Sneak peek: ARBS Speaker Series

ARBS has released details of its 2020 Speaker Series. ARBS 2020 is taking place at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from May 19–21.

The Speaker Series is still in its final stages of development, but some highlights have already been confirmed.

Infrastructure Without Tears: How to transition from commercial to industrial contracts without losing your shirt

Melissa Kirby and Murray Walls, Sharpe & Abel and RMIT University

With increased quality assurance, monitoring and evaluation, as well as complex risk management, HVAC&R companies and commercial building services providers are looking for guidance when considering upcoming industrial infrastructure opportunities.

This seminar will seek to provide these answers as presenters share case studies from the complex infrastructure world – the good, the bad, and why these projects can turn sour.

Topics to be covered include the differences between commercial and infrastructure contracts while exploring the patchwork of contracts, legislation and relationships that mechanical, refrigeration and commercial building services contractors need to navigate to find long-term success.

Decommissioning of existing HFC-based, air-cooled refrigeration plants and replacement with NH₃ DX-based solutions

Stefan Jensen, F.AIRAH, Scantec

This seminar will detail the decommissioning of several existing HFC-based, air-cooled refrigeration plants servicing a refrigerated warehouse and their replacement with a central, low-charge, dry-expansion, NH3-based refrigeration plant.

The session will draw on comparisons between the recorded energy performances of the new DX, NH3 system and those of the previous HFC-based systems.

The analysis will review the supply authority records of the electrical energy consumed by the HFC plant and the consumption records generated using the SCADA system of the new ammonia plant, as well as an economic comparison between NH3 DX and an equivalent transcritical CO₂ system.

The efficiency of air movement systems – Improve your ROI by focusing on upgrading your HVAC&R systems

Susanne Lohmann and Thomas Heine, ebm-papst

This seminar will outline the new technologies and improvements that have been made on the European stage and shares tips and lessons learnt to enable Australasian designers to improve their systems.

Examples will be provided of building upgrades on a typical high-rise in Melbourne. It will also explore the options for fan upgrades in commercial buildings as standalone or in combination with upgrades of other HVAC systems such as chillers, cooling towers, VAV systems and controls.

The Future of NABERS Energy

Corine Mulet, National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS)

Over the last 20 years, NABERS has achieved world leading results – including a 40 per cent drop in energy use for buildings that have participated in the program over 10 years. Today, the future of NABERS Energy project is looking at how NABERS will adapt to achieve the same results over the next 20 years.

This seminar will discuss emerging sector-wide trends including the rise of net-zero carbon building design and a decarbonised grid.

Mulet will speak about the findings of the project to date, proposed solutions, impacts to ratings, future plans and how participants can input into the project.

Cold Hard Facts: An Annual Update

Michael McCann and Peter Brodribb, M.AIRAH, Expert Group

The update to Cold Hard Facts will be revealed in this much-anticipated session which will review the annual updates with a focus on changes to the Australia’s refrigerant bank.

This review is expected to provide the annual rates of change in adoption of new technology and new refrigerants, as well as data and trends that will enable improved forecasting of demand for HFCs against the Australian commitments to phase down HFCs under the terms of the Montreal Protocol.

Seismic Restraint of HVAC explained

Jordan Bartlett, Eurofast

This session will address Part B1 Structural Provisions of the National Construction Code of Australia, which calls up AS1170.4 without exception, therefore including Section 8 Parts and Components which can apply to restraint of Building Services.

The presentation will detail why restraints are required and who can design them, when section 8 applies to a building and the listed exemptions. The content will assist participants to improve tendering, ensure an audit trail, and implement an integrated approach.

HVACPRO – AI: MPC for Optimisation of HVAC&R Systems with Hybrid Energy Sources including Renewables

Chirayu Shah, M.AIRAH, Subbu Sethuvenkatraman, Affil.AIRAH, and Mark Hooper (from Conserve It, CSIRO and Echuca Regional Health).

This session will outline an artificial intelligence-supported model predictive controller (AI-MPC) framework using a high-level model to generate predictions of system load and resources to minimise operation costs.

AI methods will be applied to continuously learn and update the system models based on feedback from measurements and to generate predictions and define optimal trajectories.

To find out more about ARBS 2020, please visit the website.