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Nominations open for ARBS 2024 Industry Awards
Nominations are now open for the ARBS 2024 Industry Awards, a celebration of distinguished contributions in Australia’s HVAC&R and building services sector. The awards are an integral component of ARBS 2024, Australia’s largest exhibition for air conditioning, refrigeration, and building services, and span a variety of categories, including: ARBS Young Achiever ARBS Product Excellence ARBS […]
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Victoria bans gas in new homes from 2024
The Victorian government has added major momentum to the electrification movement with the announcement that it is banning gas connections to new homes from next year. New homes and residential subdivisions that require a planning permit cannot connect to the gas network from January 2024. This will apply to new planning permit applications submitted from […]
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Electricity-generating windows in line for prize
Monash University researchers have been selected as finalists in Australia’s premier national science awards, the Eureka Prizes, for their research and innovation project which heralds substantial practical advances in renewable energy for a low-carbon future. The project, a collaboration between Monash University and CSIRO to develop windows that can efficiently generate solar electricity, is a […]
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Melbourne brewery completes heat pump upgrade
Melbourne brewer 3 Ravens has completed an award-winning energy upgrade to its Thornbury brewing facility that will enable it to ramp up production by up to four times current levels without increasing its energy consumption. In addition to upgrading the building fabric and installing 74kW of solar panels and a “cool roof”, the brewery has installed a […]
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Site tour of heat pump installations
The Australian Alliance for Energy Productivity (A2EP) is running site tours of commercial heat pump installations in Melbourne on Tuesday, August 1. The one-day tour will include visits to a commercial office building and a brewery to see the different commercial heat pumps installed and operating. The tour will also visit Automatic Heating’s training facility […]
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New resources for building net zero homes
The South Australian government has established a learning hub to provide easy “one stop” access to builders, allied professions and trades seeking knowledge and skills for building energy-efficient and net zero energy homes. The site has six training webinars and case studies that make up the Net Zero Homes training course for builders, developed by […]
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Smart refill for single and dual pumps
Automatic Heating has launched its Duraflex Smart Refill, designed and manufactured in Australia. According to the company, this innovative product boasts advanced features that offer enhanced efficiency and reliability and reduce environmental impact, making it the perfect choice for high hazard applications. Automatic Heating says the Duraflex Smart Refill is a failsafe and fully approved […]
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Queensland NCC stance highlights ‘patchwork’ problem
Queensland has confirmed that it will maintain the original timetable for adopting improved energy efficiency, condensation management and livable housing provisions in NCC 2022. Although industry stakeholders have applauded the decision, they have also raised concerns about delays in other jurisdictions, and the inconsistent implementation of what is intended to be a national code to […]
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ASHRAE awarded major grant for energy code training
US engineering body ASHRAE has earned a US$2.85 million (AUD$4.17 million) grant from the US Department of Energy Building Technologies Office for Resilient and Efficient Codes Implementation (RECI). The program invests $225 million over five years, to “enable sustained cost-effective implementation of updated building energy codes.” The award will fund the “Energy Code Official – […]
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BPEQ charges unregistered engineer
The Board of Professional Engineers of Queensland (BPEQ) has prosecuted a case involving an interstate engineer providing professional engineering services for a building in Queensland. According to the BPEQ, the engineer worked outside of Queensland and did not register as a registered professional engineer of Queensland (RPEQ). Unregistered engineers can face serious consequences for providing […]
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Net zero plan for Australia’s built environment
The federal government has confirmed that it will develop decarbonisation plans for different sectors – including a specific plan for the built environment. In its issues paper on setting, tracking and achieving Australia’s emissions reduction targets, the Climate Change Authority proposed focusing on sectors as set out in Australia’s National Greenhouse Gas Inventory: electricity, stationary […]
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Innovative building materials on show
The Material and Embodied Carbon Leaders’ Alliance (MECLA) is promoting the uptake of low-carbon building materials through a new innovation competition. “The built environment accounts for roughly 40 per cent of global emission,” says MECLA. “Using lower carbon and innovative materials in construction is a crucial part of the decarbonisation journey for the industry. Companies […]
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Wilo offers smart pumps for smart buildings
Wilo has developed a new smart pump which it says sets new standards in connectivity to building management and bus systems. According to Wilo, the Stratos MAXO is ideal for easy integration into automated large buildings. “Thanks to analogue and digital interfaces, planners and operators can easily and flexibly integrate the pump into different applications […]
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MHIAA teams up with Meriton
Meriton’s latest development on Queensland’s Gold Coast includes 740 apartments (377 residential and 363 serviced), a recreation area with swimming pool, spa, fitness courtyard, and a barbecue area as well as a vibrant retail precinct. It also includes a cafe and a purpose-built restaurant with stunning beachfront vistas. At 76 storeys, the Ocean complex is […]
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Panasonic fits out ‘dream home’ with Z Series
Panasonic recently partnered with DIY renovators Roisin and Zac Tarrant to install a Premium Z Series Reverse Cycle R32 Wall Split System in their holiday home in Toowoomba, Queensland. Panasonic says the Z Series, which incorporates its Cloud Comfort App, allows the Tarrants to remotely control their air conditioning system ahead of their guests’ arrival. […]
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Australia’s top talent battles for WorldSkills gold
WorldSkills Australia is holding its 2023 national championships from August 17–19 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. Held every two years, the competition sees the top skills talent from all over the country compete over four days. Across more than 60 skills – including refrigeration and air conditioning – participants will battle it out […]
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Climate control, termite style
Lund University researchers in Sweden have found that future buildings inspired by termites could achieve the same effect as traditional climate control but with greater energy efficiency and fewer emissions. According to the researchers, termite mounds have a sophisticated ventilation system that allows air to circulate throughout the structure. This helps maintain and regulate temperature […]
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US lays out next steps for HFC phase-down
The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced an HFC reduction of 40 per cent below historic levels from 2024 through 2028. The rule aligns with the bipartisan American Innovation and Manufacturing (AIM) Act’s goals to reduce the production and consumption of HFCs by 85 per cent by 2036. The US began its phase-down on […]
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New 570s smart manifold from testo
Measurement specialist testo has launched a new digital manifold, designed to detect and highlight system anomalies through long-term measurements and smart diagnosis. “For long-term measurements, error analysis is often time-consuming, and yet anomalies frequently remain undetected,” says Testo. “This is exactly what is different with new testo 570s. The Smart App takes over the analysis […]
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Daikin launches new air-cooled R32 scroll chillers
Daikin Australia has launched its third generation of air-cooled R32 scroll chillers. The new series features an extended capacity range of up to 1,012kW and is available in two efficiency versions – according to Daikin with EER up to 3.368 and IPLV up to 5.165 – and three sound configurations. Daikin says the new chillers […]