Mark Vender

October 6, 2022

Chief troublemaker to present conference keynote

Events and conferences

The Building Physics Forum is coming up on October 12 in Sydney and online. Organised by AIRAH, the event unites experts on ventilation, moisture and condensation management and building envelopes. It’s a highly technical community that is also renowned for its passion and energy. This year, the keynote speaker promises to stir up even more […]

October 6, 2022

Decarbonisation promise of district heating and cooling

Events and conferencesNews

District heating and cooling (DHC) was the focus of a full-day event held recently in Melbourne, which explored the potential of this technology. DHC systems are local energy networks provide heating and cooling to buildings in a district. They do this by supplying hot water or steam for heating systems, and chilled water for air […]

October 6, 2022

ARBS 2022 declared an ‘overwhelming success’

Events and conferences

ARBS 2022, held from 16–18 August in Melbourne, has been lauded as an “overwhelming success” by the organisers, based on positive attendance numbers and feedback from visitors and exhibitors alike. The official visitor count – not including staff or exhibitors – came in at 7,408, with 216 stands filling out the 15,000m2 of exhibition space. […]

October 5, 2022

Australia’s first all-electric aquatic centre opens its doors

News

The opening of the Brimbank Aquatic and Wellness Centre in Melbourne’s western suburbs has been celebrated as Australia’s first all-electric, renewable energy aquatic centre. Located in Keilor Downs, the $60 million facility aims to provide an energy-efficient blueprint to councils across Australia. According to the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), leisure centres are among the most […]

October 4, 2022

Hydrogen not the future for home heating

News

A review of independent studies on the use of hydrogen for heating has delivered a damning verdict for the idea that we may one day replace our existing gas network with a hydrogen network. The evidence review, undertaken by energy influencer Dr Jan Rosenow, looked at 32 independent studies. These were conducted at international, regional, […]

October 3, 2022

Research reveals huge health benefits of humble retrofits

News

A comprehensive study conducted through the Victorian Healthy Homes Program has measured the impact of an energy efficiency and thermal comfort home upgrade on temperature, energy use, health and quality of life. It found that for every dollar saved in energy, more than $10 is saved in health. Over three years (2018–20), Sustainability Victoria oversaw […]

October 3, 2022

NT to adopt NCC 2019 energy-efficiency provisions

Regulations

The Northern Territory has confirmed it will introduce energy-efficiency provisions for non-residential buildings, as specified in Section J of Volume One of NCC 2019. The decision was made after a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis was undertaken by energy-efficiency specialists DeltaQ. This examined the impact of the potential adoption of either the energy efficiency provisions in the […]

October 1, 2022

NCC 2022 now available online

NewsRegulations

The 2022 version of the National Construction Code (NCC) is now available online. The major changes are the lifting of the minimum energy efficiency requirements for new homes from 6 to 7 NatHERS stars, and a new annual energy-use budget applicable to major appliances such as space conditioning, hot water, lighting, pool and spa pumps, […]

September 28, 2022

National campaign to promote careers in HVAC&R

News

A new campaign promoting careers in HVAC&R is being rolled out by the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC), targeting students at almost 3,000 secondary schools across Australia. Each school’s careers adviser will receive a package explaining the careers the HVAC&R industry can offer, and how students can make a difference. ARC chairman Michael Bennett says the […]

September 26, 2022

US commits to HFC phase-down

News

The US Senate has ratified the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, joining the 137 other countries that have already ratified the treaty. The Kigali Amendment calls for a gradual reduction in the consumption and production of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), which are potent greenhouse gases. Many of these are used as refrigerants in HVAC&R systems. “The […]