Around the Nation 1
1 BE COUNTED! AIRAH is calling on those involved in HVAC&R to highlight this vital sector in their response to the 2021 Census of Australia. The Census takes place on Tuesday, August 10. In the question that asks about industry or business (Q46 in the paper/online form), AIRAH is encouraging all of those working in the sector to classify themselves as “HVAC&R”.
“And that is what we would like to address. Whether you’re a technician, a consulting engineer, a business manager, a salesperson, an educator, or one of many other roles in our industry, when you fill in the industry question on your census on August 10, write that you work in HVAC&R and help us get the standing we deserve.” Go to airah.org.au/census ■
2 AMR A WORK IN PROGRESS On July 1, the Automatic Mutual Recognition (AMR) scheme took effect. The new system has been hailed as a way of cutting red tape and allowing Australians to work across borders without having to apply and pay for additional occupational licences, if they are already licensed for the work in their home state or territory. As well as benefiting 168,000 workers, the initiative is expected to boost the economy by $2.4 billion dollars.
HVAC&R Nation
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www.airah.org.au/nation
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Moreover, those jurisdictions have filed lists of occupations that are exempt from AMR until June 30, 2022, unless revoked earlier. The lists are extensive, and cover many occupations, including refrigeration and air conditioning technicians.
“The awards weekend is a celebration of the shared success, and we take this opportunity to thank every dealer for their support throughout what was a challenging year,” says Zane Barron, general manager – LEG national sales.
The long-standing mutual recognition arrangements are still operating for those who wish to obtain a second state registration. ■
Dealers enjoyed talks from economist Saul Eslake and survivor of the Beaconsfield Mine collapse Todd Russell. The culmination of the event was a gala ball hosted by Ed Kavalee that saw 38 Sales Excellence Awards, 15 Regional Dealer Awards, and three General Manager Awards handed out.
5 RACE IS ON FOR SEELEY
The team at Daikin took students through exercises such as measuring air conditioning unit size requirements for houses, calculating co-efficient of performance (COP), and completing heat load calculations. Students got hands-on with a working 2.5kW split system as well as a disassembled system to gain an understanding of the components used.
Seeley International has become the first air conditioning manufacturer to join a new collaborative research centre (CRC) focused on clean energy – RACE for 2030. The CRC aims to boost energy productivity and demand flexibility, cutting energy costs and reducing emissions, for Australian homes, businesses and industries.
“We know that when students consider getting into a trade, they immediately think of the typical trades like plumbing, electrical and carpentry,” says Daikin Technical Manager Pravneel Singh. “At Daikin, we want to hero the HVAC&R trade by highlighting the huge number of applications it impacts in our lives.”
“We know that cooling is a huge component of a building’s energy demand, which multiplies during peak demand, especially during the hot, Australian summers,” says Seeley’s executive director of imagineering Rob Gilbert.
4 ACCOLADES ON THE APPLE ISLE Mitsubishi Electric Australia has celebrated its dealer network at its annual Diamond Dealer Awards Weekend. This year’s event was held in Hobart, and marked nearly 15 years since the event was last hosted in Tasmania. It was also a return to a face-to-face format, after the 2020 Awards were held virtually due to COVID-19 restrictions. |
Go to www.mitsubishielectric.com.au ■
A recent Mathematics in Trade Workshop run by the NSW Department of Education, RACCA and Daikin introduced high school students in Sydney to the refrigeration and air conditioning trades.
RACCA and the NSW Department of Education plan to roll out the workshops to more schools, and Daikin has indicated it is also keen to continue being involved. ■
The opening of the scheme, however, has demonstrated the difficulty the federal government faces in harmonising rules across states and territories. Envisaged as a national scheme, at this stage it only covers New South Wales, Victoria, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. |
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“It is strange that a sector worth $38 billion, that uses more than 24 per cent of Australia’s electricity and that accounts for 11.5 per cent of our carbon dioxide emissions is basically unknown to most Australians,” says AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson.
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“The major challenge in our clean energy transition will be to shape the energy load so that it aligns with the demand. As global demand grows for air conditioning and well-ventilated buildings, we cannot overstate the importance of clean, efficient HVAC technology.” RACE partner Professor Frank Bruno, F.AIRAH, of UniSA’s Future Industries Institute, says he is proud to have the South Australian partner on board. “UniSA has had a strong partnership with Seeley for more than 20 years,” Professor Bruno says. “As the only air conditioning and heating manufacturer in the CRC, Seeley will play an important role in ensuring the latest innovations are used for a secure, affordable, clean energy future.” Go to www.racefor2030.com.au ■
