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Category: News
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Brennan scores top honours at Global Skills Challenge
Queensland refrigeration apprentice Patrick Brennan has taken the gold medal at the WorldSkills Global Skills Challenge held in Melbourne last weekend. The competition covered not just refrigeration, but more than 20 other skill categories, from bricklaying to baking. It brought together 500 competitors and officials from 15 different countries and was hosted in several Victorian […]
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IEC rejects rise in flammable charge limit
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) committee responsible for IEC Standard 60335-2-89 has narrowly voted down a draft international standard that would have raised the allowable charge of flammable refrigerants in certain appliances. The vote comes after a five-year effort to raise the charge limit of flammable refrigerants such as propane and isobutane in some commercial […]
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GCP releases detailed technical application information
The Global Cooling Prize (GCP), a worldwide competition to spur the development of radically more energy-efficient cooling technology, has released its Detailed Technical Application. “We’re very excited to announce that we’ve released the Detailed Technical Application,” say staffers from the Global Cooling Prize. “In this stage of the Prize, applicants must submit comprehensive information about […]
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Industry responds to 2019–20 Budget
Although the 2019–20 Federal Budget has made no direct mention of HVAC&R, the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has called out some positives in the government’s recent announcement. This includes the focus on infrastructure; encouragement of women in engineering; funding to modernise the vocational education and training (VET) sector; and expansion of […]
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Authorities find ‘ice’ in imported fridges
Refrigeration made the headlines for unusual reasons recently when more than half a tonne of the drug ice was found in a shipment of imported fridges. Australian Border Force officers at the Sydney Container Examination Facility examined the container shipped from Singapore. It was declared to contain electronic ovens but was found to have 11 […]
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Illegal HFC trade ‘flourishing’ in Europe
A new report from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has revealed the startling extent of Europe’s illegal HFC activity. The report, Doors Wide Open, is the result of surveys conducted in late 2018 with EU member states and key industry stakeholders. “Reports from industry indicate that large-scale illegal HFC trade and use is occurring in […]
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Energy consumption and emissions hit record levels
Global energy consumption and CO2 emissions rose to record levels in 2018, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). And one of the major contributors to the increase was HVAC&R. According to the IEA, energy consumption worldwide grew by 2.3 per cent in 2018, nearly twice the average rate of growth […]
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The future of AC and heating?
A research team at Germany’s Saarland University has developed a prototype device that can transfer heat using “muscles” made from nickel-titanium. Nickel-titanium is a shape-memory material that releases heat to its surroundings when it is mechanically loaded in its superelastic state. It absorbs heat from its surroundings when it is unloaded. The team, led by […]
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K-CEP establishes Million Cool Roofs Challenge
The Kigali Cooling Efficiency program (K-CEP) has announced the Million Cool Roofs Challenge. A US$2 million global competition, the initiative is designed to rapidly scale up the deployment of highly solar-reflective “cool” roofs in developing countries. The Challenge will award US$100,000 grants to up to 10 teams this year to deploy solar reflective coating and/or […]
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HVAC contractors needed for $500m schools initiative
The NSW government has advertised an Expression of Interest (EOI) to establish panels of HVAC contractors to undertake works at schools across the state. The work is part of the $500 million Cooler Classrooms initiative announced last year. The program will provide air conditioning in permanent learning spaces and libraries at schools that experience a mean […]
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So how do you define refrigeration?!
A group of experts from the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have been working together to establish common definitions of five words that characterise the refrigeration sector. After more than a year of discussions, the organisations came to the agreement on the following […]
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Exploding the 22°C comfort myth
A new Australian study is taking on the long-held debate: is your office’s 22°C thermostat really set at the correct temperature? Around the world, 22°C has become standard practice. For workers, it’s believed to be the optimal temperature for productivity – a claim backed by ASHRAE and REHVA. Not so, says a team from South […]
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Daikin achieves Australian Made certifications
Four Daikin products now officially bear the Australian Made certification. “These Australian Made certifications are the first we’ve attained at Daikin, and it’s a very proud moment for us,” says Shaun Uehara, managing director of Daikin Australia. The company began manufacturing products in Australia in 1982. Australian Made is a registered certification trademark that is Australia’s […]
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Opinion: Reducing emissions through innovation
By Iain Campbell, Senior Fellow at Rocky Mountain Institute and Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH, CEO of AIRAH. With the hottest summer on record just behind us, climate change is top of mind for many of us here in Australia. Since 1910, our country has warmed over 1°C on average, leading to more extreme heat events, including […]
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BMF prioritises professional registration for engineers
Following an independent assessment of problems in the building and construction industry, the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) has developed a roadmap for reform. And one of the key changes it has signalled is the need for a nationally harmonised registration scheme for building practitioners, including engineers. The implementation plan is a product of the Building […]
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Passive house triumphs in Ice Box Challenge
As part of the Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne, the Australian Passive House Association (APHA) ran the Ice Box Challenge to test the performance of a passive house – and the results are in! The challenge showcased two small cabins, one built to the local building code and one to the passive house standard, each […]
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Davina Rooney named GBCA chief executive
Davina Rooney will join the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) as the organisation’s new chief executive officer. Rooney replaces Romilly Madew. Boasting a civil engineering background, Rooney was most recently in a senior sustainability position at property group Stockland. “Davina is a well-known and highly respected leader in our sector, and we are delighted […]
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Podcast: The low-down on the HFC phase-down
The fifth episode of AIRAH on Air, AIRAH’s regular podcast series, explores the HFC phase-down. The phase-down is a worldwide initiative designed to mitigate climate change by reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – synthetic gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration that can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming. […]
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SMART researchers aim to optimise building HVAC
Researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) are exploring ways to keep building temperatures consistent within a set comfort zone. A collaboration between the university’s SMART Infrastructure Facility, industry and government, the research team is focusing on optimising building HVAC. “The project’s focus is to increase the efficiency of building environments,” says team leader and senior […]
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New HVAC&R industry directory from AIRAH
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has released its 2019 HVAC&R Search Compendium – a new hard-copy directory publicising Australia’s industry. The Compendium follows on from AIRAH’s long-running Industry Directory. Its new iteration features a larger A4 format and a more graphical layout. “This year’s deluxe Compendium format is a response […]