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Tag: Featured
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Sydney Opera House achieves rare sustainability feat
Sydney Opera House has become one of the first UNESCO World Heritage-listed buildings to achieve a 6 Star Green Star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA), signifying global leadership in environmental and social sustainability operations. Representatives from the Opera House say, “the 6 Star premiere is the culmination of 10 years of […]
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Sojitz Corporation acquires Ellis Air
Sojitz Corporation has announced it will acquire Australian air conditioning and mechanical services company Ellis Air Group. Sojitz is a Japanese company working across a wide range of sectors including infrastructure, automotive, transportation, and consumer industries. It describes the acquisition of Ellis Air as a step into the energy conservation market in Australia. It is […]
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Poor rental standards putting residents at risk
New research indicates that the poor condition of Australian rental properties, particularly with respect to heating, cooling and moisture management, are putting residents’ health and wellbeing at risk. The paper, authored by researchers from the University of South Australia, University of Adelaide, and University of Melbourne, reviewed rental housing standards, housing and health policy in […]
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New micromodules for NCC education
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) has announced that NCC continuing professional development (CPD) micromodules are now available for CPD providers to deliver as part of their own activities. “Our aim is to complement existing programs and increase National Construction Code (NCC) content in education,” says the ABCB. “This will ultimately improve practitioner understanding and […]
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AC testing standards ‘inadequate’, says RMI
With the world predicted to soon face the hottest year on record, clean energy not-for-profit the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) has highlighted the need for better air conditioning testing standards and performance ratings. According to RMI, today’s testing standards and performance ratings are more aligned with the climate profiles of the global north, which experience […]
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GBCA gears up for Green Building Day 2023
Green Building Council Australia (GBCA) is holding its latest Green Building Day at venues in five capital cities and online, starting Tuesday, May 23 in Perth and ending Thursday, June 22 in Sydney. Green Building Day 2023 will offer a deep dive into key local and national strategy areas, with an agenda that showcases plans […]
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World-first thermal energy storage gigafactory
Israel-based thermal energy storage firm Brenmiller Energy claims it has created a world-first gigafactory, targeting 4GWh of annual production capacity by the end of 2023. In early May, Brenmiller Energy announced the opening of its thermal energy storage gigafactory in Dimona, Israel, saying the gigafactory will be its primary manufacturing hub. The company expects production […]
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National Skills Agreement to lift VET completion rates
Boosting VET completion rates will be one of the key elements in a new National Skills Agreement, according to the Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor. O’Connor says that, together with other state and territory ministers, he will be looking at “myriad ways we can improve the completion rates”. “It’s going to be subject […]
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Cloudy with a chance of data errors
Industry stakeholders have highlighted issues with widely used weather and climate datasets that they say can cause significant errors for building energy modellers. Since August 2021, the CSIRO has distributed free weather and climate datasets for use by building energy modellers for estimating HVAC energy demand and consumption, as well as moisture management under typical […]
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MECLA to bust myths about embodied carbon
The Material and Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance (MECLA) is holding a Spotlight event at 3.30pm (AEST) on May 18 to bust myths about embodied carbon. “Low embodied carbon materials continue to be clouded by myths, which prevent large-scale uptake in the built environment,” say the organisers. “Some of these so-called myths claim that low embodied […]
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Construction Innovation Forum to explore digital transformation
A lineup of global thought leaders is coming together on May 17 at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre to explore the seismic impact of digital transformation in construction – both in the future and in the now. “Technological advances in the building and construction industry allow organisations to design, construct and maintain buildings more efficiently, with […]
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NABERS Renewable Energy Indicator preview
NABERS is holding a webinar to preview its Renewable Energy Indicator (REI) on Thursday, May 11. The REI is a new indicator displaying the proportion of renewable energy that a rated building is running on. Both onsite renewable energy generation and offsite renewable energy purchases are recognised. Expected to be launched in the first half […]
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Social media provides data on heat-vulnerable regions
New research into social media data at Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, has provided insight into what motivates people to buy air conditioners worldwide. With temperatures rising around the world, more and more people globally regard air conditioning as an essential part of living. But AC units are also likely to increase energy consumption. […]
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ARBS Foundation marks milestone in support for HVAC&R
The ARBS Foundation – the foundation for industry education and research – is celebrating nearly a decade of support for the HVAC&R industry. Now in its ninth year, the foundation has made significant contributions to the air conditioning, refrigeration, and building services industry through grants for various projects and initiatives. ARBS Executive Officer David Eynon […]
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Greenhouse gas evaluation standard under review
ASHRAE and the International Code Council have announced that an advisory public review is open for a proposed joint greenhouse gas (GHG) evaluation standard. Proposed ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240P – Evaluating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Carbon Emissions in Building Design, Construction and Operation, aims to provide a methodology to quantify and document GHG emissions associated with […]
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Carrier acquires Viessmann Climate Solutions for $20 billion
Carrier Global Corporation will acquire Viessmann Climate Solutions, the largest segment of the German HVAC&R manufacturer the Viessmann Group, in a cash and stock transaction valued at AUD$20 billion, subject to working capital and other adjustments. “A privately held company with a 106-year legacy of innovation, Viessmann Climate Solutions provides Carrier with an iconic, premium […]
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Refrigerant roadshow confirms dates and locations
Venues and dates have now been confirmed for the Australian future:gas refrigerant roadshow, with sessions in all capital cities as well as Albury, Newcastle and Townsville. The roadshow will also travel to Papua New Guinea and New Zealand in July. Venues for these sessions will be announced in due course. Over May and June, the […]
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Passivhaus Conference to show the way
The Australian Passivhaus Association is holding a conference on Passivhaus building technologies and methodologies at the University of NSW in Sydney from May 5–6. The conference aims to demonstrate the importance of well-conceived and consistent action in the building sector for a successful transition to a sustainable energy future. Hands-on workshops and masterclasses will help […]
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Magnetic cooling technology attracts major funding
A magnetic cooling startup company in Darmstadt, Germany, has attracted the equivalent of more than $AU10 million in funding to begin mass production of its beverage refrigerators, which are cooled by a temperature-active metal. The company, MagnoTherm Solutions, was established in 2019 by a team of specialists in the field of permanent magnets and magnetic […]
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Spray cooling to lower carbon footprint for data centres
Nanyang Technological University (NTU) researchers in Singapore say they have developed a more sustainable and green method for cooling down servers in data centres, potentially reducing both energy costs and carbon footprint by up to 26 per cent. Data centres in Singapore currently account for 7 per cent of the nation’s total electricity consumption. With […]