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Tag: Featured
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Heat pump demand set to soar
According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), global sales of heat pumps are “set to soar to record levels” in coming years. The IEA’s recently released report, The Future of Heat Pumps, attributes strong growth in the heat pump market to falling costs and strong incentives. According to the report, global heat pump sales rose […]
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Australia gives Pacific Island RAC training a boost
AREMA and UNEP, supported by the Australian government, have commenced a project to help Pacific Island countries improve their training capacity on good servicing practices for refrigeration and air conditioning (RAC) equipment. As a key part of the Montreal Protocol’s HCFC phase-out (which covers R22), 13 trainers from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Tonga, […]
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Sydney Build prepares for a big 2023 Expo
Sydney Build is ramping up for its 2023 Expo to be held at the International Convention and Exhibition Centre on March 6–7. “Now in its seventh year, Sydney Build is the best-attended construction event in the whole of Australia,” say the organisers. The event will boast more than 300 accredited presentations across nine stages dedicated […]
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ARC working to increase uptake of Green Scheme
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) is promoting its Green Scheme Accreditation as an important tool to support the industry in transitioning to low-GWP refrigerants and a zero emissions future. “The Green Scheme is becoming the benchmark for industry and technicians while being formally recognised by various state governments as a means of demonstrating competence in […]
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ASBEC appoints new president
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has appointed new president Tanya Cox, as architect Professor Ken Maher AO steps down after seven years in the role. Cox is a non-executive director of various ASX-listed and unlisted boards. She is the former chair of the Green Building Council of Australia and World Green Building Council […]
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Google spinoff raises funds in search of geothermal growth
As market demand surges, Dandelion, a Google spinoff company making geothermal heating and cooling for homes, has raised AUD$104 million (US$70 million) to grow its operations. Dandelion powers heat pumps using geothermal bores drilled into household backyards. As with other forms of geothermal, Dandelion taps a secure reservoir of heat in the winter, and in the summer, […]
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New guide aims to prevent ‘accident waiting to happen’
AIRAH’s Commercial Kitchen Exhaust Special Technical Group has released a free best practice guideline for the industry. Freely available to download from the AIRAH website, the guide highlights the fire risks associated with commercial kitchen exhaust systems and provides strategies for minimising these risks. Technical editor Vince Aherne, F.AIRAH, says that the specialist guide is […]
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Spotlight on future of building materials
The Materials and Embodied Carbon Leaders Alliance (MECLA) is hosting an online Spotlight event about regenerative materials, and the future of building materials. Featuring speakers from government and industry, the event will explore how different existing materials can adapt, which emerging biophilic and regenerative materials are entering the market, and the role government can play […]
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Sound advice on building tuning
A.G. Coombs has published an advisory note on the advantages of building tuning, and how to implement it effectively. The publication outlines why effective building tuning is important, as well as how to address instability within a control system and its causes, and some of the common pitfalls in tuning strategies. According to A.G. Coombs, […]
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Queensland fridgie wins national apprentice award
Air conditioning and refrigeration apprentice Jennah Halley has taken out the Apprentice of the Year award at the Australian Training Awards. The nation’s best apprentices, students, training providers, teachers and businesses were recognised for their hard work and dedication at the annual Australian Training Awards presentation, held in Adelaide at the Adelaide Convention Centre on […]
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Manufacturing breakthrough for thermoelectrics
University of Notre Dame researchers have developed a new manufacturing process that allows thermoelectric devices to be produced faster and at lower cost. The innovative process uses intense pulsed light to sinter thermoelectric material in less than a second, while conventional sintering in thermal ovens can take hours. This method of turning nanoparticle inks into flexible […]
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US tightens supply chain emissions reporting
The US Government is tightening its emissions reporting requirements, with its proposed Federal Supplier Climate Risks and Resilience Rule expanding to include Scope 3 emissions. The new rule requires major federal government contractors to report their Scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions, in a bid to protect the US Government’s supply chains from climate-related financial […]
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Sunshine Coast considers urban forests for cooling
A study is under way to investigate the “hot spots” of the Sunshine Coast and explore how urban forests can minimise heat risks. The Cool Urban Forests project is being delivered through the University of the Sunshine Coast and Sunshine Coast Council’s Regional Partnership Agreement. Project lead Dr Silvia Tavares, a UniSC Senior Lecturer in […]
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New path for PV-powered cooling
An Australian-Indian group of researchers is exploring the combined use of thermoelectric modules (TEMs) and rooftop photovoltaics (PV) in HVAC for buildings. Using air as the thermal fluid for the rooftop PV, the scientists designed a system that uses a primary TEM wall to deliver room air conditioning. Traditionally, TEMs have not been used in […]
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Exploring the potential of solar process heat
The Solar Academy of the IEA Solar Heating and Cooling Program and the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) are hosting a free webinar on solar process heat. According to the IEA SHC Solar Academy, the industrial sector accounts for approximately 30 per cent of the total energy consumption in OECD countries. Most of the energy […]
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Dodgy short courses are no more, says ARC
The Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) says it has put the kibosh on dodgy RTOs that issue spurious qualifications. According to the ARC, tell-tale signs of inadequacy for these so-called qualifications are course length – typically two days when a minimum of 360 hours has been deemed necessary – and inappropriate reliance on recognition of prior […]
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Global award to recognise lower GWP innovation
Entries are open for the ASHRAE and OzonAction of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) 2022 Lower GWP Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Innovation Award. According to ASHRAE, the award promotes innovative design, research, and practice. It recognises people who have developed or implemented innovative technological concepts applied in developing countries to minimise global warming potential (GWP) through […]
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Building industry ready to lead decarbonisation efforts
A coalition of 25 major building industry organisations has issued a statement at COP27 pledging to assume a leadership role in decarbonisation efforts in the built environment. The statement, the Building Industry Steps Up to Address Climate Change, is addressed to government representatives that are parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Changes […]
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Unprecedented weather for Australia and world
As parts of Australia had their wettest spring on record, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) announced that the Earth has just experienced its warmest eight-year period on record. Through mid-October, parts of Australia were experiencing unprecedented precipitation. On October 6, Sydney had received about 2,213mm of rainfall for the year, surpassing the previous record of 2,194mm […]
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ABCB making editorial corrections to NCC 2022
The Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) will be making editorial corrections to the National Construction Code (NCC) 2022. According to the ABCB, the corrections do not change the effect of the provisions. “The relevant editorial updates will correct some minor typographical errors and hyperlinks across the national requirements and state and territory variations,” says the […]