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Category: News
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Raising the standard for commissioning
The government, the Green Building Council of Australia, builders, asset owners and thought leaders have joined forces to address a widely recognised sore point in the Australian building industry: commissioning. The goal is to produce an Australian Standard for building commissioning. As a first step, a working group is producing a guideline – which only […]
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Air conditioning efficiencies could double by 2040
Average air conditioning efficiencies could double by 2040, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The catch is that for this to be achieved, worldwide adoption of all best available technologies would need to take place. The report, Energy Efficiency 2018, suggests there is considerable potential for the energy consumption attributed […]
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ARENA releases PUSCH report
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has released a report called Promoting the Use of Solar Cooling and Heating in Australian buildings (PUSCH). The report analyses the status of the solar heating and cooling (SHC) industry in Australia and its suitability for built environment applications. It identifies existing market barriers and opportunities for improving the market […]
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Australia awaits gender equality scorecard
The federal government’s Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) is set to release its 2017–18 gender reporting data on November 13 at the National Press Club in Canberra. “Australia’s role in encouraging gender diversity is based on our distinctive gender equality reporting system,” says a WGEA spokesperson. “We now have a comprehensive, world-leading dataset which enables […]
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Cold Hard Facts 3 released
It’s the most comprehensive inventory available of the Australian HVAC&R sector, and a new version has just been published. Cold Hard Facts 3, produced by The Expert Group for the Department of the Environment and Energy, presents nationwide figures for equipment, refrigerant, energy consumption and emissions. The study aims to provide policy makers, industry, and […]
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Mould inquiry calls for tighter building standards
The federal government has released findings from its inquiry into mould-related illnesses and moisture in buildings. The parliamentary inquiry met in August and September to hear evidence from experts in health, biology and building physics. The committee received information about Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and the wide range of associated symptoms that are often […]
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Chillventa 2019 – What we learnt
Germany’s Chillventa show was held in Nuremburg from October 16–18. The biennial event, now into its 10th year, is touted as “the meeting place for the international refrigeration, AC, ventilation and heat pump community”. In many ways it is a European equivalent to ARBS. Numbers this year were up. For the first time there were […]
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Charge limit increase imminent
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has taken the next step towards increasing the charge limit of A3 refrigerants in commercial refrigeration equipment. As reported earlier this year, the change would increase the limit on A3 (flammable) refrigerants such as propane in commercial refrigeration equipment from 150g to 500g. This would enable hydrocarbons to be used […]
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ARC re-awarded contract for licensing scheme
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) has been re-awarded the contract for administration of the national refrigeration and air conditioning licence scheme, for up to nine years. The ARC has administered the scheme since its inception in 2005. It is the body responsible for granting refrigerant handling licences (RHL) and refrigerant trading authorisations (RTA). These are […]
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Leadership changes at NDY
Following a successful five-year period running Norman Disney & Young’s Perth office, Alan Edler has been appointed to lead NDY’s national civic and defence portfolios. Replacing him as director in charge of the NDY Perth office is Darrel Williams, who will officially start on January 1, 2019. Since joining the company, Williams has worked in […]
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New comparisons in commercial HVAC systems
The ARBS Education and Research Foundation has released the results of a comparative study conducted on HVAC systems in commercial buildings. The research and the resulting report – touted as a world first on air distribution systems – was conducted in Sydney by Team Catalyst. “There are few surprises for experienced HVAC engineers who understand […]
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HyChill issues statement on factory fire
HyChill has issued a statement about the fire that broke out at its Melbourne factory last week. The Country Fire Authority (CFA) and Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) were called to the scene on Canterbury Road in Kilsyth at around 2pm on Friday afternoon. They transported one man to The Alfred hospital and closed the road […]
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NCC update: “Brace yourselves”
That was the message from Mike Dodd, senior policy officer at the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB), at the recent Future of HVAC Conference. He presented an update on the changes to Section J of Volume 1 of the National Construction Code (NCC), which will be published in February 2019 and come into effect in […]
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NABERS Annual Report released
NABERS (the National Australian Built Environment Rating System) has released its Annual Report for 2017–18. Aside from celebrating its 20-year anniversary, NABERS has also introduced a variety of new products and services in the past year. These include: NABERS for Apartment Buildings – Australia’s first energy and water certification for existing high-density residential buildings. NABERS Co-assess – […]
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Actrol launches DC-3 Smart Refrigeration system
After a preview at ARBS earlier this year, Actrol has announced the arrival of its DC-3 Smart Refrigeration system. Australia’s first “plug and play” system for walk-in/reach-in coolrooms, it promises a step change for an industry which, until now, has had to rely on bespoke solutions. The launch is scheduled for November 1. To create […]
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AIRAH Awards finalists announced
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has announced the finalists for its annual awards. Over the past 15 years the AIRAH Awards have established themselves as the leading event for recognising excellence and achievement in Australia’s HVAC&R industry. Prizes will be awarded in 10 different categories this year, including Future Leader, […]
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Monash Net Zero initiative wins UN prize
Monash University and ClimateWorks Australia have won the Momentum for Change Award presented by the United Nations at the Climate Week conference in New York for the Net Zero Initiative. The initiative aims to achieve net zero carbon emissions from Monash’s built environment by 2030. This requires extensive work on the HVAC system, which accounts […]
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Australasia tops GRESB global ranking
For the eighth consecutive year, Australia and New Zealand’s real estate market has been ranked the world’s number one for sustainability in the internationally recognised 2018 GRESB real estate results. GRESB (Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark) is a global benchmark for environmental, social and governance (ESG) performance of real assets, defining and measuring standards for […]
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Property owners make net-zero pledge
Australia’s leaders may have pronounced last rites over the National Energy Guarantee and downgraded the Paris Agreement from a firm commitment to a vague aspiration. But Australia could still make real strides in sustainability if the country’s major property owners have anything to do with it. A veritable sustainability stampede is now taking place, with […]
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MHIAA appoints NZ Sales Manager
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) has announced the appointment of a new Sales Manager for the New Zealand region. Annemarie Schaal (previously the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air Conditioning Europe (MHIAE) Sales Manager for Germany, France, Ireland and MHIAE’s Eastern European distributors) has been working with the company since 2012. She has a technical background […]