2024 AIRAH Awards winners announced

The winners of the 2024 AIRAH Awards have been announced at a black-tie gala dinner held at Crown Aviary Melbourne on Thursday, November 21. 

The awards celebrate outstanding achievements from across Australia’s HVAC&R building services industry. Around 200 guests attended to celebrate the groundbreaking work of companies and individuals within the sector.  

AIRAH CEO Sami Zheng, Affil.AIRAH, says the AIRAH Awards play an important function in highlighting the work AIRAH’s members do and showcasing the role the industry has in moving to a net-zero future.  

“HVAC&R is a ‘hidden’ industry,” she says. “Our industry’s leading people, projects and initiatives complete their work away from mainstream attention. The awards are a way for us to recognise some of these amazing achievements.” 

The winners are: 

• Best HVAC Retrofit or Upgrade 
  Goondiwindi HVAC upgrade, NRG Services 

• Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion 
  SP&R Group 

• Excellence in Sustainability 
  Joint winners: Sydney Airport International Terminal T1 chilled water plant optimisation, A.G. Coombs and Exergenics; and Woolworths Metro Gadsden CO₂ WaterLoop system, Woolworths 

• Excellence in HVAC&R Research 
  Accelerating solar and thermal energy storage for HVAC decarbonisation, University of Wollongong 

• Excellence in Innovation 
  Sydney Airport International Terminal T1 chilled water plant optimisation, A.G. Coombs and Exergenics 

• Excellence in Refrigeration 
  Woolworths Metro Gadsden CO₂ WaterLoop system, Woolworths  

• Future Leader 
  Bilal Babadagi, M.AIRAH 

• Student of the Year – Trade 
  Jordan Hocking, Stud.AIRAH 

• Student of the Year – Higher Education or Research 
  Poorya Shaghaghi, Stud.AIRAH 

• Product of the Year 
  Thermal-XR 

• WR Ahern Award 
  Striking a balance: planning and implementation considerations for natural gas removal – Simon Witts, M.AIRAH et al 

AIRAH thanks the event sponsors: 

• Gala: Daikin 
• Entertainment: Superior Training Centre 
• Future Leader: A.G. Coombs 
• Excellence in Innovation: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries 
• Student of the Year – Trade: LG 
• Excellence in Sustainability: Construction Specialties 
• Diversity and Inclusion: Standards Australia 
• Best HVAC Retrofit or Upgrade: Superior Training Centre 
• Excellence in Refrigeration: RMIT University 
• Product of the Year: HVAC&R Search 
• WR Ahern: Ecolibrium 
• Community Grant: The Coca Cola Company 
• Supporter: Fair Air 
• Media partner: HVAC&R News 

Visit airah.org.au/awards for more information.