Act, is intended to fulfill the government’s 2014 goal to introduce a mandatory, statutory registration scheme, and work with other jurisdictions to develop a nationally consistent registration scheme for engineers. “The government remains determined […]
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IEC reverses vote on flammable charge limit
The path to higher charge limits for flammable refrigerants looks to be open again, after the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) revised last month’s surprise no vote. At this stage it is not clear why or how the vote was reversed, although as the original count only failed by 0.7 per cent, it’s possible that a […]
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New online training for HVAC&R Fundamentals
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has released all eight units in its Professional Certificate in HVAC&R Fundamentals. The online program explores technical knowledge and skills in heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration. It consists of eight units, with detailed information about the workings of HVAC&R equipment and principles. Brendan Pejkovic, […]
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Coalition of the chilling to combat climate change
Launched at the First Global Conference on Synergies between the 2030 Agenda and Paris Agreement recently held in Copenhagen, the Cool Coalition is a global effort led by major government and private organisations to promote clean and efficient cooling methods. Included in the Cool Coalition are the UN Environment initiative, the Climate and Clean Air […]
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Could AC units be our oil wells of the future?
Air conditioning units could help mitigate climate change by capturing CO2 and converting it into renewable hydrocarbon fuels. That’s the premise of a new article titled “Crowd oil not crude oil” published by a team of researchers from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. “Imagine the renewable-electricity-powered air conditioning system in your house, apartment or office […]
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NABERS sets ambitious new targets
The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) has published a new five-year plan for 2019–2023. It contains some ambitious goals. NABERS is a national government initiative to measure and compare the environmental performance of Australian buildings and tenancies. Since its inception, the program and its well-known star system has clocked up some impressive numbers. […]
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Shooting for input on Green Star for New Buildings
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) has put out a call to industry for feedback on newly proposed changes to its Green Star program – beginning with Green Star for New Buildings. Over 2,250 projects across Australia have now been certified under Green Star, a program established with the goal of making the built […]
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Nominations open for trade scholarships
Nominations have opened for the 2019 Industry Educational Trade Scholarship. Now in its fourth year, the scholarship provides students studying commercial refrigeration and air conditioning through TAFE with the opportunity to train at one of the industry’s premier educational institutions – the Refrigeration and Climate Control Centre of Excellence (RCCC) in Melbourne. The program was […]
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Training package ready to review
The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that has been working on the Electrotechnology Training Package Review project has prepared draft materials and is now looking for industry feedback. As reported previously, the project is an extension of the UEE11 Electrotechnology Training Package Transition Project. The transition and review of the training package is […]
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Victoria pledges $2 million to refrigeration training
The Victorian Department of Industry and Training has granted nearly $2,000,000 toward improving skills and education opportunities in the refrigeration industry. GOTAFE, Bendigo Kangan Institute and industry representatives CA Group Services applied for funding to complete a number of projects. And on March 15, the Hon. Gayle Tierney, Minister for Training and Skills, and Higher […]
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Heatcraft rebrands as Kirby
As part of an Australia-wide rebrand, Heatcraft has announced a new trading name and logo. The Heatcraft business will now be known as Kirby. The rebrand is an evolution of the acquisition of Heatcraft Australia by Beijer Ref in April 2018. “The new logo, Kirby – A Beijer Ref Company, unifies the business with the […]