Page 30
All posts
-
AIRAH Awards 2023: the Institute’s night of nights
Thursday November 30 will see the who’s who of HVAC&R head to the Sofitel Sydney Darling Harbour to celebrate excellence in the industry. The awards recognise 2023’s high achievers, stand-out projects, and ground-breaking research. The black-tie gala dinner is an opportunity for attendees to meet with other industry professionals, become familiar with the latest developments […]
-
Cooling ceramic offers energy-efficiency breakthrough
A breakthrough in developing a passive radiative cooling (PRC) material has been announced by researchers at City University of Hong Kong, with findings published in Science. Known as cooling ceramic, the material has achieved high-performance optical properties for energy-free and refrigerant-free cooling generation. The researchers say its cost-effectiveness, durability and versatility make it suitable for […]
-
Refrigeration helping elite athletes
The University of Melbourne has found a new use for one of its research refrigerators: helping to train a woman for an arctic marathon. Sia Kindberg is undertaking the 230km Ice Ultra Arctic marathon in February next year at Swedish Lapland, Sweden. Temperatures can drop to -40°C, and Kindberg will be expected to carry her […]
-
Women in construction speak out
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has released the results from its Women in Construction Future Leaders Pilot scoping study. With assistance from the NSW government’s Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program (IIP) grant, ASBEC launched the pilot to create lasting change in the industry and promote gender diversity. It is also a part […]
-
Industry collaborates to strengthen fire safety
A new course has become available for HVAC&R technicians maintaining or signing off mechanical services for Annual Fire Safety Statements.
-
Public v private: the great trade training debate
November has been a busy month for skills training in Australia. The federal and Victorian governments combined to announce funding for up to 62,800 new fee-free TAFE positions in Victoria – with the construction industry highlighted as a major area of need. Meanwhile, the National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) released a report suggesting […]
-
Heat pump tour at Hardwick’s
The Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) is holding a bus tour on Wednesday, November 29 in Kyneton, Victoria to visit some commercial and industrial heat pump installations. The tour will showcase how heat pump technology efficiently supplies heating and cooling services for a range of applications. Hosted by A2EP CEO Jarrod Leak, the tour […]
-
New views of the engineering skills shortage
Engineers Australia has launched its latest statistical overview of the engineering profession in Australia, which it says sheds light on the concerning state of the engineering workforce. The report, now into its 15th iteration, is based on Australian census data and offers high-level insights about the engineering workforce. This edition covers the 2016-2021 census surveys […]
-
A super-model for green technologies
A research team at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has developed a super-model to project how three green technologies will perform in Switzerland. As many countries aim for carbon neutrality by 2050 – including Switzerland – the need for projection tools is ever increasing, although many models have limitations. According to UNIGE, they can take […]
-
Embraco aims to double sales with sustainability focus
Refrigeration supplier Embraco has announced a bold plan to double its net sales by 2027, with the brand shifting its focus towards sustainability and interconnectivity. The move will see the company – a subsidiary of Brazilian-owned Nidec Global Appliance – change its approach to both product development and branding, with Embraco hoping that highlighting its […]
-
Carel sees a quarter of growth
Carel Industries has reported almost a quarter of growth in 2023 compared to 2022. The Board released the third quarter results recently, and consolidated revenue came to €497.2 mil (approximately AU$833 mil) – an increase of 24 per cent. Carel CEO Francesco Nalini says the result is particularly positive. The same period in 2022 saw […]
-
Hunter prize for Adelaide refrigeration business
Australian business Cold Logic has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to construct and install cold and cool rooms for the first batch of three Hunter class frigates. The Adelaide-based refrigeration specialist will partner with UK company Ernest West & Beynon (EWB), leveraging EWB’s experience in supplying into the Type 26 program, the reference design for […]
-
More work to do – ACIF reviews building reforms
The Australian Construction Industry Forum (ACIF) has released a comprehensive review of the implementation of the Building Confidence Report recommendations. It finds that that although the states and territories have made progress towards implementing the recommendations, there is still work to be done. After the Building Confidence Report was released in 2018, federal, state and […]
-
Indoor Air Quality Conference calls for speakers
AIRAH is hosting the 2024 Indoor Air Quality Conference in Melbourne from July 15–16. The technical committee is seeking a range of submissions from a broad cross-section of the built environment. As Australians spend 90 per cent of their time indoors – in the home, office, or other types of buildings – supplying clean air through […]
-
Cooling to take centre stage at COP28
A worldwide initiative to reduce cooling-related emissions is set to be launched at COP28, slated for November 30 to December 12 in Dubai. Known as the Global Cooling Pledge, the initiative represents the world’s first collective focus on reducing energy emissions from the cooling sector. It comes in response to growing access to and demand […]
-
Celebrating women in trades
Empowered Women in Trades (EWIT) is presenting The Empowered Women in Trades Gala and Awards on Friday, February 23, 2024 in Melbourne. The awards celebrate the groundbreaking achievements and accomplishments of women and non-binary people in trades. With an anticipated gathering of 350 attendees, the event also presents a chance to be part of a […]
-
ASHRAE releases guide on grid interactivity
US engineering organisation ASHRAE has released a guide focusing on the essential role of grid interactivity in the decarbonisation process. The second in a series of guides developed by the ASHRAE Task Force For Building Decarbonization (TFBD), the Grid-Interactive Buildings for Decarbonization: Design and Operation Resource Guide is designed to provide information on maximising carbon […]
-
Cooling streams to save fish
Researchers from Dalhousie University in Canada have been working on ways to artificially cool streams to save coldwater species of fish. As water temperatures rise, various species of fish have been impacted – scientists estimate 400,000 fish make the annual salmon run in Canada, whereas 50 years ago the numbers were about a million. The […]
-
Seismic standard open for comment
Standards Australia’s BD-006 committee has released a draft of an amendment to AS 1170.4 Structural design actions – Earthquake actions in Australia for public comment. Standards Australia says the main purpose of the amendment is to incorporate general editorial changes to improve clarity and remove ambiguity, as well as updates to the seismic hazard map. […]
-
Opinion: The great Australian standards paywall
Clearscope Legal’s Raphael Brown looks at whether Australia’s pricing model for standards is helping or hindering the HVAC&R industry. Australian Standards are the unsung heroes of the HVAC&R world, defining the technical legal obligations that keep our heating, cooling and refrigeration systems in check. From the fine art of electrical wiring (AS/NZS 3000) to the […]