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NABERS sets ambitious new targets
The National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) has published a new five-year plan for 2019–2023. It contains some ambitious goals. NABERS is a national government initiative to measure and compare the environmental performance of Australian buildings and tenancies. Since its inception, the program and its well-known star system has clocked up some impressive numbers. […]
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Training package ready to review
The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) that has been working on the Electrotechnology Training Package Review project has prepared draft materials and is now looking for industry feedback. As reported previously, the project is an extension of the UEE11 Electrotechnology Training Package Transition Project. The transition and review of the training package is […]
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Heatcraft rebrands as Kirby
As part of an Australia-wide rebrand, Heatcraft has announced a new trading name and logo. The Heatcraft business will now be known as Kirby. The rebrand is an evolution of the acquisition of Heatcraft Australia by Beijer Ref in April 2018. “The new logo, Kirby – A Beijer Ref Company, unifies the business with the […]
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IEC rejects rise in flammable charge limit
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) committee responsible for IEC Standard 60335-2-89 has narrowly voted down a draft international standard that would have raised the allowable charge of flammable refrigerants in certain appliances. The vote comes after a five-year effort to raise the charge limit of flammable refrigerants such as propane and isobutane in some commercial […]
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GCP releases detailed technical application information
The Global Cooling Prize (GCP), a worldwide competition to spur the development of radically more energy-efficient cooling technology, has released its Detailed Technical Application. “We’re very excited to announce that we’ve released the Detailed Technical Application,” say staffers from the Global Cooling Prize. “In this stage of the Prize, applicants must submit comprehensive information about […]
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Authorities find ‘ice’ in imported fridges
Refrigeration made the headlines for unusual reasons recently when more than half a tonne of the drug ice was found in a shipment of imported fridges. Australian Border Force officers at the Sydney Container Examination Facility examined the container shipped from Singapore. It was declared to contain electronic ovens but was found to have 11 […]
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Illegal HFC trade ‘flourishing’ in Europe
A new report from the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has revealed the startling extent of Europe’s illegal HFC activity. The report, Doors Wide Open, is the result of surveys conducted in late 2018 with EU member states and key industry stakeholders. “Reports from industry indicate that large-scale illegal HFC trade and use is occurring in […]
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Energy consumption and emissions hit record levels
Global energy consumption and CO2 emissions rose to record levels in 2018, according to a new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). And one of the major contributors to the increase was HVAC&R. According to the IEA, energy consumption worldwide grew by 2.3 per cent in 2018, nearly twice the average rate of growth […]
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The future of AC and heating?
A research team at Germany’s Saarland University has developed a prototype device that can transfer heat using “muscles” made from nickel-titanium. Nickel-titanium is a shape-memory material that releases heat to its surroundings when it is mechanically loaded in its superelastic state. It absorbs heat from its surroundings when it is unloaded. The team, led by […]
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K-CEP establishes Million Cool Roofs Challenge
The Kigali Cooling Efficiency program (K-CEP) has announced the Million Cool Roofs Challenge. A US$2 million global competition, the initiative is designed to rapidly scale up the deployment of highly solar-reflective “cool” roofs in developing countries. The Challenge will award US$100,000 grants to up to 10 teams this year to deploy solar reflective coating and/or […]
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HVAC contractors needed for $500m schools initiative
The NSW government has advertised an Expression of Interest (EOI) to establish panels of HVAC contractors to undertake works at schools across the state. The work is part of the $500 million Cooler Classrooms initiative announced last year. The program will provide air conditioning in permanent learning spaces and libraries at schools that experience a mean […]
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So how do you define refrigeration?!
A group of experts from the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) and the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) have been working together to establish common definitions of five words that characterise the refrigeration sector. After more than a year of discussions, the organisations came to the agreement on the following […]
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Exploding the 22°C comfort myth
A new Australian study is taking on the long-held debate: is your office’s 22°C thermostat really set at the correct temperature? Around the world, 22°C has become standard practice. For workers, it’s believed to be the optimal temperature for productivity – a claim backed by ASHRAE and REHVA. Not so, says a team from South […]
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New data on skills shortages
Australian Industry Standards (AIS) has conducted an online survey for stakeholders to find out more about skills shortages in the electrotechnology industry. And the results have now been published. In the electrotechnology sector, 76.9 per cent of respondents reported experiencing a skills shortage in the past 12 months. The occupations reported as being in shortage […]
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BMF prioritises professional registration for engineers
Following an independent assessment of problems in the building and construction industry, the Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) has developed a roadmap for reform. And one of the key changes it has signalled is the need for a nationally harmonised registration scheme for building practitioners, including engineers. The implementation plan is a product of the Building […]
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Passive house triumphs in Ice Box Challenge
As part of the Sustainable Living Festival in Melbourne, the Australian Passive House Association (APHA) ran the Ice Box Challenge to test the performance of a passive house – and the results are in! The challenge showcased two small cabins, one built to the local building code and one to the passive house standard, each […]
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Davina Rooney named GBCA chief executive
Davina Rooney will join the Green Building Council of Australia (GBCA) as the organisation’s new chief executive officer. Rooney replaces Romilly Madew. Boasting a civil engineering background, Rooney was most recently in a senior sustainability position at property group Stockland. “Davina is a well-known and highly respected leader in our sector, and we are delighted […]
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Cooling as a service pegged as ‘top idea’ of 2019
The Global Innovation Lab for Climate Finance has selected cooling as a service (CaaS) as one of the top six green investment ideas for 2019. CaaS involves end-users paying for the cooling they receive, rather than the physical product or infrastructure that delivers it. A technology provider installs and maintains the cooling equipment and recovers […]
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CEO steps down from Standards Australia
Standards Australia’s Chief Executive Officer Dr Bronwyn Evans has announced that she is leaving Standards Australia on Friday, March 8. Dr Evans has been the CEO of Standards Australia since October 2013. Standards Australia chairman Richard Brooks thanked Dr Evans for her significant contributions during her time as chief executive. “Bronwyn has been CEO through […]
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Untangling industry training
The Australian training package for electrotechnology – including refrigeration and air conditioning – is under review. Revised units are now available for public feedback. The project was originally intended to be a straightforward “transition” to reorganise the material in line with the Standards for Training Packages 2012 format. But it soon became apparent that the […]