The Australian Passivhaus Association has released an industry resource titled The Passivhaus Playbook that covers all things Passivhaus. Created in collaboration with Development Victoria and Introba, the Playbook started as a project to develop a practical approach to designing a Passivhaus project. CEO of the Australian Passivhaus Association, Alexia Lidas, says the successful delivery of a Passivhaus project […]
The Workplace Gender Equality Agency (WGEA) has released its annual update on the state of workplace gender equality, showing that although inequality remains pronounced, the pay gap is shrinking. The positive news from this year’s Gender Equality Scorecard is that the average total remuneration gender pay gap has dropped to 21.7 per cent in 2023, […]
One of the most important Australian Standards used by HVAC practitioners, AS 1668, is being reviewed. Brett Fairweather, M.AIRAH, from It’s Engineered takes us through the major changes and the key talking points in the drafts of AS 1668.2 and AS 1668.4, which are open for public comment until January 23, 2024. Why is an […]
A breakthrough in developing a passive radiative cooling (PRC) material has been announced by researchers at City University of Hong Kong, with findings published in Science. Known as cooling ceramic, the material has achieved high-performance optical properties for energy-free and refrigerant-free cooling generation. The researchers say its cost-effectiveness, durability and versatility make it suitable for […]
The University of Melbourne has found a new use for one of its research refrigerators: helping to train a woman for an arctic marathon. Sia Kindberg is undertaking the 230km Ice Ultra Arctic marathon in February next year at Swedish Lapland, Sweden. Temperatures can drop to -40°C, and Kindberg will be expected to carry her […]
The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council (ASBEC) has released the results from its Women in Construction Future Leaders Pilot scoping study. With assistance from the NSW government’s Women in Construction Industry Innovation Program (IIP) grant, ASBEC launched the pilot to create lasting change in the industry and promote gender diversity. It is also a part […]
A new course has become available for HVAC&R technicians who are maintaining or signing off mechanical services for Annual Fire Safety Statements (AFSS). The course has been approved by the NSW Department of Customer Service under the Fire Protection Accreditation Scheme (FPAS). It will allow Certificate III-qualified professionals to conduct annual certification of essential fire […]
Engineers Australia has launched its latest statistical overview of the engineering profession in Australia, which it says sheds light on the concerning state of the engineering workforce. The report, now into its 15th iteration, is based on Australian census data and offers high-level insights about the engineering workforce. This edition covers the 2016-2021 census surveys […]
A research team at the University of Geneva (UNIGE) has developed a super-model to project how three green technologies will perform in Switzerland. As many countries aim for carbon neutrality by 2050 – including Switzerland – the need for projection tools is ever increasing, although many models have limitations. According to UNIGE, they can take […]
Australian business Cold Logic has been awarded a multi-million-dollar contract to construct and install cold and cool rooms for the first batch of three Hunter class frigates. The Adelaide-based refrigeration specialist will partner with UK company Ernest West & Beynon (EWB), leveraging EWB’s experience in supplying into the Type 26 program, the reference design for […]