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How flammable is ‘mildly flammable’?
A multi-million-dollar research project led by AHRI, with support from ASHRAE, the US Department of Energy and the California Air Resources Board, has comprehensively tested refrigerants to answer questions around their flammability. In Australia, the topic continues to provoke debate, and understandably so. Because of the HFC phase-down, previously common non-flammable A1 refrigerants are giving way […]
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IBM keynote at Big Data and Analytics Forum
IBM Research senior research scientist Arun Vishwanath has been named as keynote for the inaugural AIRAH Big Data and Analytics Forum. A specialist in the Internet of Things (IoT), software-defined networking (SDN), energy systems, and renewable energy, Vishwanath will kick off proceedings at the Forum, which will be held in Sydney on August 1. “It’s […]
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June 2019 the hottest on record
Buoyed by historic heatwaves in Europe and warmer conditions in the Arctic and Eurasia, June 2019 was the hottest on record. According to data released by NASA and the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), Earth soared to its highest level recorded in June. Records stretch back almost 140 years. “The record warm streaks we’ve seen in […]
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Best of the West: 2019 WA award winners
The 2019 winners of the West Australian Refrigeration & Air Conditioning Awards have been announced. A record crowd of more than 350 attendees came together at the new Westin Hotel Grand Ballroom in Perth. Adding a touch of history to proceedings, the venue stands on the same site where sponsor Baker Air Conditioning opened its […]
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Last chance to review training package
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) is coordinating an update of the national electrotechnology training package and has made the draft materials available for final comments. The electrotechnology training package includes the materials used to teach refrigeration and air conditioning throughout Australia. It has undergone some important changes. Three units have been restructured so that students get […]
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Webinar: Comparing HVAC efficiency
The Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) is holding a webinar on August 8 to compare the energy efficiency of key HVAC systems. The webinar is based on a world-first research project commissioned by the ARBS Foundation and carried out by Team Catalyst. It involved a comparative dynamic simulation analysis of key system configurations prevalent […]
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ARBS 2020 Industry Award nominations open
Nominations have opened for the ARBS 2020 Industry Awards. The awards recognise excellence in Australia’s HVAC, refrigeration and building services industries across a range of areas. These include: ARBS Young Achiever Award 2020 ARBS Product Excellence Award 2020 ARBS Software/Digital Excellence Award 2020 ARBS Project Excellence Award 2020 ARBS Outstanding Service & Maintenance Award 2020 […]
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Cladding safety plan unveiled
The Victorian government has announced a plan to replace combustible cladding. But the proposed approach has not met with support from all quarters. Earlier this month, the Victorian Cladding Taskforce delivered its report. It contains the results of audits performed on buildings in Victoria. Combustible cladding: state of play The report notes that although some […]
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Simulation technology and CFD
The South Australian chapter of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE), in collaboration with IFE, IHEA, IPEA and AMCA, is presenting a session on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in Adelaide on Thursday, July 18. “Do you know how simulation technology has the ability to investigate many flow challenges which can introduce light into […]
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MHIAA scores gold for design
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) has been recognised at the 61st annual Good Design Awards ceremony. The Avanti Plus split system air conditioner received a prestigious gold accolade in the product design category for outstanding design and innovation. “With the rise in electricity costs and awareness around climate change, along with many air conditioners […]
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Woolies’ WRD success
The first World Refrigeration Day (WRD) took place on June 26, and businesses and organisations around the world hosted activities to celebrate the occasion. One standout event in Australia was Woolworths’ public plant room open day. Woolworths’ refrigeration team, with support from AIRAH, RACCA, RMIT University and TAFE NSW, gave participants a tour of two […]
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VEU program targets gas bills and emissions
The Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program helps businesses and households cut power bills and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It does this by providing access to discounted energy-efficient products and services. Six new gas efficiency activities were recently added to the program, which provides access to energy-saving products through accredited providers. The activities can be undertaken by […]
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Solar cooling and heating standard
Standards Australia has published AS 5389:2019 Space heating and cooling and ventilation systems – Calculation of energy and comfort performance. AS 5389 provides a method to estimate how much energy will be saved and to what degree comfort will be improved using solar and other heating and cooling technologies. Performance is based on four different […]
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Hospital design guidelines under review
The Victorian Health and Human Services Building Authority (VHHSBA) is revising its guidelines for engineering services, Design Guide for Hospitals and Day Procedure Centres (DGHDPC) Part E. The guidelines were last updated in 2004. The intent of the revised guidelines is to provide relevant minimum requirements for engineering services for new capital projects in healthcare. As […]
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Saint-Gobain announces ‘multi comfort’ winners
International producer of building materials Saint-Gobain has chosen the winners of its 15th Multi Comfort Students Contest. More than 2,200 students from 199 universities entered the contest, mainly from the fields of architecture and engineering. The final, held in Milan, saw 60 competing teams from 34 countries present their projects to an international panel of […]
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Shape the future of Standards Australia
Standards Australia (SA) is working towards making its content more accessible to stakeholders and users, and is seeking input on how it distributes content. As part of this process it has released a Distribution and Licensing Policy Discussion Paper that is open for review. SA entered into a new distribution agreement with Techstreet recently, after a ruling that SAI […]
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Expert advice on air filtration
The extensive suite of Design Application (DA) manuals published by the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) is receiving some important updates. To keep up with changes in the sector, AIRAH and its network of expert members periodically update the DA manuals and publish new editions. The latest of these is DA15 […]
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Cost-effective refrigeration
Massey University in New Zealand is holding a four-day teaching workshop about refrigeration from Tuesday, September 3 until Friday, September 6. The workshop will bring together users of industrial refrigeration equipment, suppliers of industrial and large commercial refrigeration equipment, energy suppliers, consultants, researchers, and those involved in refrigeration education at tertiary level to upgrade their […]
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Darryl K. Boyce named ASHRAE President
Darryl K. Boyce, P. Eng., has been named ASHRAE’s President for the 2019–20 term. Previously a treasurer, vice-president and director-at-large on the ASHRAE board of directors, Boyce is the recipient of sundry ASHRAE honours. Boyce announced his theme for the year of his presidency is “Building for People and Performance. Achieving Operational Excellence”. “We must […]
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Health check for VET system
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet has published the results from an expert review of Australia’s Vocational Education and Training (VET) program – and there is definitely work to be done. Late last year, the Prime Minister announced an independent review of Australia’s VET sector to examine ways to deliver skilled workers for […]