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Australian air conditioning manufacturer ActronAir has officially opened its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Marsden Park in Sydney’s outer north-west. Located about 50km from Sydney’s CBD, the new facility accommodates 18,000m2 of factory floor space, 3,300m2 of office space and 2,300m2 of testing laboratories. The roof features 400kW of solar panels. The factory was officially opened […]
Capital Square Tower 1 in Perth has attained a 6 star “As Built” rating from the Green Building Council Australia (GBCA). The 6 star “As Built” certification was certified in the first round of application. When AAIG Nomines PTY LTD (as Trustee of AAIG Trust) purchased the old Emu Brewery site, they had ambitious goals of creating a […]
The Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) is going carbon neutral during its busiest time in September to offset the emissions from venue operations. The stadium and surrounds consume about 1.65 million kWh of electricity during September, which is comparable to the monthly energy demand of 4,000 average Victorian homes. EnergyAustralia will offset all the emissions from […]
The Queensland state government has passed new laws for plumbing and gas fitting that will affect licensing for air conditioning and refrigeration work. The new Plumbing and Drainage Act 2018 legislation provides a significant update to several aspects of plumbing and draining and includes the creation of a new licence requirement for mechanical services. The […]
The Coroner has completed its official investigation into the deaths of Barry Purtell and David Lobb. The two men, aged 34 and 52 respectively, died after gases from a refrigeration compressor ignited in the cellar of the Hotel Rochester, Bendigo in June 2014. Purtell and Lobb, neither of whom were qualified refrigeration mechanics, were helping […]
Daikin Australia has appointed Mark Maclean as the new National Product Manager for its Applied Solutions Business. Mark has over 35 years of experience in the industry, and his addition to the team is seen as part of the long-term growth strategy for the Applied Business. Daikin says that Maclean was selected for the role […]
Training for A2/A2L mildly flammable refrigerants has been officially endorsed by the Victorian Registration and Qualification Authority (VRQA). This unit of competency can now be utilised across the nation. Kevin O’Shea, Chairperson of the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) says it’s a big win for technician safety. “Up until now, there were no training competencies endorsed […]
The Global Cooling Prize is a global competition designed to spur development of a radically more energy efficient cooling technology. The competition was developed by the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a Colorado-based sustainability research and consulting organisation with a special focus on profitable innovations for energy and resource efficiency. It aims to combat the critical […]
The Australian Refrigeration Mechanics Association (ARMA) has launched a mentorship program for HVAC&R mechanics. The initiative pairs experienced technicians with those who are keen to learn. It is suitable for trade-qualified workers and apprentices. According to ARMA CEO Kim Limburg, the idea came from ARMA president Mike Gilmore, and was seen by the team as […]
Standards Australia has announced the 2018-19 participants in its NEXTgen (Young Leaders) program. The program takes emerging industry and technical experts and involves them in the national and international standardisation processes. “The goal of the program is to support the future of standards development through investing in the next generation of standards leaders and experts,” […]
Common Capital is working with the Victorian Government on a short but important survey of the national energy efficiency and building services industry. The survey is being distributed through over 20 industry associations across the building and energy services market. It is aimed at organisations involved in the supply management of building materials, appliances, equipment […]
On August 20, air conditioning contractor Sol Fagan tragically fell from a vent at James Cook University (JCU) in Cairns. Fagan, 40, died as a result of the fall. A spokesperson from JCU offered the following statement: “We can confirm that Mr Sol Fagan passed away while working at James Cook University’s Cairns Campus. “The […]
Strata corporations and building owners in NSW must act immediately to avoid fines and even imprisonment as a result of a new ban on combustible cladding with a core of more than 30 per cent polyethylene. The ban came into place on August 15. The ban will affect any form of the combustible building material […]
If everything goes to plan, the Green Spine, a $2 billion twin-tower mixed-use skyscraper proposed for Melbourne’s Southbank, won’t just be Australia’s tallest structure. It will also be the world’s biggest building built to Passive House standards. The dual-tower design was the winning entry in an international competition held by developer Beulah International, which purchased the […]
A suite of online training materials is now available as a result of a collaboration between the National Energy Efficiency Building Project (NEEBP) and several peak construction industry groups and RTOs. The range of materials will be of interest to builders and trades, including those specialising in HVAC&R. The NEEBP began in 2012 with the […]
The $1.8 billion Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SCUH) has become the largest public healthcare facility in Australia to earn a 6 star Green Star Healthcare v1 Design and As-Built rating. Exemplar Health, a consortium comprised of Lendlease, Siemens and Capella Capital, in partnership with Queensland Health, surpassed the original 4 star target, using innovative design […]
A report released on July 31 predicts that the toll from heatwave deaths could rise by up to 2,000 per cent in some parts of the world by 2080. It was published in the online journal PLOS Medicine, and is one of the most extensive studies that has been done in the area. The study […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]