Laura Timberlake

February 17, 2021

Sustainable Starbucks built in six days

News

Starbucks Canada is opening the first sustainably constructed Starbucks drive-thru store in Abbotsford, Canada. The store was constructed in just six days with near-zero construction waste. It is also designed to reduce energy needs for heating and cooling compared to standard construction builds. Starbucks worked with Vancouver-based green building company, Nexii Building Solutions, to construct […]

February 10, 2021

Important advance in harnessing waste heat

News

Scientists at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and Tōhoku University in Japan have successfully increased the electrical power per footprint of thermomagnetic generators. Scientists have long been trying to find ways to harness waste heat. Recently, there was increased interest in finding new thermoelectric materials. Many technical processes unintentionally release unused heat into the environment, […]

February 9, 2021

Discrimination in the construction industry

News

A new report has revealed that women working in trades and semi-skilled roles in construction experience high rates of discrimination. The Victorian government commissioned the report from RMIT as part of its Women in Construction Strategy, which aims to increase participation of women in the construction industry. The study found that women perceive a lack of acceptance […]

February 3, 2021

Young Aussies tackle sustainable living

News

The Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE), in partnership with Orica, has developed a remote learning module that focuses on sustainable housing. The module was designed for the STELR (Science and Technology Education Leveraging Relevance) education program and teaches secondary school students to design a low-energy home. ATSE Chief Executive, Kylie Walker, says the sustainable housing education kit is […]

February 3, 2021

National search for engineering and technology champions

News

The International Council of Academies of Engineering and Technological Sciences (CAETS) has established two annual communications prizes to find compelling technological and engineering innovations. The Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering (ATSE) is a founding member of CAETS, and is searching for technological scientists and engineers who are involved in ground-breaking work and are also […]

January 27, 2021

Plan to expand energy-efficiency upgrades

Regulations

The Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) has opened a public consultation to expand the range of energy efficiency upgrades available to households and businesses, as part of the Victorian Energy Upgrades (VEU) program. The VEU program is established under the Victorian Energy Efficiency Target (VEET) Act 2007 to help Victoria reduce its […]

January 27, 2021

ASHRAE Virtual Winter Conference

Events and conferences

The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) is holding the winter conference online from February 9–11 (EST). The conference will feature eight tracks (streams), with 40 live presentations and over 80 on-demand sessions; which will be available for 18 months. There will also be virtual technical tours, social events, meet-ups, networking opportunities […]

January 20, 2021

Study shows workouts create higher bodily emissions

News

The University of Colorado Boulder has released a study which shows human bodily emissions can combine with bleach cleaners to produce new airborne chemicals. According to the study, a person who is exercising can emit as many chemicals as five sedentary people. And when this happens in a place such as a gym, the bodily […]

January 20, 2021

The IOR extends call for abstracts

Events and conferences

The Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) has extended the abstract deadline for its annual conference until January 29. The conference is being held online from April 21–22, 2021, and is called “The Journey to Net-Zero Heating and Cooling – Beyond Refrigeration 2021”. The IOR is inviting presentation papers that explore innovations or initiatives that will help […]

January 7, 2021

AIRAH’s 2021 Industry Nights announced

Events and conferences

The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) has announced it will be holding 19 Industry Nights across Australia in 2021. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, AIRAH was only able to hold two face-to-face Industry Nights in 2020. AIRAH also transitioned the traditional Industry Nights into the Virtual Industry Showcase, and held two exhibitor […]