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To support Australia’s new professional registration schemes for engineers, AIRAH has launched the AIRAH Registered Professional Engineer (ARPEng) accreditation program for Mechanical Engineer – HVAC&R professionals. Last year, in response to the Shergold-Weir Building Confidence report, the Building Ministers Forum (BMF) signalled the need for a nationally harmonised registration scheme for building practitioners, including engineers. The Queensland […]
The New South Wales government and the City of Melbourne have extended working hours on construction sites in a bid to protect jobs and limit the economic impact of COVID-19. Under the new rules, construction hours in NSW will be extended to weekends and public holidays. The City of Melbourne is proposing an extra hour […]
Johnson Controls is introducing the AtmosAir solution to the Australian market in response to COVID-19. Johnson Controls says the air purifying system can actively and continuously disinfect and decontaminate indoor air in buildings and facilities. According to the company, the partnered Johnson Controls AtmosAir solution works by producing bipolar ions that attach themselves to airborne […]
Over the past month, Australia’s measures to control the spread of the coronavirus have profoundly changed the way we interact with the built environment. In simple terms, it has meant people spending the majority of their day at home rather than another workplace. But, according to members of AIRAH’s Resilience Special Technical Group (STG), it […]
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) is releasing a new Design Application (DA) manual: DA12 Energy Efficiency in Cold Rooms. “As the definitive reference for walk-in cold room energy efficiency in Australia, this manual will help all stakeholders overcome the barriers to improved energy efficiency in cold room operation,” says AIRAH […]
Kirby has introduced the new Gree D-Series and Lennox eComfort chillers to its portfolio. The Gree D-Series chillers are suitable for new builds or retrofits to existing buildings. The models range from between 65kW and 249kW. The Gree D-Series Chillers are also reverse cycle. The modular design allows groupings of different units. Up to 16 […]
While some sectors of our economy have immediately borne the brunt of the coronavirus pandemic, for others the impact is not so straightforward. According to Refrigerants Australia executive director Greg Picker, there are mixed signals coming from the HVAC&R industry. “I have spoken to manufacturers and there is no real sense yet of any dramatic […]
Belimo has released a range of passive and active room sensors and room operating units for measuring temperature, humidity and indoor air quality. The new range has been especially designed for visible areas of the room. According to Belimo, the units offer a timeless design for the architect; quick installation for the installer; easy commissioning […]
Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) is seeking help from HVAC&R technicians to better understand what happens to refrigerant from split system air conditioners when they are replaced. And it is paying for the data. RRA is a not-for-profit organisation that works with industry to recover, reclaim and destroy surplus and unwanted refrigerants. The organisation is offering […]
The Federation of European Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Associations (REHVA) has published a guidance document for building services in areas with a coronavirus disease outbreak. The document is targeted at HVAC professionals and facility managers working in commercial and public buildings. It provides practical recommendations for preventing the spread of coronavirus through HVAC and […]
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has achieved gender equity following the election of Mikaila Ganado, M.AIRAH, to the national board of directors. Ganado joins Paul Jackson, F.AIRAH, and Ura Sarfejoo, M.AIRAH, who were re-elected to the board at AIRAH’s National Convention, which this year was held remotely due to the […]
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released a preview of the National Construction Code (NCC) 2019 Amendment 1, expected to be adopted by all states and territories from July 1, 2020. The NCC sets the minimum acceptable standards for all new construction work in Australia. Since 2005, it has included provisions in Section J for energy […]
ARBS has been rescheduled to be held from February 15–17, 2021. The event was originally planned for May 19-21, 2020, but had been postponed due to the coronavirus. The exhibition will remain in the same venue at the Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre. According to ARBS Exhibition Organiser Sue Falcke, it will occupy the same […]
The Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has identified four confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease involving individuals who have spent time in the Brunswick area in Melbourne, including Sydney Road. All cases have required treatment in hospital. All had symptoms commencing in February and March 2020. Particularly because of the current focus on […]
At the beginning of this year, a new licensing framework was introduced in Queensland. Workers will now require a Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) licence for mechanical services work. This includes not just air conditioning and refrigeration but also plumbing and medical gases. To help industry understand and transition to the new framework, the […]
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH), led by its Refrigeration Special Technical Group, has released a position statement on HVAC&R licensing in Australia, and is seeking input from industry stakeholders. Although there are well-established and successful licensing regimes in place – most notably the national ARCtick licence scheme – AIRAH CEO […]
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has written to federal, state and territory ministers and called on the government to clearly identify HVAC&R, building maintenance and support as essential services. As governments across Australia order non-essential services to shut down to stop the spread of COVID-19, AIRAH has signalled the need […]
In response to the coronavirus situation, the ARC has put in place measures to keep the RAC industry permit scheme operating on a “business as usual” basis, with only minimal changes. Face-to-face permit condition checks (audits) will be replaced by electronic checks via email. For lodging and assessing online renewals, however, it will be business […]
AIRAH is hosting a webinar about HVAC&R maintenance on Thursday, March 26. It will be the first in a series of webinars that highlight key changes to the newly updated DA19. The series will discuss: The key changes to DA19’s 2019 edition How to use the manual in everyday practice Why maintenance of HVAC&R systems […]
A.G. Coombs has published an advisory note that explores how COVID-19 may interact with HVAC systems and the steps that should be taken to reduce the spread of the virus. Although the note confirms that – according to the most recent information – COVID-19 is mainly spread through respiratory droplets, it also indicates that there […]