RMIT University is seeking to promote the refrigeration, air conditioning and heating disciplines with its engineering students. The university is looking for industrial partners in this space to partner with the School of Engineering and propose potential student research projects, or “capstone projects”, for 2020. What is a capstone project? Undergraduate engineering students are all […]
The Victorian government is moving ahead with its plan for compulsory professional registration of engineers, and has released more information about when and how the scheme will come into effect. Consumer Affairs Victoria held a forum on Monday, December 2 with engineers who have previously expressed an interest in the engineers registration scheme. The forum […]
The Australian Industry Standards annual skills survey is open, and all members of the HVAC&R industry are encouraged to participate. “This is the best opportunity refrigeration and air conditioning employers will get to voice their opinion,” says long-time educator and member of the RAC technical advisory committee (TAC), Steve Smith. “They can indicate whether the […]
The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has released a report highlighting the enormous refrigerant bank worldwide, and environmental benefits of managing it properly. Search, Reuse and Destroy describes a range of measures to manage the global refrigerant bank, particularly the ozone depleting substances (ODS) and hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) contained in existing equipment, chemical stockpiles, foams and other […]
Heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) are notoriously energy-intensive, consuming a considerable percentage of Australia’s electricity and producing substantial emissions. The new Innovation Hub for Affordable Heating and Cooling (i-Hub) initiative, led by the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) – in conjunction with CSIRO, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the […]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced Glaciem Cooling Technologies Pty Ltd (Glaciem) is receiving $2 million in funding to demonstrate the technical and economic value of integrating thermal energy storage with renewable energy into HVAC&R applications. Glaciem and the University of South Australia (UniSA) have been developing a low-cost thermal energy storage technology […]
ASHRAE has launched its first Tech Hour video on the ASHRAE 365 app. ASHRAE Tech Hour aims to provide relevant technical content in the form of one-hour videos to members and interested individuals. The first video, Optimize Occupant Health, Building Energy Performance and Revenue through Indoor-Air Hydration, launched on November 19. It is presented by […]
At its meeting on November 22, 2019, the COAG Energy Ministers agreed to update the Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings to cover existing buildings. The addendum is the second stage of the national plan for a trajectory towards zero energy (and carbon) ready buildings for Australia. It provides a suite of initiatives to improve the […]
The American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) has given Honeywell’s new stationary air conditioning refrigerant R466A (also known as Solstice N41) the official designation A1 – non-toxic and non-flammable. The classification could be a key factor for manufacturers deciding which refrigerant to use in their systems in the medium-term. As a result of […]
A Victorian auto mechanic has been fined after it was discovered he possessed 26 illegal disposable cylinders of the synthetic greenhouse gas R134a. According to the Department of the Environment and Energy, inspectors executed a search warrant on the mechanic’s business in April this year. During the search, they identified and seized approximately $2,500 of […]