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Tag: Cold Hard Facts
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Addressing the RAC skills shortage
In the wake of recent reports highlighting a shortage of RAC technicians in Australia, the ARC says it is addressing these challenges.
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Living beyond our means: Australia’s refrigerant reckoning
Australia is using more refrigerant than it imports and will face a reckoning when stockpiles run out, according to Cold Hard Facts 4.
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Vale Pat McInerney
Staunch environmental advocate and Australian representative at meetings of the Montreal Protocol Patrick McInerney has passed away, aged 61.
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Air conditioning costs to cause discomfort
Melbourne-based startup Conry Tech is highlighting the increased costs of air conditioning this year, and predicts this will bring mainstream attention to what is typically an invisible issue. Conry Tech CEO and co-founder Sam Ringwaldt, M.AIRAH, estimates that power bills for air conditioning will be over $12.4 billion in 2023, given recent energy price rises. […]
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Days of R404A are numbered
High-GWP refrigerants may soon be in short supply and rising in price as stockpiles dwindle, international pressures hit our shores, and the HFC phase-down quotas start to bite. And according to experts at AIRAH’s Refrigeration 2022 conference this week, that means it’s time for contractors to urgently switch away from R404A. When the HFC phase-down […]
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Refrigerant report underlines need for further efforts
The latest Cold Hard Facts report, just released, confirms that Australia has now very likely passed “peak bank” in terms of both total volume of refrigerant and its GWP value. But it also highlights segments of the refrigerant market that may require more attention, and the need for ongoing effort to restrict emissions. Since 2007, […]
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Does R134a alternative hold promise for Australia?
US refrigerant manufacturer Koura has launched R456A, an alternative to R134a for automotive aftermarket applications. R456A has a global warming potential of 626 – about half that of R134a. According to Koura, trials have shown R456A to be compatible with existing R134a automotive air conditioning systems while maintaining “high-quality, efficient performance”. The development comes as […]
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Winding road ahead for mobile air conditioning
While the HVAC&R sector tends to focus on the built environment, mobile air conditioning represents a significant portion of Australia’s refrigerant bank – and poses serious challenges as we look to phase down HFCs. The most recent Cold Hard Facts report indicates that mobile air conditioning comprises more than 20 per cent of Australia’s total […]
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AIRAH backs further action on high-GWP refrigerants
AIRAH has backed a federal government proposal to ban the import and manufacture of small air conditioners with high-GWP refrigerants – and called for similar actions in other classes of equipment. The ban on small air conditioners with high-GWP refrigerants would complete the transition – already well under way – from R410A to R32 and […]
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Government eyes ban on high-GWP air conditioners
The Ozone and Climate Protection Section of the Australian Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment is seeking industry input on a proposal to limit the import and manufacture of small air conditioning units using high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants. The approach would ban the import and manufacture of small air conditioning units using […]
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Why is R404A still a go-to option in Australia?
Despite its tag as an “outgoing” refrigerant in the HFC phase-down, there are signs that R404A remains a go-to option for key sectors of Australia’s HVAC&R industry. According to experts, pressure from end-users for low first-cost and straightforward, low-risk solutions, and a lack of incentives to move to new technologies have made R404A an ongoing […]
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ARBS extends online Seminar Series
ARBS Seminar Series online has revealed its line-up of sessions for 2021. The schedule brings together some of Australia’s leading experts to present the latest trends, innovations, scientific research and technologies relevant to the HVAC&R and building service industry. Cold Hard Facts | Michael McCann, Expert Group | February 16, 1pm Now employing 14 years […]
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Has Australia hit ‘peak bank’?
A new version of the Cold Hard Facts report reveals that Australia’s HVAC&R sector may have hit “peak bank” for synthetic greenhouse gases (SGGs) in 2019–20. The total global warming potential (GWP) of the bank of synthetic greenhouse gases employed in refrigerating and air conditioning systems in Australia is predicted to have peaked in 2019–20 […]
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Industry snapshot: the latest figures
The Department of the Environment and Energy has released an updated version of Cold Hard Facts, the definitive inventory of Australia’s HVAC&R industry. The 2019 edition updates the version released last year (which contained data up to 2016) with data collected during 2017 and 2018. Key points from this year’s report include: The bank of […]
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Sneak peek: Cold Hard Facts update
An updated version of Cold Hard Facts 3 is on the way and should be ready in mid-2019. It will include 2017 and 2018 data, and will identify key developments and emerging trends in the Australian HVAC&R industry. Once again the Department of the Environment and Energy has employed The Expert Group to produce the report. […]
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Cold Hard Facts 3 released
It’s the most comprehensive inventory available of the Australian HVAC&R sector, and a new version has just been published. Cold Hard Facts 3, produced by The Expert Group for the Department of the Environment and Energy, presents nationwide figures for equipment, refrigerant, energy consumption and emissions. The study aims to provide policy makers, industry, and […]