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Category: News
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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 […]
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ActronAir opens state-of-the-art new factory
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 […]
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Capital Square receives 6 star “As Built” rating
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 […]
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The MCG goes carbon neutral
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 […]
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New licensing rules for Queensland
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 […]
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Rochester coronial investigation releases findings
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 […]
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Daikin appoints new National Product Manager
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 […]
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Official training now available for A2/A2L refrigerants
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 […]
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The Global Cooling Prize
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 […]
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ARMA launches mentorship program
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 […]
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Standards Australia puts faith in young leaders
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,” […]
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Energy efficiency and building services jobs survey
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 […]
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Contractor dies in Cairns workplace incident
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 […]
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Cladding ban comes into force
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 […]
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Australia’s tallest building to lead in sustainability
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 […]
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NEEBP ramps up energy efficiency training
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 […]
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Sunshine Coast Hospital earns 6 Star Green Star
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 […]