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COVID-19 forcing a rethink on ventilation
Over the past few weeks, as the world registers more outbreaks of COVID-19, the attention on aerosol transmission of the virus has intensified. Researchers at the University of Florida have now made an important breakthrough. The team isolated viable virus from aerosols collected in a hospital room dedicated to two patients with COVID-19. The air […]
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Share how you work and you could win
The University of Wollongong (UOW) is conducting an online survey of HVAC technicians and contractors who service office buildings around Australia. The survey will help UOW support the Australian government in understanding the industry and shape future policies and programs. “Well-maintained HVAC systems function better, use less energy, emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions and boost […]
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ARBS moves to 2022
ARBS has been postponed, shifting to 2022. Originally planned for May 19–21, 2020, the exhibition was previously rescheduled to February, 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. ARBS 2022 will now be held from April 27–29, 2022, at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. With Melbourne currently in stage-four lockdown, the COVID-19 situation remains largely unclear. […]
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EIA calls for ban of HFCs in split systems
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has renewed its call for hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) to be banned in domestic air conditioners, with the claim that a switch to hydrocarbons could prevent harmful emissions equal to 1,400 coal-fired power stations running for a year. New research commissioned by the EIA found that making the change could avoid 5.6 […]
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Lessons from WELL projects
The Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) will be hosting a webinar to share learnings from recent WELL projects. The WELL Building Standard global rating system for healthy buildings has gained a strong foothold in Australia over the past four years. About 10 per cent of the total occupied office footprint in the country has now […]
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Free webinars on using HVAC measurement tools
Vaisala is offering a series of free webinars on the application of industrial measurement instruments in the HVAC space. The company produces HVAC transmitters for measuring humidity, temperature, and carbon dioxide indoors and outdoors. These instruments can be used to optimise heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls with applications in data centres, cooling towers, greenhouses, […]
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ARBS to fund diploma in sustainable design
The ARBS Education and Research Foundation has announced a grant of $39,000 to the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) to assist in the development of a Professional Diploma in Energy-Efficient Sustainable HVAC. The diploma will consist of four key units of competence: Compliance with energy and sustainable codes of practice Energy […]
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TechEmerge expands to Latin America
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is expanding its program TechEmerge to Latin America. The TechEmerge Sustainable Cooling program is offering the innovators working on sustainable cooling technologies, products and services an opportunity to enter the growing market of Latin America. The program will match the innovators with companies and municipalities to conduct pilot projects and […]
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COVID-19 and gender equality in lockdown
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) and the Australian Gender Equality Council (AGEC) have partnered with the University of Queensland to understand how COVID-19 is impacting men’s and women’s careers. The research project, which takes the form of an online survey, aims to explore how people’s home and work lives have been altered during the […]
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Trades to get automatic recognition across borders
HVAC&R technicians could find it easier to do business across state and territory borders as part of a new government plan for automatic recognition. The proposal, announced by Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, will cover trades such as HVAC&R technicians, electricians and plumbers, as well as a raft of other licensed occupations such as teachers and property […]
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One Nation takes up hydrocarbon cause
HVAC&R may become a vote-decider in the upcoming Queensland election, as the One Nation party supports changes to regulations around hydrocarbons in refrigeration and air conditioning systems. Last week the member for Mirani, Stephen Andrew, posted a question for notice to the Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy, Dr Anthony Lynham. “With reference to […]
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Are your products up to the WaterMark?
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has launched a new campaign to raise awareness about the WaterMark Certification Scheme. In Australia most plumbing and drainage products must be WaterMark certified. But, what does this mean? The WaterMark Certification Scheme is a mandatory national scheme for plumbing and drainage products to ensure they are fit for […]
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Getzner buys stake in Vibration Solutions
Getzner Werkstoffe GmbH has acquired a stake in Australian distribution partner Vibration Solutions Pty Ltd. Getzner manufactures polyurethane materials for applications in the railway, construction, HVAC and industry sectors. The materials are used for the insulation and isolation of vibrations and structure-borne noise. With this investment in the Melbourne-based firm, Getzner is strengthening its position […]
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EndoCube offers improved energy use and food safety
A product designed and manufactured in the UK and widely used in the northern hemisphere for the past 10 years has now made it to the Australasian market. The EndoCube has been designed to address a “fundamental flaw” in refrigeration and provide lower energy consumption and fresher food. According to EndoCube Southeast Asia Pty Ltd […]
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Industrial buildings risk becoming ‘stranded assets’
A holistic sustainable design approach helps future-proof industrial buildings. Without it, such structures, often costing billions to construct, risk being left behind as “stranded assets”. So say the Australian and New Zealand Green Building Councils in a new report, Green Star in focus: The case for sustainable industrial buildings. The report warns of the risk […]
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Mitsubishi Electric Australia announces Dealer Awards
Mitsubishi Electric Australia has celebrated its best dealers across the nation and within teach state and territory at this year’s Dealer Awards. Although the event was hosted virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions, Mitsubishi Electric Australia says that the sentiment behind acknowledging its most valued dealers and the company’s successes remained the same as previous years. […]
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Unlocking the Mpemba Effect
A new research study at Simon Fraser University in Canada may lead the way to exploiting the mysterious Mpemba Effect – the process by which hot water freezes faster than cold water. The Mpemba Effect is named after Tanzanian school student Erasto Bartholomeo Mpemba who, legend has it, was making ice-cream in a food tech […]
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Vale to Harrison’s grandson
The heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry owes much to James Harrison (1816–1893). He emigrated to Australia from Scotland in 1837 and later developed the first successful large-scale ice making machinery sold to industry. He also founded The Geelong Advertiser, was an editor at the The Age and was a member for the town of […]
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HVAC&R cleared to work through new restrictions
For the past week the HVAC&R and wider building industry has been scrambling to assess the impacts that stricter COVID-19 restrictions will have on businesses and employees. On August 2, the Victorian government declared a state of disaster and imposed new Stage 4 lockdown measures. Rules around workplaces, which extend to construction sites, were further […]
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New REHVA guidelines focus on airborne COVID-19
The European Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) has released an updated guide on how to operate HVAC and other building service systems to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces. The revised document puts a greater emphasis on the potential for airborne transmission of COVID-19. Accordingly, it proposes an infection […]