Page 138
All posts
-
Exploding the 22°C comfort myth
A new Australian study is taking on the long-held debate: is your office’s 22°C thermostat really set at the correct temperature? Around the world, 22°C has become standard practice. For workers, it’s believed to be the optimal temperature for productivity – a claim backed by ASHRAE and REHVA. Not so, says a team from South […]
-
Daikin achieves Australian Made certifications
Four Daikin products now officially bear the Australian Made certification. “These Australian Made certifications are the first we’ve attained at Daikin, and it’s a very proud moment for us,” says Shaun Uehara, managing director of Daikin Australia. The company began manufacturing products in Australia in 1982. Australian Made is a registered certification trademark that is Australia’s […]
-
EcoDuct wins best practice status
In response to growth in the use of low-profile PVC ductwork, the Vinyl Council of Australia has added the product as a new category to its Best Environmental Practice (BEP) PVC Product Register. And the first product to score the BEP trade mark is the EcoDuct 300 Series. The mark is awarded to independently assessed, […]
-
New data on skills shortages
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) has conducted an online survey for stakeholders to find out more about skills shortages in the electrotechnology industry. And the results have now been published. In the electrotechnology sector, 76.9 per cent of respondents reported experiencing a skills shortage in the past 12 months. The occupations reported as being in shortage […]
-
Opinion: Reducing emissions through innovation
By Iain Campbell, Senior Fellow at Rocky Mountain Institute and Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH, CEO of AIRAH. With the hottest summer on record just behind us, climate change is top of mind for many of us here in Australia. Since 1910, our country has warmed over 1°C on average, leading to more extreme heat events, including […]
-
Mitsubishi Electric launches ‘quietest ever’ system
Mitsubishi Electric has launched a new split system boasting quiet operation and dual barrier coating. The MSZ-AP models use R32 refrigerant and range from 2.5–7.8kW, making them suitable for cooling and heating most homes. Mitsubishi Electric says that thanks to new technology, the units are ultra-quiet during the day and even quieter at night. Users […]
-
Mitsubishi Heavy’s new HQ
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) recently relocated its head office from Kingsgrove in New South Wales to Regents Park. MHIAA’s managing director Yuji Ito says the new space offers improved facilities more suited to the expanding company’s changing needs. MHIAA worked with Powerhouse Group for the design and build of the new office space […]
-
BMF prioritises professional registration for engineers
Following an independent assessment of problems in the building and construction industry, the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) has developed a roadmap for reform. And one of the key changes it has signalled is the need for a nationally harmonised registration scheme for building practitioners, including engineers. The implementation plan is a product of the Building […]
-
Reliable Controls confirms Tasmanian partnership
At the recent AIRAH Hobart Industry Night, Reliable Controls announced the appointment of Superior Logic as its new building automation specialist dealer in Tasmania. Superior Logic is a family-owned Tasmanian business delivering building automation systems to the HVAC and energy optimisation sectors. “Their commitment to offering high-quality engineering and innovative solutions impressed us,” says Reliable […]
-
Passive house triumphs in Ice Box Challenge
As part of the Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne, the Australian Passive House Association (APHA) ran the Ice Box Challenge to test the performance of a passive house – and the results are in! The challenge showcased two small cabins, one built to the local building code and one to the passive house standard, each […]
-
Davina Rooney named GBCA chief executive
Davina Rooney will join the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) as the organisation’s new chief executive officer. Rooney replaces Romilly Madew. Boasting a civil engineering background, Rooney was most recently in a senior sustainability position at property group Stockland. “Davina is a well-known and highly respected leader in our sector, and we are delighted […]
-
Recognising the competence of fire safety practitioners
Fire Protection Association Australia is holding seminars about the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme in March and April in New South Wales. Changes to the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2000 in 2017 mean that anyone designing a fire system, or conducting an annual fire safety assessment must be a competent fire safety practitioner. There is currently […]
-
Updated NSW Government Resource Efficiency Policy
The New South Wales government has released an updated Government Resource Efficiency Policy (GREP). The aim of the GREP is to reduce the state government’s operating costs, and to lead by example in increasing its resource use efficiency. The updated policy will continue to drive resource efficiency by NSW government agencies in four main areas: energy, […]
-
Podcast: The low-down on the HFC phase-down
The fifth episode of AIRAH on Air, AIRAH’s regular podcast series, explores the HFC phase-down. The phase-down is a worldwide initiative designed to mitigate climate change by reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – synthetic gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration that can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming. […]
-
‘Transformation’ coming for chillers and large AC
A “transformation” is on the way for chillers and large air conditioning systems. That’s the message from the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturing Association (AREMA) and the Air Conditioning Mechanical Contractors Association (AMCA), who together have organised a seminar series to help the Australian HVAC&R industry come to grips with these changes. Named Future:Air, […]
-
SMART researchers aim to optimise building HVAC
Researchers from the University of Wollongong (UOW) are exploring ways to keep building temperatures consistent within a set comfort zone. A collaboration between the university’s SMART Infrastructure Facility, industry and government, the research team is focusing on optimising building HVAC. “The project’s focus is to increase the efficiency of building environments,” says team leader and senior […]
-
New HVAC&R industry directory from AIRAH
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has released its 2019 HVAC&R Search Compendium – a new hard-copy directory publicising Australia’s industry. The Compendium follows on from AIRAH’s long-running Industry Directory. Its new iteration features a larger A4 format and a more graphical layout. “This year’s deluxe Compendium format is a response […]
-
Cooling as a service pegged as ‘top idea’ of 2019
The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance has selected cooling as a service (CaaS) as one of the top six green investment ideas for 2019. CaaS involves end-users paying for the cooling they receive, rather than the physical product or infrastructure that delivers it. A technology provider installs and maintains the cooling equipment and recovers […]
-
AIRAH on Air visits Cape Paterson
In the latest episode of the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating’s official podcast, AIRAH on Air, listeners can take a trip down to Cape Paterson. Located about two hours southeast of Melbourne, The Cape is a modern housing development leading the future of sustainable living. The new project looks to provide its residents with […]
-
Free guide specification for air tightness testing
The Air Infiltration and Ventilation Association of Australia (AIVAA) has published a free guide specification for air tightness testing. It is intended to be used by projects with a defined target for air tightness and testing, to verify it has been met. The guide specification is appropriate for residential or simple buildings. SUHO ESD Consultant […]