Mark Vender
Articles by Mark Vender | Page 110
UN project celebrates women workers
Last year the United Nations called for women working in the HVAC&R industry around the world to share their stories. These have now been compiled in a special publication – Women in the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning Industry: Personal Experiences and Achievements. “If you ask the average person on the street who they think designs, manufactures, […]
Securing your BMCS
Building services specialist A.G. Coombs has published an advisory note about building management control systems. “In modern buildings, building management and control systems (BMCS) are responsible for the operation of critical systems including air conditioning, ventilation, lighting, backup power supplies and, often, building security and access. “These critical systems can be let down by compromised […]
Disruption waiting to happen for BMS industry
According to IBM researcher Arun Vishwanath, disruption is coming to the building controls industry in the form of artificial intelligence and machine learning that could eventually enable self-driving buildings. Vishwanath was the keynote speaker at AIRAH’s inaugural Big Data and Analytics Forum in Sydney last week. The event saw 120 attendees – including analytics consultants, […]
Five low-hanging fruit of HVAC&R
The time has come to herald the sustainability solutions offered by HVAC&R, rather than focus on its challenges. That’s the message from Andrea Voigt, Director General of the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment (EPEE). As Europe swelters through one of its hottest summers on record, cooling in the form of air conditioning is […]
Southern stars: SA Apprentice Awards
Last week AIRAH held its annual SA Apprentice Awards to recognise up-and-coming professionals in South Australia’s HVAC&R sector. Ben Winter of Airmaster took out the top award. A fourth-year apprentice, Winter joined Airmaster in 2016 and assists in the maintenance operations at the Myer Centre in Adelaide’s Rundle Mall precinct. ActronAir was the major sponsor of […]
Lifting HVAC&R standards in PNG
The Papua New Guinea Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Association (PNGRACA) has signed a memorandum of agreement with the Conservation and Environment Protection Authority (CEPA) to promote good practices in the country’s HVAC&R sector. Under the 25-year agreement, PNGRACA will assist with regulations, laws and licensing of the industry standards, and increasing and improving the training […]
Demand rises for solar heating and cooling
A new report from the International Energy Agency Solar Heating and Cooling Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA SHC) indicates that demand for solar heating and cooling is on the rise worldwide for the first time since 2015. The report, Solar Heat Worldwide, notes that 10 of the 20 largest national markets reported growing sales in 2018. […]
Raising the efficiency bar for homes
Expect new Australian homes to become more sustainable after an agreement at last week’s Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) to enhance energy efficiency provisions for residential buildings in the National Construction Code (NCC). The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has warmly welcomed the agreement. “The homes built today will still be operating in 2050 – […]
ABCB to play key role in industry reform
The Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) met last Thursday to discuss a range of issues facing the building and construction sector – many of which were flagged in the Shergold Weir Building Confidence report. All jurisdictions agreed to a national approach to implementing the recommendations. And the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) will play a key […]
How flammable is ‘mildly flammable’?
A multi-million-dollar research project led by AHRI, with support from ASHRAE, the US Department of Energy and the California Air Resources Board, has comprehensively tested refrigerants to answer questions around their flammability. In Australia, the topic continues to provoke debate, and understandably so. Because of the HFC phase-down, previously common non-flammable A1 refrigerants are giving way […]
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