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 […]
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 […]
The fifth episode of AIRAH on Air, AIRAH’s regular podcast series, explores the HFC phase-down. The phase-down is a worldwide initiative designed to mitigate climate change by reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – synthetic gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration that can be thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming. […]
The federal government has set out its climate change approach in the lead-up to the federal election, likely to be held in May. The Climate Solutions Package (CSP) is a $3.5 billion policy that promises to help meet Australia’s 2030 Paris Treaty commitments of reducing 2005 emissions by 26–28 per cent. Perhaps signalling a growing […]
The Building Ministers’ Forum (BMF) met in Hobart on February 8 to discuss issues ranging from safety to energy efficiency. The BMF oversees policy and regulatory issues affecting Australia’s building and construction industries. It is made up of federal and state and territory government ministers who have responsibility for building and construction. It was thought […]
The NCC (National Construction Code) 2019 Preview has been released. Versions of all three volumes and the guide to volume one are now available to download as PDFs. The NCC sets the minimum acceptable standards for all new construction work in Australia. Since 2005, it has included provisions in Section J for energy efficiency, including […]
Standards Australia has announced it will look to improve access to standards in the wake of a ruling that SAI Global will no longer have exclusive distribution rights. In late December 2018, an independent arbitration determined that any extended distribution agreement with SAI Global will be non-exclusive. This means that Standards Australia can now take […]
New labelling for air conditioners and highers standards of energy efficiency are on the way after the COAG Energy Council ministers met on December 19 and agreed to the Decision Regulation Impact Statement (RIS). The RIS proposed tightening regulations on the energy efficiency of air conditioners. Approximately 40 per cent of energy usage in Australian […]
France has adopted an HFC tax that will enter into force in 2021. A component of the country’s 2019 finance bill, the measure uses a 40 per cent income tax discount to encourage companies to make the transition away from HFCs. The measure will also support the adoption of HFC alternatives from now until December […]
Households and small businesses in New South Wales could receive discounts of up to $1,000 when they install an energy efficient air conditioning unit. The program is part of the Climate Change Fund initiative, and is designed to encourage people to buy high-efficiency units. It was announced by Premier Gladys Berejiklian in September 2017 as part […]