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IoT – The Neurology of Building Operations
The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE ANZ) is holding a seminar series called “IoT – The Neurology of Building Operations” in Australia and New Zealand in September. The seminars will focus on how to use the Internet of Things (IoT) for better building operation. According to CIBSE, denser populations are bringing about the […]
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UN project celebrates women workers
Last year the United Nations called for women working in the HVAC&R industry around the world to share their stories. These have now been compiled in a special publication – Women in the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Industry: Personal Experiences and Achievements. “If you ask the average person on the street who they think designs, manufactures, […]
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AC in your pocket
A Sony-affiliated startup has announced the Reon Pocket, a small Bluetooth device that can fit into a pocket and will cool and heat the wearer. Other companies and research teams are working on bringing heating and cooling to a wearable level, but the Reon Pocket looks like the first such product that could break into […]
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Securing your BMCS
Building services specialist A.G. Coombs has published an advisory note about building management control systems. “In modern buildings, building management and control systems (BMCS) are responsible for the operation of critical systems including air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, backup power supplies and, often, building security and access. “These critical systems can be let down by compromised […]
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Battle of the thermostat heats up
Is there a battle of the sexes when it comes to office air conditioning? And do men and women really work more efficiently at different temperatures? Certainly decades of anecdotal evidence and arguments about dress codes and set-points suggests men and women have different ideal temperature preferences at work. Now a new German study does […]
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Energy efficiency calculators ready for testing
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has released four energy efficiency calculators for beta testing. The calculators have been developed to help users with understanding and applying the National Construction Code (NCC) Volume One Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions for the energy efficiency of façades, lighting, fans and pumps. The calculators include: Façade, Volume One Lighting, Volume One Fan Systems, Volume One […]
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Disruption waiting to happen for BMS industry
According to IBM researcher Arun Vishwanath, disruption is coming to the building controls industry in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning that could eventually enable self-driving buildings. Vishwanath was the keynote speaker at AIRAH’s inaugural Big Data and Analytics Forum in Sydney last week. The event saw 120 attendees – including analytics consultants, […]
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Umow Lai joins Integral Group
Australian building services and sustainability practice Umow Lai is joining Integral Group, a global network of mechanical, electrical and plumbing engineers, energy analysts, commissioning authorities and sustainability consultants. Founded in Melbourne in 1991 by George Umow and Dominic Lai, M.AIRAH, Umow Lai has grown to become a leading multi-disciplinary building services engineering, fire engineering, ICT […]
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ARBS 2020 calls for speakers
Air conditioning, refrigeration and building services industry professionals are invited to submit abstracts for seminars, panels, and workshops to be delivered at ARBS 2020. The seminars will run during the ARBS exhibition to be held in Melbourne from May 19–21, 2020. Two seminar programs will run in 2020. The Speaker Series is designed to deliver […]
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Five low-hanging fruit of HVAC&R
The time has come to herald the sustainability solutions offered by HVAC&R, rather than focus on its challenges. That’s the message from Andrea Voigt, Director General of the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE). As Europe swelters through one of its hottest summers on record, cooling in the form of air conditioning is […]
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Southern stars: SA Apprentice Awards
Last week AIRAH held its annual SA Apprentice Awards to recognise up-and-coming professionals in South Australia’s HVAC&R sector. Ben Winter of Airmaster took out the top award. A fourth-year apprentice, Winter joined Airmaster in 2016 and assists in the maintenance operations at the Myer Centre in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall precinct. ActronAir was the major sponsor of […]
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ABCB to revise energy efficiency provisions
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has opened consultation for an energy efficiency scoping study. The ABCB has been directed by the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) to investigate possible changes to the energy efficiency provisions, with an emphasis on residential buildings in the 2022 edition of the National Construction Code (NCC). The work is to […]
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A slow market for net zero homes
New research has highlighted that the current housing market is slow to pick up on easy opportunities for improved energy efficiency and thermal comfort. The CRC for Low Carbon Living and Curtin University’s Dr Josh Byrne worked with industry bodies and government to provide a net zero energy home in Melbourne, Townsville, Canberra and Perth for potential buyers to view. […]
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Lifting HVAC&R standards in PNG
The Papua New Guinea Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Association (PNGRACA) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to promote good practices in the country’s HVAC&R sector. Under the 25-year agreement, PNGRACA will assist with regulations, laws and licensing of the industry standards, and increasing and improving the training […]
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Wearable heating and cooling?
A material called graphene is changing the game for textiles, and could revolutionise the way we cool and heat our shared spaces. Graphene is a thin form of graphite, and can radiate or detract heat. Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize in Physics for their work with isolating the carbon. The scientific breakthrough […]
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Queen’s Wharf goes big on BIM
There’s a buzz in the Brisbane CBD, and it’s not just all the digging and earth-moving. It’s also the palpable sense that the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf project will take the city to the next level internationally. The concept drawings are certainly impressive, as are the bare numbers. The development covers more than 26 hectares, […]
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Demand rises for solar heating and cooling
A new report from the International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA SHC) indicates that demand for solar heating and cooling is on the rise worldwide for the first time since 2015. The report, Solar Heat Worldwide, notes that 10 of the 20 largest national markets reported growing sales in 2018. […]
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Apprentices get a $4K boost
The Australian government is offering small businesses up to $4,000 in an attempt to address industry skills shortages. The Additional Identified Skills Shortage (AISS) package offers up to $4,000 to eligible employers in small businesses, and $2,000 to new apprentices commencing a Certificate III or IV qualification on or after July 1, 2019. Air conditioning […]
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Raising the efficiency bar for homes
Expect new Australian homes to become more sustainable after an agreement at last week’s Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) to enhance energy efficiency provisions for residential buildings in the National Construction Code (NCC). The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has warmly welcomed the agreement. “The homes built today will still be operating in 2050 – […]
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ABCB to play key role in industry reform
The Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) met last Thursday to discuss a range of issues facing the building and construction sector – many of which were flagged in the Shergold Weir Building Confidence report. All jurisdictions agreed to a national approach to implementing the recommendations. And the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) will play a key […]