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Category: News
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NABERS launches new website and steering committee
The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) has launched an Australian-first search engine for green buildings. “This new tool will allow people to find the best examples of sustainable buildings and green businesses in the country,” Environment Minister Gabrielle Upton said. NABERS is a national program, administered by the NSW government, that measures the […]
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Refrigeration Efficiency Masterclass announced
Sustainability Victoria has announced a series of free workshops for business owners and operators to learn how to make their refrigeration systems more efficient, with a special focus on walk-in coolrooms. The walk-in coolroom segment has attracted plenty of attention lately. Cold Hard Facts 3 – still in draft form – estimated that the number […]
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Condair Group acquires Aireven
Condair Group AG has acquired Aireven Pty Ltd in Australia, and from August 1 has changed its company name to Condair Pty Ltd. The acquisition of Aireven in Australia continues the strategic forward integration of Condair into promising geographic markets, as well as the global strengthening of its humidification and evaporative cooling business. Condair has […]
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Video thrills with HVAC&R!
AIRAH has produced a video that celebrates and promotes the essential role played by the HVAC&R industry in the Australian economy and everyday life. AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson says that although it plays a pivotal role in contemporary life, the sector remains below the radar. “Despite employing 170,000 Australians in a range of occupations and being […]
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Future Skilling Australia’s Workforce
Hosted by prominent journalist and author Kerry O’Brien, Australian Industry Standards is holding a series of free Industry Skills Forums around the country to explore current and future skilling needs in the digital age. As more jobs become automated, industries will need to work together to tackle what our workforce of the future will need. […]
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BlueScope signs landmark solar energy deal
On Friday, July 20, Australian steel manufacturer BlueScope signed a seven-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with ESCO Pacific’s Finley Solar Farm. The deal was coordinated by Schneider Electric. The direct agreement will enable ESCO Pacific to start building the farm later this year. It will comprise 500,000 solar panels across a 300ha site located 100km […]
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Resilient Sydney: Extreme heat our biggest risk
Resilient Sydney – a strategy document created by 33 Sydney metropolitan councils and the 100 Resilient Cities initiative – has stressed the importance of planning for climate change. The strategy document was released this week with the aim of strengthening the city’s ability to survive, adapt and thrive in the face of increasing global uncertainty […]
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Tackling air tightness seminar
GBCA (Green Building Council Australia) is holding seminars about air tightness practices for existing and new buildings in Melbourne and Sydney in September. Air tightness is a big challenge that building performance faces. Ensuring that a whole building is well-sealed creates measurably better performance for both energy efficiency and control of the indoor environment. The […]
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Cool podcasts from Danfoss
Danfoss is producing a series of educational podcasts on refrigeration. Hosted by Jens Andersen, a professional with over 40 years’ experience in the cooling industry, the series is aptly titled Chilling with Jens. It reflects the growing popularity of podcasts for educational content. Many people are finding that their vehicle or even their train carriage […]
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Interim IEC vote approves increased HC charge limit
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) has voted to increase the charge limits of flammable A3 hydrocarbon refrigerants, such as propane, in commercial refrigeration equipment. This is an interim vote, meaning that the change must still go through other steps before it is enacted as a global standard. If there are no obstacles that could happen […]
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Inquest rules ammonia accident preventable
An inquest was held into how a man died during an ammonia explosion at the Carlsberg Brewery in Northampton, England. The coroner believed that David Chandler, 45, died almost instantly when an ammonia leak caused a dormant compressor to explode in his face. The unit had previously been disconnected, but during an attempt to move […]
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Webinar on commercial refrigeration
The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage is holding a free webinar about commercial refrigeration at 10.30am on August 1. The webinar is titled “Commercial refrigeration – keeping your costs cool!” and will run for 30 minutes. It is being facilitated by independent energy-efficiency expert Nick Palousis, and is recommended for business professionals wanting to better […]
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Consensus for World Refrigeration Day?
Support for an annual World Refrigeration Day is growing, with June 26 mooted as the day to mark the industry’s contribution to the world economy and society. Stephen Gill, refrigerant consultant and President of the Institute of Refrigeration, hopes World Refrigeration Day will serve as a means of raising awareness of refrigeration and the role […]
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Extreme weather triggers AC overload
Temperatures of over 43°C in Southern California and the associated increase in air conditioning demand has led to a series of blackouts across Los Angeles. And it may be a sign of things to come. Almost 100,000 customers in LA were left without power during a heatwave that set new records. According to the Los […]
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CFC-11 still being used illegally
Earlier this year, reports emerged of a “mysterious” rise in CFC-11 (trichlorofluoromethane) quantities in the atmosphere. This was surprising, because CFCs had been phased out by the Montreal Protocol due to their harmful effect on the ozone layer, and were thought to be virtually extinct. Now, a new report from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) […]
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Tougher NCC critical for climate
There is an urgent need for stronger energy standards for residential housing and buildings under Australia’s National Construction Code (NCC). So says Australia’s insulation industry, claiming that tougher standards are critical to ensuring they are ready for and committed to a zero-carbon future. “We need certainty for the industry now, with a building code that […]
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Heatcraft offers CO2 training
Heatcraft’s first round of industry CO2 training will begin this month. It is open to refrigeration contactors and consultants who are interested in specifying, selling, installing, commissioning and servicing CO2 systems. According to Heatcraft, the content will provide “first-hand experience for all participants to gain an understanding of CO2 refrigeration technologies, providing hassle-free installation, start-up […]
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NT information session: HFC phase-down
The Department of the Environment and Energy is holding an information session in Darwin on July 19 about the hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) phase-down. The session will cover what it means for HFC users, including equipment owners and technicians. The session will also cover other changes to the Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Program to reduce […]
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Honeywell announces “breakthrough” non-flammable AC refrigerant
Honeywell has announced a new non-flammable refrigerant called Solstice N41 for stationary air conditioning systems that it says could replace R410A, and could also potentially be a rival for R32. The HFC phase-down has prompted the search for alternatives to high global warming potential (GWP) gases such as R410A. At present, many original equipment manufacturers […]
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Free training from Mitsubishi Electric
Mitsubishi Electric Australia is running free, tailored air conditioning service and installation training courses around the country. Now in its 15th year, the annual series of courses takes a hands-on approach to learning with product simulators, as well as information on new systems and essential regulation updates. The training is available to all industry members. […]