Skills WORKSHOP
Residential AC efficiency features
Desert showdown!
Aussies take on the world in Dubai Solar Decathlon
Fridgies
around the world Hundreds of nations, one occupation
October 2018 / ISSUE 116 
PRINT POST APPROVAL NUMBER PP 727272/60606
FREE
1
18.0kW, 20.0 kW and
2
3
22.4kW (PE3 model)
CREATE COMFORT...FASTER SPLITTABLE DUCTED, EASY AS 1 - 2 - 3! At Panasonic, we create comfort for installers as well. Our newly-designed high-static pressure splittable ducted allows the installer to split the unit into three lightweight components for easy and faster installation.
Up to 200Pa Static Pressure*
Up to 1,400L/s Airflow*
370mm Deep Side Discharge Outdoor
* 22.4kW PE3 model only
To find out more about Splittable Ducted Systems: Contact 1300 COMFORT (1300 266 367)
2 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
October 2018 / ISSUE 116
Fridgies around the world 20 HVAC&R Nation is published by the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air conditioning and Heating (Inc). AIRAH – National Office James Harrison Centre 3/1 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Tel: 03 8623 3000
Fax: 03 9614 8949
www.airah.org.au/nation
Magazine team Communications Manager Matthew Dillon matt.dillon@airah.org.au Tel: 03 8623 3000
Editor Mark Vender mark.vender@airah.org.au Tel: 03 8623 3022
Contributing writer Sean McGowan
What’s an average day like for an HVAC&R technician in Manilla, Madrid or Maryland? We go on a world tour to find out.
Advertising sales
HVAC&R Nation regulars
Glenn Douglas glenn.douglas@airah.org.au Ph: 03 8623 3018
6
The Toolshed
Skills Workshop 15
See what’s new in the ‘Shed
John McGrath john.mcgrath@airah.org.au Ph: 03 8623 3007
8 Global Update
Understanding residential AC efficiency features
Industry news from around the world ISSN 1834-9522 HVAC&R Nation is printed on paper sourced from well manned forests and other controlled sources.
14
This Queensland city is becoming a national leader in waste disposal
19
No responsibility is accepted by AIRAH, the Editor or HVAC&R Nation’s supply partners for the accuracy of information or for errors or omissions. HVAC&R Nation is distributed without charge to all financial members of AIRAH. The publisher reserves the right to alter or omit any article or advertisement submitted and requires indemnity from advertisers and contributors against damages or liabilities that may arise from material published. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the Publisher.
Legal speak The ins and outs of buying or selling a business
Disclaimer HVAC&R Nation is an official publication of the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating Inc. Statements expressed in HVAC&R Nation do not necessarily reflect the policy or views of AIRAH or its members.
24 AIRAH News Meet the winner of the SA Apprentice Awards
26 Around the Nation Who’s in the news?
28
Cool Tech Feel the buzz of an electric chainsaw
29 Smoko with . . . Q&A with Geoff Back
13,142 March 2018
Exclusive to October
Green Wedge
30
Lighter Side
10
Desert showdown! A team of students from the University of Wollongong have built a home with some innovative HVAC solutions, and are on their way to Dubai to pit it against designs from all over the world in the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018.
The shonkier side of the nation
PLEASE CONSIDER THE ENVIRONMENT AND RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO KEEP IT.
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 3
Editorial
IT’S AN HVAC&R WORLD
When I remember the time I spent living in London, I think about the radiators on the walls in nearly every room. Central hydronic heating is ubiquitous over there. I’ve also spent a few years in the tropics in South America, and I what I mainly remember about that is sweating. Roofs made of sheets of asbestos with a dangerously dangling ceiling fan (ideally with a floor fan as back-up) were the norm. Probably the most effective cooling device in our house was a bicycle – at least you get a breeze while you’re riding! Of course that’s all changing. A recent report from the International Energy Agency predicts that the global stock of air conditioners in buildings will rise from 1.6 billion to 5.6 billion by 2050 – 10 new ACs sold every second for the next 30 years. That’s a lot of new systems.
Welcome to the October edition of HVAC&R Nation – or should that be HVAC&R World? We considered renaming it this month because of the international theme. First, we had the chance talk to the team at the University of Wollongong about their Desert Rose project. It’s a sustainable design with cutting-edge heating and cooling tech – some of it so new that it’s still a couple of years away from market. It’s also their entry in the Solar Decathlon Middle East competition. After building the house in Australia and revealing it to the public, the team has packed it all into shipping containers and sent it off to Dubai, where the event is being held. They will then get just a few days to reassemble it before the competition begins.
They’ll be representing Australia against 20 other teams from all over the world, and we wish them the best of luck. In our other feature we talk to fridgies from around the world. You’ll nod your head at some of the things they say about a typical day on the job, but you’ll also be surprised by a few of their answers. More than one of them pointed out that being an HVAC&R technician is a global trade. No matter the country, people want to be comfortable. Maybe the story will get you thinking about taking your skills overseas for a working holiday . . . It got me thinking about the kinds of heating and cooling solutions I’ve seen in other countries.
On the flipside, all these systems will use more energy, and as a result contribute even more to climate change. Another report estimates that global warming will lead to heat-related deaths in some parts of South America rising by 2,000 per cent by 2080. It’s a vicious cooling and heating cycle that will require a solution. Sadly, we didn’t manage to produce an international version of the Lighter Side for this issue, but it might happen one day, so please send in any HVAC&Rrelated holiday snaps you have.
@AIRAHnews
Mark Vender Editor mark.vender@airah.org.au
Advertise in HVAC&R Nation HVAC&R Nation, has the highest distribution and readership of any HVAC&R publication in Australia. Targeted distribution Circulation 13,170 Readership 32,925 HVAC&R Nation is distributed free over the counter at more than 260 outlets Australia-wide including: Actrol, Heatcraft, Airefrig Australia, Beijer Ref, Cold Chain Group, Polyaire, Reece, Totaline, Tradeline Plumbing and TAFE colleges.
Contact: Glenn Douglas – glenn.douglas@airah.org.au or John McGrath – john.mcgrath@airah.org.au 03 8623 3000 4 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
The dawn of a new apac era.
apac High Efficiency Air Cooled Packaged and Split Ducted Units on R410A 012 to 230kW
For years, apac air conditioning has saved Australians from the melting heat of summer, not to mention all our other climate extremes.
developments, they’re also the perfect replacement for old apac units that are approaching the end of their operating life.
Now apac is back, bigger and better than ever. And with backing from Rinnai, Japan’s global leader in Hot Water, Heating and Cooling, you can rest assured apac will measure up when the heat is on.
So contact apac - before you start melting. Visit apacair.com.au.
Featuring next generation efficiency and super reliability, the latest Australian designed and built apac units are not only ready for new
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 5
Toolshed 01
According to Power, installation is no more complicated than hanging a clothes dryer. The only additional requirement is that the unit be mounted on an external wall where two core holes can be drilled, allowing for the condenser air movement.
Daikin joins R32 crew
Daikin has released the Super Multi NX with R32 refrigerant as an additional range alongside the current R410A Super Multi NX. According to the company, this is the industry’s first R32 multi-split system.
The system is available in two model configurations: one can be wall mounted in any position, the second is a floor-mounted unit that is 450mm wide, making it suitable for smaller spaces. Both models can be optioned with Innova’s unique atomiser unit, which nebulises condensate to just water vapour, discharging it to the outside.
“The new Super Multi NX (R32) can maintain comfort in up to five rooms and will be able to connect to Daikin’s Cora range of wall-mounted split systems, bulkhead units, compact cassette and a new mid static slim-line ducted unit,” says the company. “The slim-line ducted units are made to take full advantage of current apartment building practices. At only 245mm height the indoor unit is ideal for low-profile ceiling voids.”
Go to harbourcityair.com.au n
01
04
Other features include a new four-port 6.8kW system, improved low-load performance, a priority room mode that diverts capacity into a prioritised room, a super powerful mode that boosts airflow to high volume for 20 minutes or until the set temperature is reached, a new mid-static ducted series, and a redesigned wireless controller.
According to national building regulations, all penetrations through a fire-rated barrier require an appropriate fire stopping system to maintain the FRL (Fire Resistance Level). Australian fire containment specialist Trafalgar has now added a sealant to its range that can meet this requirement – and keep costs down for contractors.
Go to daikin.com.au n
02
“Many HVACR trades are unaware of the available products and systems that could make the fire protection of PEX pipes, pair-coil bundles and cables cheaper or easier, while most importantly still compliant,” says the company.
Fantech’s vital Link
“In response to market feedback, Trafalgar has launched Fyrepex, a competitively priced intumescent sealant that expands with the heat of a fire, which enables it to be used with PEX water or gas pipes, as well as air conditioning services.
Fantech has introduced the AirLink Integrated Variable Air Volume (VAV) system, based on electronic VAV diffusers working with an even-pressure duct design. The system removes the need for airflow hood measurements because all air balancing is performed by the optional airflow sensor built into each diffuser, and the centrally located Rickard software or building management system (BMS).
“As the sealant expands, it actively crushes the pipe to block off the penetration for up two hours during a fire. Tested to AS 1530.4 and AS 4072.1 in accordance with the NCC, Fyrepex is non-toxic and is approved for both walls and floors.”
02
“The Rickard air flow sensor uses a sensitive airflow cross meter at the neck of the diffuser and a highly accurate pressure sensor to measure total pressure,” says Fantech product mananger Peter Henry, M.AIRAH.
The product is available in a 310mL cartridge and a 600mL sausage. Go to tfire.com.au n
“The Rickard control system uses the total pressure, VAV position and known neck diameter to calculate the air flow being delivered. This method is very stable over varying temperatures and is further supported by Rickard’s software that factors in the building’s altitude. The system is equal in accuracy to a traditional measuring hood.”
05
03
According to Honeywell, the TPR pads protect the knuckles, fingers and metacarpal area from impact. TPR is also placed on key scrape-hazard areas for added protection.
Go to www.fantech.com.au n 04
All-in-one air
They’re available in sizes 7S to 11XXL. Go to www.honeywellsafety.com n
“Finding the space to fit HVAC equipment is a perennial problem,” says general manager Tony Power, “especially in existing strata apartments and heritage buildings where there is simply not the room to place an unsightly condensing unit.”
6 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
A polyurethane slip-resistant palm features foam pads for added comfort and some vibration relief, and there is extra reinforcement in the thumb crotch – one of the highest wearing areas – to make sure the gloves last. Bright colours and reflective materials have been used for high visibility, and the Rig Dogs also have a hook-and-loop tab closure so you can tighten or loosen the cuffs.
Sydney-based company Harbour City Air is launching a range of air conditioning systems that don’t require an outdoor condensing unit. The systems come complete with what Harbour City calls “smart inbuilt technologies” to create a plug-and-play HVAC solution aimed at conditioning small spaces such as apartments and hotels.
The range includes the Italian-made Innova 2.0 inverter units, suitable for areas up to 25m2. These 2.3kW reverse-cycle systems are MEPS approved and come with a two-year parts and labour warranty.
The mutt’s mitts
Honeywell’s new Rig Dog CR glove features moulded thermoplastic rubber (TPR) impact pads that are ergonomically placed to provide optimal protection in impact situations along with an ANSI A7 cut-resistant palm to enhance protection against cuts and slashes.
Using the system, a technician can balance the VAV system by keying in the required air flows, which programs the diffusers to operate at the required specifications. The BMS can use this technology to monitor airflows in each room and allow remote maintenance.
03
Hot product from Trafalgar
06
05
Split sophistication
In the past we’ve questioned why more air conditioning manufacturers don’t work the fashion angle with their products, and Daikin is certainly doing that with the release of its new Zena designer series of wall-mounted split-system units.
Toolshed The new range will be available from late October and will consist of an enhanced line-up ranging from 2.5kW through to 6.0kW.
designed for those working in construction, manufacturing and other labour-intensive industries. “The AT 55 range is built to take on the most rugged and tough work sites, providing total foot support and superior stability for all day protection,” says the company.
“The indoor unit presents itself in an outstandingly minimalist and compact design of only 798mm in width, 185mm in depth, and 295mm in height,” says Daikin. “For those with a keen eye for interior design, consumers will be able to choose between a light white hair-line finish, or a darker black wood design. Both finishes are able to blend easily into any interior living environment. “Designed with both superior aesthetics and performance in mind, the Daikin Zena delivers 5 star energy efficiency [25 Class model] and quiet operations. It also includes the latest technology with built-in Wi-Fi connectability, a Grid Eye Sensor for draught free comfort and floor temperature monitoring to ensure even room temperatures and optimum comfort.
The boots incorporate some of Oliver’s innovative features including specially designed cushioning, “Heelguard” heels that provide extra support and impact protection, and “Coolstep” lining that absorbs moisture and odour for optimum freshness and hygiene. “The AT 55 series complies with Australian and New Zealand safety standards,” says Oliver, “and is made with the highest quality water-resistant leather to enhance comfort while on the job.”
06
If you get fitted in store, Oliver also offers a 30-day comfort guarantee, meaning you can return or exchange the boots if you’re not satisfied.
“Additionally, this new range is equipped with Daikin’s proprietary Flash Streamer Technology for improved indoor air quality and Vertical Airflow Function for ultimate heating comfort.”
They come in black or wheat colour, with zip sides, elastic sides, or just the traditional lace-up design. Sizes range from 4–14 (UK/Aust).
Go to daikin.com.au n
07
Go to www.oliver.com.au n
Are you suitably booted?
If you’re looking for a new pair of work shoes, the All-Terrain 55 (AT 55) boots are a new series from Oliver Footwear specially
07
DO YOU HAVE A NEW PRODUCT TO GO IN THE TOOLSHED?
Email mark.vender@airah.org.au All submissions received will be considered, though publication cannot be guaranteed.
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 7
Global Update
USA
PHILIPPINES
NORWAY
COOL MILLIONS
RUNNING ON AIR
HOT TECHNOLOGY
The Rocky Mountain Institute – a US organisation dedicated to promoting sustainability – has announced a US$3m (Au$4.16m) prize to spur research into new home cooling technology.
Maria Yzabell Angel V Palma, a 19-year-old Filipina student, has been recognised by the International Federation of Inventors' Association (IFIA) for her breakthrough AC system that uses air as a refrigerant.
Plans for a new town in Norway have incorporated a data centre that will help heat surrounding businesses – part of a design that could create the world’s first energy-positive city.
The Global Cooling Prize is looking for designs of a room air conditioner for a typical tropical or sub-tropical home that consumes five times less grid-supplied electricity, per unit of cooling, than a typical unit in operation today.
The IFIA says that “AirDisc Air Conditioner” takes advantage of the fact that when air molecules are compressed they generate heat. It has a disc-shaped centrifugal compressor that uses air molecules with their attendant moistures as refrigerant. All air molecules, after direct heat removal, are then fully discharged back into the environment.
Data centres are one of the world’s biggest users of energy. Globally, they used 416 terawatt-hours of electricity in 2016, more than the entire UK. And a big chunk of that electricity is used to keep servers cool.
The winning solution must operate within predefined constraints on refrigerant type, materials, water consumption, full-load power consumption, and maintenance requirements. It will also need to be affordable to typical consumers – the cost should be no more than twice the retail price of today’s standard units at assessed industrial scale (resulting in a simple payback period of less than three years). n
“This AirDisc will be very affordable to everyone, especially the less fortunate,” Palma says. “And it is significant to Filipinos. We know it is very hot, there is global warming and it is getting worse every year.” n
NEW ZEALAND
KIWI PHASE-DOWN In October 2016, New Zealand, Australia and almost 200 other countries adopted the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol to phase down HFCs. Australia started reducing HFC import quotas at the beginning of the year, and now our neighbours across the Tasman are looking at 2020 to begin the same process. The New Zealand cabinet recently agreed to ratify the amendment. Between now and the end of the year, parliament will formally consider the treaty, and regulations to set up a permitting system to control the phase-down of HFCs will be developed. Subject to parliamentary processes, New Zealand will begin phasing down HFCs from January 1, 2020 from a baseline (total upper limit of consumption) of 1,338 kilotonnes CO2e – the average consumption of HFCs from 2010–2015. n
GERMANY
REFRIGERANT ROBBERY As the HFC phase-down continues in Europe and refrigerant prices continue to rise as a result, some gases are being targeted by thieves. A recent incident saw around 1,000 cylinders of R134a stolen from a German refrigerant supplier. Dutch police later seized what were thought to be some of the stolen cylinders. A 20-yearold man from Utrecht was stopped while driving a heavily overloaded truck containing 132 12.6kg cylinders of R134a. The driver could not show cargo documents and was not transporting the cylinders in accordance with regulations. He was arrested. Much of this illegal activity is being fuelled by the automotive sector, a large user of R134a for car air conditioning systems. A 12.6kg cylinder cost around Au$160 in Germany last year – it now costs around Au$970. n
8 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
In the design for the new data centre, instead of fans, a liquid cooling system will send extra heat to a district heating system, connecting to businesses in the area, heating each building via the floor. The liquid loses heat as it travels, so the buildings that need heat most will be located closest to the data centre. n
CHINA
SMART AND STERILE A team of Chinese researchers has produced a smart window that can not only control the transmittance of sunlight and heat, it can also virtually eliminate bacteria such as E. coli from the glass. This would make it valuable for facilities such as hospitals and aircraft. The researchers designed an electrochromicphotothermal film composed of 3D tungsten trioxide (WO3) that was embedded with gold nanoparticles and nanorods. The WO3 controls the visible light that passes through the window, while the gold nanostructures then convert any incoming sunlight into thermal energy that will heat the interior of the building. A demonstration showed it could change from transparent to pitch black, and increase in temperature by 24°C, in a matter of minutes. It was also capable of removing E. coli bacteria. n
– Ducted split air conditioning CREATING TRULY COMFORTABLE LIVING SPACES
– INTRODUCING THE NEW HITACHI RAD/RAS R32 DUCTED RANGE 5, 6 & 7KW: • 270mm heigh FCU
• 4 speed indoor fan
• Internal drain pump
• SPX-WKT controller 24/7 time schedule
• Light weight • 30mm pipe length • Compact outdoor unit
• WiFi compatible (coming soon)
REVERSE CYCLE
800
750
298 850
For more information contact Temperzone sales:
sales@temperzone.com.au
298 850
5 YEAR WARRANTY
QUIET CONTROL
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 9
Feature
DESERT SHOWDOWN! The Desert Rose House will have to cope with Dubai’s daily November highs of around 31°C and generally high humidity.
A team of stu dents from th e University way to Dub of Wollongo ai, where th ng are on th ey will re-ass eir in the Solar emble an en Decathlon M ti re h o m e for entry iddle East 20 18. Sean Mc Gowan rep orts.
Dubai is surely one of the most extreme examples of humans putting their stamp on the landscape. Skyscraper hotels tower above the dunes, lush green golf courses punctuate the desert, and man-made islands are so big they’re visible from space. But later this month a building project is taking place that will showcase what can be done on a much smaller scale, and in a highly sustainable way – the Solar Decathlon Middle East (SDME). The Solar Decathlon is the world’s largest international engineering and architectural competition for collegiate institutions, held once every two years. This year it is being held in Dubai, and will involve 21 teams, each designing and building a net-zero energy, solar-powered house. As you’d expect, this year’s competition places particular emphasis on teams addressing the needs of the Middle East.
“The SDME 2018 embraces the goal of developing and promoting ideas, capacities and technologies that can be implemented for the benefit of the inhabitants of the Middle East region,” says the competition organiser. The Decathlon is made up of 10 contests that challenge teams to adapt their designs for the heat, dust and high humidity of Dubai during November. These are architecture, engineering and construction, energy management, energy efficiency, comfort conditions, house functioning, sustainable transportation, sustainability, communication and innovation. Each project must be a good response to our cultural, climatic and social contexts, as well as a high-performance prototype that should successfully perform during the period of time during which it compares with others.
10 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
DESERT ROSE In 2013, a team from the University of Wollongong (UOW) won the Solar Decathlon China with its Illawarra Flame House. Spurred on by this success, UOW has entered a team in this year’s competition: Desert Rose. According to Desert Rose operations manager Emily Ryan, Team UOW is applying all the lessons learned from the 2013 competition to give this year’s entry every chance of success. “We learned a lot from our experiences last time so we’ve adopted new practices where possible,” says Ryan. “We’ve learned to plan more effectively from an early stage, and engage sponsors and team members super early to ensure we have all the skills we need. We have developed better health and safety methods, as well as document control methods to make sure we keep all our resources well managed and easy to pass on to any future teams. “And we learned that a trial build is super important, so we made sure to plan that in again this time.” Team UOW also used feedback from judges to inspire its entry in the competition. Through practical collaboration between students and industry, Desert Rose endeavours to change the way the world views sustainable housing. The idea is to build a home that is architecturally inspiring, affordable and adaptive to someone’s needs as they continue to age.
Feature “A team of students is building something that almost feels abstract and impossible, into a real house that people can not only live in,” he says, “but one that can improve the quality of lives for our elders and future generations.”
NET-POSITIVE DESIGN The Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018 requires all teams to meet extremely strict internal conditions, including maintaining the internal temperature of the house between 23°C and 25°C, and relative humidity between 35 and 60 per cent. Dubai’s hot and humid climate has created major challenges for Team UOW, not least of which is energy use. To simulate regular energy consumption of the home, the team has to host three dinner parties, wash and dry clothes daily, boil water, and operate the oven as well as other appliances such as a television and computer.
The “HVAC cage” of the Desert Rose House.
The Desert Rose House is designed to be a net-positive house throughout the year”
Ryan says the Desert Rose House is a “house for life” – one that a couple can move into when they retire and remain in for the remainder of their lives as the house adapts to suit their needs as they age.
Team UOW has been working on the Desert Rose House for over two years, with more than 200 students involved across the University and TAFE. An additional 80 sponsors, as well as industry participants, have supported the entry. For students it provides a unique opportunity to put their education into practice, and initiate change. “Our team is also culturally and disciplinary diverse,” says McDowell. “This gives students the opportunities to interact with other people that their standard degrees might not necessarily involve, and exposes them to what other areas do and how you can benefit greatly from working with people from different backgrounds.” McDowell says it has been life-changing for all those involved.
“On top of this, we are given an electric vehicle and are required to drive it a certain distance regularly, and charge it through the Desert Rose electrical supply,” says McDowell. The competition includes a limit on how much power can be inverted, as well as a “time of use” tariff where power from the grid is four times more expensive (using artificial currency) during the day than if used between 10pm and 6am. Team UOW estimates the house will need to meet a daily energy load of 45.94kWh, which over the twoweek competition period is estimated to be 490kWh. This load will be entirely met by onsite solar power generation via 104 solar tiles installed on the south-facing roof space (sunny side in the northern hemisphere) of the house, which will generate a peak of 10.4kW. “We estimate under the solar, thermal and dusty conditions of Dubai to generate 46.5kWh per day during the competition period,” says McDowell. “So the Desert Rose House is designed to be a netpositive house throughout the year.”
“This includes catering to changing physical needs and age-related disabilities including dementia,” she says. The Desert Rose House has been designed using passive design principles combined with smart technologies in the HVAC and building management systems. This ensures thermal comfort for the occupants. Student leader and project manager Clayton McDowell explains that the team was also conscious of making the house affordable, even though this aspect is not part of the Middle East competition. “The organisers felt it would hamper innovation so they removed it, despite our protests,” he says. As for the cost of building the Desert Rose House in the real world, McDowell says it is hard to price because the technology used is typically five years ahead of market. “We have prototypes that we have developed and other items that do not exist in Australia. We are still trying to determine a market value if we were to strip all these out. But although some of the technology is very expensive, the positive of taking it to the Middle East is that there is great opportunity for it to be picked up, which will eventually reduce the cost so that everyday customers back home can afford it.”
These chilled water tanks will store thermal energy using a salt hydrate phase change material.
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 11
Feature FRESH IDEAS The Decathlon demands that competing teams push the boundaries of technology. So Team UOW has embraced a unique residential HVAC solution to maintain internal conditions within the Desert Rose House. “We originally investigated the use of a solar desiccant cooling system,” says McDowell. “But it’s sometimes difficult to generate such high temperatures to regenerate the desiccant material in a small residential system.” Instead, the team is using an enthalpy recovery ventilator (ERV) to treat the hot humid fresh air before it enters the Desert Rose House. The benefit of utilising the ERV is that it can recover both sensible and latent heat from the exhaust air. The exhaust air then passes through a desiccant humidity control system that employs a heat pump and desiccant material on the condenser and evaporator fins to remove moisture from the air. This has proved a very efficient method for dehumidification. The air then passes through a water fan coil, reducing the temperature to a comfortable level. To generate the chilled water, Team UOW has employed an air-to-water heat pump, and can run this as required. However, to shift thermal loads it has constructed two chilled water tanks containing tubes of a salt hydrate phase-change material (PCM) featuring a phase-change temperature of around 10°C. These can store a large amount of thermal energy.
FLAME OF INSPIRATION The University of Wollongong knows what it takes to succeed in a Solar Decathlon competition, having won the Solar Decathlon China 2013 with its Illawarra Flame House. Beating 19 other teams, Team UOW finished with 957.6 points out of a possible 1,000. It took out top place in three of the juried contests – engineering, architecture and solar application – and came first in two of the measured contests – energy balance and hot water. The project name was inspired by the Illawarra Flame Tree, a species native to the eastern seaboard of Australia. Like this year’s entry, the Illawarra Flame House was designed to appeal to older clients nearing retirement. Design decisions were made according to the principle of ageing in place, to ensure that the house can be enjoyed by the client for as long as possible. Team UOW’s Illawarra Flame was also the first home in any Solar Decathlon competition to address the issue of upgrading existing building stock, an essential task for a sustainable future. It demonstrated how a “fibro” house – a common and extremely energy-inefficient Australian icon
– could be modified and retrofitted to be an ultrasustainable home for the future. Team UOW used the Living Building Challenge as a guide for material selection. Each component or material was selected for low embodied energy, high recycled content, minimal impact on air and water quality, non-hazardous formulation, local production and third-party accreditation, wherever possible. The air conditioning system featured a unique combination of a photovoltaic thermal (PVT) air system coupled with a phase-change material (PCM) thermal store to provide heating and cooling to the home. This design balanced thermal loads between day and night and ensured a high standard of indoor air quality when conditions did not permit effective natural ventilation. The Illawarra Flame boasted a 9.4KW photovoltaic (PV) system comprising two types of PV cells – a thin-film array on both the north and south sides of the roof, designed to work well in low and diffuse light, and a poly-crystalline PV array over a substantial section of the roof, to generate power at high electrical efficiency. Read more about the Illawarra Flame House at www.illawarraflame.com.au
These tanks will allow the heat pump to run at night – when the ambient temperature is lower and the “time of use” tariff is cheaper – to charge the chilled water tanks. “During the day when we require cooling, we will then pump the water from the fan coils through the tank and back up to the coils, thus reducing the need for us to run the heat pump and improving the overall efficiency of the system,” says McDowell. “Our system also has two chilled radiant panels, primarily as a demonstration, showing that we can provide comfortable living environments without the need to cool the entire room to a specific temperature.” All modelling has been based on climate data taken adjacent to the competition site in Dubai. “The choice of colour palette that reflects the oceans and land of Australia in our teals and blues, with the golden sands of Dubai,” says operations manager Emily Ryan.
DUBAI BOUND As part of a successful public display of the house in July – which saw thousands of people visit the house – Desert Rose was officially unveiled by the Deputy Premier of New South Wales, John Barilaro. The entire house was then dismantled by Team UOW and packed into eight shipping containers, which left Australia for Dubai early last month. Re-assembly of the Desert Rose House onsite in Dubai will commence later this month. Each competing team is allocated 15 days to assemble their entries before two weeks of judging begin.
our house in a hot, humid desert – a very different environment than here in Wollongong – and this alone will test many of our students.” At the completion of the SDME, the Desert Rose House will be returned to UOW, where it will be rebuilt on the university’s Innovation Campus. Of course, the team hopes to replicate the success of 2013 – but win, lose
or draw, the impact of the competition will be longlasting on participants. “Our decathletes will graduate,” says McDowell. “Some will leave to have a big impact in shaping the future of construction. Others will continue to take their studies further in higher research degrees – but all will leave with a learning experience unlike any other.” n
Team UOW will then have just five days to dismantle the house at the close of competition, before returning to Australia.
To read more about the Desert Rose House and see the house under construction, visit www.desertrosehouse.com.au. The team gets graded for the amount of traffic going to their site, so every click counts!
“There are many challenges ahead,” says McDowell. “One of the biggest challenges is re-assembling
For further information about the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018, visit www.solardecathlonme.com
12 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
Good Design Award Winner
Modern design. Classic good looks. A beautiful, timeless design specifically developed to match well with a variety of wall colours and textures.
Different temperatures in different rooms at the same time. QUE comes with the ability for individual temperature control built in as standard.
Control without compromise. QUE is the most advanced integrated home air conditioning control platform yet. Coming with a sleek modern design and high-quality components, QUE’s easy to use interface brings home air conditioning controls into the 21st century. QUE is more than just a pretty face – it’s a control platform packed full of innovations and features, that can evolve with you and adapt to meet your changing needs into the future. And while QUE is one control platform, it provides many control options, allowing you to control the system from a variety of touchpoints:
Master Controller
Zone Controller
Remote Sensor
Mobile App
Smarty pants. 5.7” 1080x720 pixel, full colour touch screen and powerful dual core processor with 1GB RAM.
Life is wireless – now your controls can be too. You can now connect your zone controllers and room sensors wirelessly, allowing for a simple installation that minimises intrusions and can save time and money.
Complete control at your fingertips. QUE provides you with a level of control never before possible in home air conditioning, with features like Energy History, a Scheduling function, and an easy to use Master Timer.
Connect to comfort, wherever you are. The QUE platform comes complete with a mobile app, QUE Connect as standard.
It’s thanks to features like these that QUE delivers control without compromise.
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 13
Green Wedge
RUBBISH REVOLUTION The waste will travel at up to 70kmh through the underground pipes.
Maroochydore is set to unveil a high-tech and high-speed waste management system in its city centre. You might think of Maroochydore on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast as one of the more laidback places in the country. But it is taking a nation-leading position by unveiling Australia’s first high-tech, underground automated city-centre waste collection system. The Maroochydore City Centre is being rebuilt on a greenfield site, making it possible to install a network of underground pipes that will stretch for 6.5km.
This will use vacuum pressure to transport waste from apartments and commercial buildings to a central collection station. There will be separate waste inlets for organic, recyclable and general waste installed in buildings and public spaces throughout the city centre. Bins in public places will have inlets for recyclables and general waste. When enough waste has been collected, a vacuum pump will be activated to transport it to the collection facility. The waste will travel at up to 70kmh through the underground pipes. The total cost of purchasing and installing this waste solution is $21 million. The Sunshine Coast Council says the cost will be fully recovered from city occupants over the life of the system.
14 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
“The rubbish revolution means that city workers and residents will never have to walk past rows of wheelie bins or be woken early by noisy garbage trucks in the Maroochydore City Centre,” says Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson. “Common aspects of waste collection such as odours and vermin will be avoided, and the costs of daily street cleaning will be reduced.” The technology comes from a company called Envac, which has already completed similar projects in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and North and South America. If other projects are anything to go by, it should increase recycling rates. And if you’re thinking this is all just a pipe dream, it’s already being built. The first stage should be complete by the time you read this. n
HVAC&R
MODULE
116
Skills Workshop PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
Skills summary n What? A guide to energy efficiency features in residential air conditioning systems.
n Who?
PULLOUT
Relevant for anyone involved in the selection, installation, operation, maintenance and assessment of residential air conditioning systems.
UNDERSTANDING RESIDENTIAL AC EFFICIENCY FEATURES In recent years there has been an increasing focus on improving the energy efficiency of household appliances. One effective strategy has been the introduction of consumer-targeted ratings systems. Manufacturers have responded to this by developing their products to lift their ratings and attract more customers. Modern residential air conditioning units now boast an array of sophisticated features and functions aimed at improving energy efficiency. Some are widely used and understood, while others remain a mystery to end users and technicians alike. This skills workshop takes a closer look at modern energy efficiency features in residential air conditioning systems and explains how they work and how they can best be used.
HISTORY AND BACKGROUND
make improvements to produce energy-efficient equipment. More details are available at www. energyrating.gov.au
Air conditioning has been around for a long time now, ever since Willis Carrier came up with the principle of air conditioning in 1902. He could never have known that one day his invention would become so large and powerful that people would have to consider how they used it.
APPROACHES TO ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Figure 1 shows a breakdown of energy use in an average Australian household. Most of the energy comes from heating and cooling, with water heating costs coming second. Notice how the domestic refrigerator is not a major energy user, and yet this is one of the hardest working appliances in the home. In 2003 Australia implemented an initiative that had run in 25 other OECD countries to reduce greenhouse emissions by regulating the energy standards of appliances. The Minimum Energy Performance Standards (MEPS) was launched under guidelines set by the National Appliance and Equipment Energy Efficiency Committee (NAEEEC). All appliances – even the humble power transformer in the overhead mains lines in the street – became a focus for improving energy input and consumption. Put simply, appliances had to meet minimum performance standards to be sold or supplied in Australia. Since then things have evolved. In 2012 the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards (GEMS) act came into effect, and the Equipment Energy Efficiency (E3) program and committee took on the charter of product regulation, licensing and energy star labelling. The E3 program is a government frontline to the consumers, retailers, tradespeople and manufacturers. It is about reducing greenhouse emissions and household expenses, and driving the market to
Split systems are now designed with more built-in energy efficiency to reduce power input. Neither the customer nor the service technician can control this – an important point. Some of the changes made by manufacturers include:
• Use of high-efficiency DC motors indoors and outdoors • Use of higher field strength permanent magnets • Reluctance DC motors – PWM/PAM motor drives • Energy saving features built into the products’ logic control • Factoring higher ambient operation into designs • Increased indoor heat exchanger surface area and multi-pass design.
• Better design of heat exchangers and aerodynamic asymmetrical fan designs
Today some air conditioning brands reach “super-efficient” seven-star performance, although this is in heating operation, while cooling is around just over six. That, however, represents a massive shift in economy.
• Wider selection/application of inverter-type air conditioning models
It is not as easy to achieve these star ratings in larger classes of units because the indoor energy
• Different refrigerants types used with higher pressure and volumetric efficiency
Heating and cooling 40% Stand-by power 3% Cooking 5%
Lighting 7%
Fridges and freezers 8%
Other appliances 14%
Water heating 23%
Figure 1: Breakdown of energy consumption for an average household.
Source: sa.gov.au
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 15
HVAC&R Skills Workshop needs might rise yet the required performance for comfort remains the same, all while power input is rising to cope with capacity and closing the gap on energy efficiency ratio (EER) and coefficient of performance (COP).
ENERGY-SAVING TECHNOLOGY Explaining energy saving to a customer is not always easy. Although the technology and cleverness of it all may impress those in the field, the customer needs to know how it affects their bottom line and why they should use it. Some of it is autonomous, such as inverter technology shedding loads to demand. Other times it is a selectable option. This skills workshop looks at some of the features that come with split systems. It will focus on the first-time buyer and the introductory system market such as high wall-type energysaving features. Other features can be found on ducted systems.
Figure 2: Daikin BRC1E61 controller, which does not hide the fact that energy saving features are accessible to the consumer. Source: Dennis Kenworthy
TEMPERATURE SHIFTING Of all the energy saving features, this is perhaps the most misunderstood by customers. Human comfort is based on 23.5°C at 50 per cent relative humidity on average. As we raise the setpoint temperature in cooling mode, the system becomes increasingly efficient in terms of refrigerant flow and heat absorption. It uses less energy, but more importantly it makes it easier to manage sensible heat and room thermal mass. When we think about temperature swings, shifting back to desired temperature is easier from 2K than 10K, and uses less energy. All the customer must do is raise the setpoint on their remote when they go out. That may be easier said than done, but with a passive infra-red detector (PIR) the work is done for them. Many will be familiar with the intelligent eye on Daikin units, but Fujitsu has its own version too: the Human Sensor control.
The PIR detects infra-red heat in the room and splits a signal within the field emitted into a positive and a negative half. The field can be from 90 to 110 degrees wide, depending on the sensor design. But what really makes this more effective is the sensing optics, which are in the form of an attached front cover lens. The plastic convex cover is a Fresnel lens, which divides the signal more evenly to a wider area. When the field is even on both positive and negative sides, the room is radiantly stable. If an object with differing heat crosses the positive or negative area, this creates an imbalance and an output is generated to a junction field effect transistor (JFET). The manufacturers use this technology to detect no movement in a room for 20 minutes and then automatically shift setpoint by 2K up for cooling and down for heating. This is a good use of technology that saves money for people who forget to change the setpoint when they go out. Of course, they must turn the function on too! Another instance of detection can be found in Mitsubishi Electric’s split system. It uses a radius angle to check floor temperatures in heating and cooling. Using floor level is a clever idea since the floor radiates heat at a more constant level, whereas air at the midpoint height of a room is in flux, mixing at higher energy within itself. The system uses detected conditions to reduce energy consumption.
DEMAND OPERATION Many domestic-class units have now been equipped to operate with demand control, typically in the form of optional extras. Demand is current or power control. Here the control is over current consumption rather than any other underlying mode. The internal current transformers (CT) in the split-system circuit board are used. It is possible to change the percentages for current demand all the way down to “no operation” or “compressor off” for full ventilation modes. Typically, inverter systems are easier to regulate, but this feature can also switch constantspeed compressors off to meet demand needs. Note that this does not change the surrounding heat load equation and running a system in lesser capacity may not make sense, but it is sometimes necessary.
TEMPERATURE LIMITING AND RESETTING A temperature limit is more an adult way of preventing others from interfering with design settings or going outside of normal parameters. It has its place, but an effective design only needs one setpoint based on human comfort level. Temperature resetting allows for the setpoint to be changed, but it will reset to the design temperature condition after an elapsed time. There is a psychological aspect to this as well, giving people the ability to change conditions with some overriding control over the standard setting. People are different in makeup and metabolic function, so it does suggest that not everyone is pleased with a single setpoint or room condition.
STAND-BY POWER REDUCTION Electrical energy for the home is delivered as apparent power (the total energy from the supplier). Products that consume this power hopefully use the sum of their total rating without any wastage. Unfortunately, magnetic fields in electronics and switched mode power supplies have the side effect of using the apparent power but delivering no real work (real power usage) in the process. This energy consumed with no work done is known as reactive power and is consumed both during normal operation and in stand-by mode. Power factor and efficiency is based on the comparison of apparent power to real power used, offset by reactive energy losses. Typically, it is not easy to remove this from a system design where printed circuit boards contain many components that consume reactive power. But it can be abated or minimised when equipment is not being used. Stand-by power adds to the carbon dioxide emitted from the power generation plants into the atmosphere, which not only contributes to global warming but also requires additional baseload and energy consumption to deal with losses in apparent power. The E3 committee set a 2007 requirement to reduce passive stand-by power (when a system is off) to less than 1W and active standby to less than 2W.
Power companies in some countries send demand settings to air conditioners to load shed off the grid. This is especially the case for high-density housing and lower power input per household. Households equipped with lesser mains breaker sizes need to off shed current to run other appliances at times, such as a clothes dryer. Typically, this is seen in other countries or locations that are off grid power and run independent generation. Larger buildings using demand curve control for maintaining a power index and carbon footprint can off shed when needed.
Figure 3: A PIR sensor used for energy saving on a Daikin split system indoor unit. Source: Dennis Kenworthy
It is also a great way to force economy cycles for full ventilations when conditions are right.
16 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
Figure 4: A printed circuit board monitor light flashes to indicate status and health of a CPU, but this may turn off when the unit is in passive standby mode. Source: Dennis Kenworthy
HVAC&R Skills Workshop In 2012 it then tightened the requirements to keep passive stand-by for air conditioners below 0.3W and active standby below 1W. Heating mode was excluded from this equation, although the energy of the reversing valve when in locked stand-by operation would add to the total consumption, given we energise a reversing valve to heat in this country. As a result, redundancy methods have been embedded into logic control. Flashing monitor LEDs turn off in passive mode, effectively going to sleep when not required. Many technicians confuse this with a fault as typically monitor or status LEDs flash constantly. It does, however, show the lengths that manufacturers go to in complying with energy efficiency rules.
TEMPERATURE OVERRIDES
PULLOUT
Ask the average person how to save energy and they will likely say turn the appliance off. It’s a sensible thought, but also counterproductive. If we let an occupied space suffer no control, it may exceed desired thermal limits, putting stress on the refrigeration system later, and deteriorate sensitive furniture in the room. Most commercial units and some domestic ones come equipped with overrides that bring the air conditioning system online to take care of low and high temperature swings. It is designed to allow a system that is redundant in operation to come on briefly to abate excessive temperature swings in an occupancy. Not only does this take care of load swings in unoccupied rooms, it reduces wear and tear on wood furniture and carpets. Usually this mode only deals with temperature limits above 32°C or below 16°C, but it can be adjusted.
REVERSING VALVE CHANGEOVER AND COIL OPERATION This may seem a small fact, but in consideration much has changed with heat pump or reverse cycle operation. Mode control for heat to cool and vice versa allow no call for reversing valve changeover until called for by the thermostat. Here a reversing valve is not turned on/off until a heating temperature call is made, and it will not release until a cooling call is made. This is to abate noise from changeover, which can be considerable in larger systems when a unit is turned off or awaiting a mode call. Another interesting fact is that a reversing valve’s coil may be aligned with heating or cooling mode depending on country or region. In Australia, the most common use for air conditioning is cooling, so we energise the coil in heating mode. This saves energy during peak summer when the power grid is loaded. Although the energy needs of a coil may only be reduced by 30W, when multiplied across all domestic systems it adds up. Countries with very low ambient and a greater need for heating may do the opposite with changeover.
PROUDLY SPONSORED BY
PMV CONTROL (Predicted Mean Vote) Have you got your hard hats on? PMV control has been embedded into some air conditioning systems and is really very hard to explain. To do so requires a brief history. The full background and theory are too wide and complicated to cover here. In the 1960s, Danish professor Povl Ole Fanger studied thermal comfort with college-aged students to assess invariant thermal conditions in air conditioned buildings. The effects of building temperature and climatic conditions were either supported or criticised in a mean average vote. Fanger’s thermal comfort model looked at satisfaction, wellbeing and performance with air conditioning. His calculations allowed engineers to predict optimum temperature for a large group of people to be satisfied in thermal comfort, given their activity and clothing worn. The thermal comfort model incorporated a human metabolic (M- Met) rate that considered: • The clothing index or Clo • Air velocity in metres/second • Mean radiant temperature in Celsius • Ambient air temperature in Celsius • Vapour pressure of water in ambient air in pascals. Clo is an insulation factor of clothing. A factor of 1 Clo = 0.155W/m2K is based on a person sitting in a room at 21°C with 0.1m/sec airflow and with a surrounding humidity of 50 per cent. This person would be typically wearing a business suit or perhaps long shirt, long pants and a jacket (0 Clo = an undressed person). Fanger’s equation for PMV was based on the formula:
PMV = (0.303e -0.036M + 0.028) L Where M = metabolic rate and L = thermal load, defined as the difference between the internal heat production and heat loss to the actual environment for a person hypothetically kept at comfort values of skin temperature and evaporative heat lost by sweating at the activity level. Defining the thermal load can be quite complex with numerous other factors and formulae applied. From this a PMV value is generated and has been applied with ASHRAE standard 55 and ISO 7730. The Fanger seven-point scale ranges from -3 (cold) to +3 (hot) and reflects the thermal sensation of a person based on the ASHRAE standard 55. The air conditioning industry aims to keep conditions between -2 and +2, and as close to zero as possible. With these figures it was possible to predict the percentage of people dissatisfied or (PPD) and yes there is another formula for that one too. It goes without saying that more people will be unhappy when the temperature drifts more. The Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) is an average response of happy versus unhappy for many
people. In some buildings the mean average setpoint is based on the type of clothing and activity in the building. Heavier and more abundant clothing requires a much lower setpoint, whereas wearing less could mean a higher setpoint. Green building initiatives take this matter quite seriously. Manufacturers can embed these formulas in program logic and use temperature sensors in the system to control thermal comfort. It has seen its way into controls for larger systems and is used with automatic temperature mode functions. Of course, it cannot establish an individual’s metabolic rate at a given time or their clothing or activity. It can, however, use indoor and outdoor temperatures to calculate mean average setpoints for automatic operation. Inverter technology can now control rate of change better because we can reduce net refrigerating effect and mass flow as indoor demand reduces. Human comfort has a much wider selection than before with lesser temperature drifts. The fact that manufacturers go to this extent to keep people happy is not just based on a standard but also a way to minimise discomfort and lower energy input. It is nothing short of amazing, yet try explaining this one to customers! If you are interested in learning more check out the Centre for the Built Environment (CBE) thermal comfort tool. This uses ASHRAE Standard 55 and shows relationships for PMV plotted to a psychrometric chart.
CUSTOMERS Customers are spoilt for choice now with never-before-seen technology and convenience – everything from wi-fi control to an indoor unit that looks like a painting. The warranties for domestic units are generous. Try getting a five-year parts and labour arrangement for a washing machine or car. Modern air conditioning systems are closedloop control operating to performance without adjustment other than standard user control functions. A lot has changed since the first room air conditioner that rattled in the wall and only had two settings: off and on. A combination of government regulation, industry standards and even simple common sense has added value to the equation of human comfort. n
MORE INFORMATION This month’s Skills Workshop was provided by Dennis Kenworthy, Affil.AIRAH, of South Metropolitan TAFE, Western Australia. More information can be found at his website www.whatwoulddennisdo.com
Next month: Calibration and use of instruments. October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 17
The Industry’s First & Only Technology
Less Waste & Easy Installation
In comparison to a central air conditioning system with 4-pipe heat recovery.
For more information on our products please visit www.mitsubishielectric.com.au
Phone:1300 280 625
18 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
Ideal Comfort
Providing more stable and mild air conditioning using water.
Energy Saving
2-pipe heat recovery system is available with refrigerant and water circuit.
Legal Speak
BUYING OR SELLING
A BUSINESS
BUYER BEWARE In most sales transactions, buyers usually bear the greatest risk of loss. The seller knows precisely what they are selling; the buyer may not. An educated guess does not provide adequate protection. Buying a business from a friend or colleague is arguably riskier because by the very nature of your relationship with the seller, your guard will be down. Therefore, no matter how much industry experience you have or who the seller may be, you must:
An important step for any seller is to accurately value their business to determine the sales price. This can be done by obtaining a business valuation. Once you have settled on a price, a solicitor will prepare the sales contract, making sure it covers all aspects of the sale and doesn’t contain any false statements. Also consider getting legal advice to understand your legal obligations to existing employees and handover obligations.
We’ve received a couple of questions in the Nation mailbox about what to do when buying or selling an HVAC&R business, so we turned to our legal expert Frank Gambera for advice. Whether you are buying or selling a business, it is a complex and time-consuming process. There are many important factors to consider to minimise your risk of financial loss and profit from the deal. First and foremost, you should always seek professional legal and financial advice before signing any documents and to assist you with navigating the sales process. The information below provides a brief overview of some of the major issues.
A SELLER’S CHECKLIST
A BUYER’S CHECKLIST Some of the things a buyer can do are: • Seek professional assistance from a solicitor and accountant to perform due diligence, that is, conduct a thorough review of the business’s financial, operational and legal position.
PROFESSIONAL ADVISERS Whether you are buying or selling a business you should always seek professional, legal and financial advice to minimise your risk and maximise your return from the sale of a business. Buying a business is a significant investment. So at a minimum you will need the services of an accountant to check the financial records carefully, and a solicitor to review the sales contract, investigate any regulatory issues, and to check licences and registrations. n
• Ensure the seller provides you with the contract of sale, the lease, section 52 (vendor statement), permits, licences, trademarks and other relevant legal documents. • Have a solicitor insert a performance clause in the sales contract that specifies the minimum takings of the business over an appropriate period of time. • Ensure any representations made by the seller are guaranteed as a condition in the sales contract.
• Be clear about the sales process
• Insert a restraint-of-trade clause in the sales contract preventing the previous owner from setting up a similar business within a certain distance for a number of years.
• Conduct thorough due diligence
• Check any entitlements for existing employees.
• Protect yourself via legal provisions in the sales contract.
• Make the transfer of important existing contracts a condition of sale.
Frank Gambera is a director for McMahon Fearnley Lawyers. Contact him at fmg@mcmahonfearnley.com.au or (03) 9670 0966.
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 19
Cover Feature
FRIDGIES AROUND THE WORLD Ever imagined plying your trade in another country’s HVAC&R industry? We reached out to our friends around the world to find out what it’s like.
How does your wage compare to other professions in your country? I am employed by the Central Bank of UAE – a federal government organisation of the United Arab Emirates. An attractive salary package is offered by Central Bank, along with other benefits like insurance and a return air ticket from Abu Dhabi to Islamabad each year. The salary package is comparatively better than from other companies in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. n
among other things, did work on air conditioning systems. Circumstances brought me to my current area.
Biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry Adapting to European laws on new refrigerants to reduce global warming. We are also seeing increased controls and automation in systems. On top of that, there are energy-efficiency considerations for equipment. n
ABU DHABI, UAE Name:
Muhammad Wajahat Mirza
Position:
Air Conditioning Technician
Company: Central Bank of UAE Time in industry: 19 years
MADRID, SPAIN Name:
Jesus Torres Camacho
NEW ZEALAND
Position:
Technical Engineer
Name:
Quantin Els
Position:
Engineer
Company: MIPSA (Manchega de Instalaciones y Proyectos, S.A.) Time in industry: 40 years
Company: EcoChill Time in industry: Over 10 years
Typical day My day starts at 4am, and I reach the workplace at around 5am where for two hours I study HVAC&R assigned topics until 7am. Then I start the rounding and checking of the central HVAC system including chillers, AHUs, FCUs, packaged machines and chilled water pumps. I make sure everything is working perfectly. In case of any faults I make notes, inform the engineer and the supervisor and make plans for repairs with an estimated time schedule.
How did you get into the industry? My father was an RAC mechanic. I worked with him rebuilding refrigerators, installing new compressors and troubleshooting electrical and control circuits.
Hardest part of the job Training and development. I pay from my own pocket for courses and certifications to keep up-to-date with current industry standards and practices. I’m an active member of ASHRAE and RSES HVACR Training Authority.
Typical day I spend around 40 per cent of my time travelling for business development and project management. When I’m in the office I allocate 30 per cent of my time to designing systems and the other 30 per cent to managing the company.
How did you get into the industry? I originally did an engineering degree and started my career working for an engineering company that,
20 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
Typical day When in the service part of the business, an average day goes from 8am to 4.30pm and can be anywhere in the Auckland region. This work is varied and may be planned preventative maintenance or emergency response. Contracts are usually longer hours (6am to 6pm) and can be anywhere in the country, usually for a couple of months. It is more planned work, so you know what
Cover Feature you are doing in advance, depending on the stage of the project. At the moment I’m installing bracketing and pipework.
Drive time between calls is generally 30 minutes or less, and I primarily run service and maintenance calls – although I occasionally run a sales call.
How did you get into the industry?
What training is required to enter the HVAC&R industry in the US?
I originally did an electronics technician qualification and was working in a casino fixing pokie machines. I saw the HVAC technicians coming in to fix the air conditioning and was really interested in what they were doing, and how you make things cold out of nothing. The fact that compressing a gas makes things cold is really interesting.
What training is required to enter the HVAC&R industry? I did an apprenticeship that included four years of doing on-the-job experience and a technical course. At the end you do a trade certification and your electrical certification to practice. You need Site Safe for some sites, but at EcoChill we do our Site Safe as part of our required training, along with Elevated Work Platform certification.
Best things about your job The constant variety. You can also travel around the place to fix problems. And you can work anywhere in the world as a refrigeration engineer. I’ve worked in South Africa and New Zealand. In New Zealand it’s much more organised and the systems we are working with are really new and interesting. n
Technically, training is not required. However, a two-year trade school is recommended as well as knowledge of electricity and plumbing. Ongoing technical classes are also recommended throughout your career.
Are any special licences required? Yes, a refrigeration licence. There are also county, city and state licences that can apply. In Indiana, I can work under the company licence.
How does your wage compare to other professions in your country? Entry level is nearly double the minimum wage. There is a lot of potential to earn in this industry – not just hourly wages but also with commission and bonus structures. That said, wages can really vary all over the US. Also, many companies pay using performance pay rather than hourly wages. n
How did you get into the industry? I was employed as a trade assistant by the Kenmore group of companies and also completed my apprenticeship with them. Since then, I had the opportunity to spend three years in the oil and gas industry. I eventually left due to the extended time away from my young family and the fact that I was not exposed to new technologies. I moved from there and joined SPAC where I have been now for eight years and am loving it.
What training did you require to enter the HVAC&R industry? Apart from starting as a trade assistant and completing Year 10 at school, to become a tradesman I had to complete a four-year apprenticeship. This is modelled on the Australian system.
Are any special licences required? One thing I’m happy about is that the Papua New Guinea Refrigeration Air Conditioning Association (PNGRACA) has recently been established, and will hopefully be mandated to become a licensing authority for refrigeration tradesmen and refrigerant handling next year.
Hardest part of the job Everything is imported here. We cannot simply run down the corner to a Reece, Actrol or Heatcraft dealer to pick up a part that may have been overlooked. My main priority is customer satisfaction – this is my pride and joy. n
PAPUA NEW GUINEA INDIANA, USA Name:
Mark Harvey
Position:
Lead Service Technician
Name:
Nigel Sarufa
Position:
Site Chiller Supervisor
Company: South Pacific Air Conditioning (SPAC)
MARYLAND, USA
Time in Industry: 21 years
Company: LCS Heating and Cooling Time in industry: 12 years
Name:
Ali Unitas
Position:
Service Technician
Company: Walton & Company Time in Industry: 10 years
Typical day
Typical day I typically start with an 8am service call. This is generally to diagnose a no cool or no heat issue. After this I dispatch myself to the next call. My last call of the day is generally scheduled for an arrival from 3pm to 5pm. If I’m running ahead of schedule, the office may add an extra call to my day.
We service and maintain all types of air conditioning, from domestic to large commercial applications. I have four three-man teams, including my own, that look after all our contracted commercial office buildings and shopping centres throughout Port Moresby and Lae. On a normal day, our operating times are 8am to 4.30pm. However, due to the nature of my role I generally arrive at the office by 7am and finish work around 5pm. I have a company vehicle 24/7 to attend emergencies should they occur.
Typical day I currently hold a Journeyman’s licence, and am also the only woman field technician in my company. Generally, my work day is 7am to 3.30pm, Monday through Friday. Some days I may start earlier or work
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 21
Cover Feature later depending on planned work load or seasonal surges. I’m on call for two weeks of the year.
I would like to see that happen more here in the United States. The HVAC&R field could also stand a little more diversity. n
Typical Journeyman work includes performing a variety of standard to moderately complex technical tasks related to installing, maintaining and repairing heating, cooling, ventilation and related systems. To qualify for the Journeyman’s licence you must hold an apprentice licence for at least three years, and complete at least 1,875 hours of training in providing HVAC&R services under the direction and control of a licensed HVAC&R contractor, along with passing the rigorous Journeyman’s examination.
How did you get into the industry? My father worked for the local utility company for 35 years and progressed through the ranks to become a key electrical outage planner. I also enjoyed helping my father fix things around the house and learning how things worked. In my sophomore year of high school, I was introduced to the HVAC&R program. I was told that you can make a good living, it will always be in demand and I wanted to be self-sufficient. It is multiple trades in one and it also saves money knowing how to do it myself.
Hardest part of the job
PHILIPPINES Name:
Manuel Azucena
Position: Installer, Service Provider, Supplier and Trainer Company: Self-employed
In school, there were a few concepts that were very difficult for me to grasp, especially the physics behind refrigeration. Once I got into the field and started applying that knowledge, it helped paint a much clearer picture of how everything worked together. I also discovered that making mistakes and repetition are very important learning tools. So is building relationships with your co-workers to find that person to help guide you along the “learning by doing” journey. Teaching yourself and getting extra training on your own time is key as well.
Time in Industry: 30 years
Biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry I follow some skilled tradeswomen from all around the world on social media and it seems like a lot of women in other countries are thriving off of the trades.
I took up a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Education, with a major in refrigeration and air conditioning and passed the licensure exam. I was an RAC teacher in a government tech-voc school and became a trainer for RAC trainers for 19 years. I then joined the overseas workers as assistant program officer in the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in Bangkok.
Typical day I usually start at 8am and finish at 8pm. Depending on requirements, I have to prepare training manuals and instructions if I am conducting training. I also purchase equipment, talk to customers, prepare documents and install units.
GLOBAL PAY SCALE Based on the information supplied by those interviewed in this article, here’s how HVAC&R technicians’ wages around the world compare to other trades.
Compared to other trades Average
Above average
Abu Dhabi
✓
New Zealand
✓
Indiana, USA
✓
Papua New Guinea
✓
Philippines
✓
United Kingdom
Here in Australia, a smoko snack might consist of a meat pie or sausage roll with a Coke or chocolate milk. Here’s what your colleagues in other countries prefer . . . Abu Dhabi • Mutton curry, chana dal, mixed vegetables, grilled chicken and fruits such as oranges, mangoes, bananas, blueberries, figs and almonds. Spain • Healthy Mediterranean food. New Zealand • Biltong – a dried, cured meat. Indiana, USA • Peanut butter-filled pretzel bites, beef jerky and M&Ms. Papua New Guinea • Roasted peanuts, rice and chicken stew. Maryland, USA • Trail mix, fruit and vegetables. Philippines • Rice meal, bread, sliced fruit and coffee. UK • A BEST (bacon, egg, sausage and tomato sandwich).
How did you get into the industry?
As the only woman in the field, I have had numerous customers make assumptions about my abilities based only on my gender. However, they are set straight once they see my work and we develop a good customer-technician base.
Below average
GLOBAL SMOKO SNACKS
✓
22 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
After my two-year stint with UNEP, I worked as an RAC trainer in the Middle East and now work as a freelance RAC technician and dealer.
Are any special licences required? To teach as a trainer (RAC or any trade), you have to pass a licensure examination for teachers, given by the government. If you work as a mechanical engineer, you have to pass a board examination for engineers, also given by the government. For technicians, you have to take an assessment and be certified by TESDA, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. This assessment and certification procedure can be applied to graduates of formal schools, non-formal schools or for those who did not finish a certain course but learned the trade by experience.
How does your wage compare to other professions in your country? The salary is standard, as set by the government. Sadly, some companies do not follow the government standard. But an RAC technician can earn extra income during a day off, as our country is tropical and air conditioning and refrigeration is a necessity. A freelance technician can earn more as compared with other professions (office workers, call centre agents, ordinary government workers) as long as you are a hard worker. n
Cover Feature Is there any special licensing system you need to comply with in the UK? In order to work with refrigerants as an engineer, you need as a minimum to be trained to a qualification called F-Gas Category 1, and the company you work for must be F-Gas certified. The most popular certification scheme is REFCOM. If you can prove really good practice for handling refrigerants you acquire an elevated status called REFCOM ELITE. We are currently in our second year of elite status.
Biggest changes you’ve seen in the industry
UNITED KINGDOM Name:
Ian Fisher
Position:
Business Development Manager
Company: Airmaster Air Conditioning Ltd Time in Industry: 30 years
Typical day The day starts for me at around 8am and I usually finish between 6 to 7pm. Working for a relatively small company that is constantly busy means my official job role usually goes out of the window and mostly I can be found quoting for repairs and new air conditioning units to offices and server rooms – as well as getting out there on the tools or helping with technical queries.
What does being a TM44 Assessor mean? In the UK, buildings with more than 12kW of cooling by law need to have a report called “Air Conditioning Energy Assessment”. I am Airmaster’s only TM44 Energy Assessor, and make sure our customers are compliant with this.
How did you get into the industry? I actually started in the industry before leaving school at the age of 15, where I worked mostly in the steelworks helping to keep clean the air conditioners in crane cab coolers and steelworkers’ rest rooms. I was paid in cash until officially leaving school in July 1988, and have been in constant employment in the industry since.
The ones that spring to mind are refrigerant changes – R22 to R407c to R410a and now R32. Also, people’s attitude to air conditioning has changed. Many people buy them now for energy-efficient heating, with the cooling being a bonus, which of course was the other way around years ago. n
HVAC&R Nation thanks the following organisations for their help with this story: • Air Conditioning Contractors of America (ACCA) – USA • Institute of Refrigeration – UK • American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) – USA and UAE • Asociación Técnica Española de Climatización y Refrigeración (Atecyr) – Spain • EcoChill – New Zealand • Philippine Society of Ventilating Air Conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers (PSVARE) and Refrigeration and Airconditioning Technicians for Development of the Philippines – Philippines • PNG Refrigeration Air Conditioning Association – Papua New Guinea
Be Impressed with Zetco Full range 15-50mm Press x press, press x female, press x male
IAPMO WM-000110 AS 5830.1
Phone 1300 659 639
Email enquiries@zetco.com.au
www.zetco.com.au
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 23 HVAC HP Be Impressed 220X150 NoBleed v1.indd 1
19/10/2015 12:23 pm
AIRAH News
A CAREER ON THE RISE It was a big call for this year’s AIRAH SA Apprentice of the Year Matt Benger, Stud.AIRAH, to leave a well-paid mining job and earn his trade in HVAC&R, but he hasn’t looked back.
The night is a chance for the nominees and their families and friends to get together and sing the apprentices’ praises.
WINNERS
n
From left to right: Apprentice of the Year Matt Benger, Stud.AIRAH; state manager of major sponsor ActronAir Joe Esposito; and AIRAH SA division committee president John Callea, M.AIRAH.
You could say that since Matt Benger, Stud.AIRAH, left his job in the mines and switched to HVAC&R, he has really moved up in the world (boom tish). But in all seriousness, Benger says he is thrilled with his career change, especially after being recognised as Apprentice of the Year at the 2018 AIRAH SA Apprenticeship Awards Night. “It was one of the best feelings,” he says. “Obviously it’s a big step going from mining to taking on four years of study, so to get the recognition for working so hard meant a lot.” Benger had been doing underground exploration drilling for four years when an opportunity to break into HVAC&R appeared. Although it meant taking a pay cut, it did mean he’d be living full-time in Adelaide again – rather than travelling for weeks to the mines – and could get back into playing his beloved cricket and rugby union. Importantly, he would also have a trade under his belt for the future.
pprentice of the Year (sponsored by ActronAir) A – Matthew Benger, Stud.AIRAH, Air Comfort Services
n Apprentice of the Year, runner-up (sponsored by Airmaster)
– Brad Tanner, O’Connors n
IRAH Encouragement Award A – Mason Payne, Air Comfort Services
n
The Airefrig Scholarship Award (sponsored by Airefrig) – Tony Squiers, Seasonair
n
Host Trainer of the Year Award – Air Comfort Services
Although he left mining behind, Benger says he learnt some vital lessons. “Going into the workforce, especially in mining, gave me a really good work ethic,” he says. “And being a mature-age apprentice, I set goals. I was doing it because that’s what I wanted and obviously was keenly interested in learning everything I could. I’ve enjoyed every bit of it and I’ve got so many skills out of it that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. It’s just been great.” When asked about how he sees the trade now and its potential for the future, Benger tells a common story. “You talk to a lot of people and as soon as you mention you’re a refrigeration mechanic they’re like, ‘Oh, come fix my fridge at home!’ It sort of goes under the radar but I think it’s growing, and a lot of younger guys are getting into the industry now. When I was out of school I had no idea about refrigeration and air conditioning, but now a lot of the guys seem to know a lot more about it before they come in and start their apprenticeship.” For about 20 years now AIRAH’s South Australia division has been recognising the state’s top young apprentices, based on input from educators, peers and the judging panel. Congratulations to all this year’s nominees and winners. n
Mason Payne picked up the Encouragement Award.
Sponsors: AIRAH would like to thank Runner-up Brad Tanner with his family. 24 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
n ActronAir n Airmaster n Airefrig n Climat n Air Diffusion n CPS.
All the tools for the Refrigeration mechanic – Be ready, be compliant.
Aitcool Australia is the proud and exclusive Australian distributor of Wenling Aitcool Equipment products. Aitcool Australia specialises in researching, developing, manufacturing and selling refrigeration tools for HVAC&R, including: • Refrigerant recovery units • Industrial vacuum and vacuum pumps • Charging scales • Manifold gauge sets • Refrigeration tools • Tube-cutter, flaring and bending tools
Aitcool Australia has in-house mechanical, electrical and refrigeration engineers for new product development and quality control. Our products have obtained China patents and received the international safety certificate, including CE, UL, CSA, CSA-US , as well as ISO9001 and TUV certificates. Aitcool Australia understands the demands of the modern technician operating in the busy Australian market. That’s why we are so confident that our extensive range of products will stand up when the pressure is on. We offer a 2 year market leading warranty for customer peace of mind.
• R32 ready • Fast and secure online store • Free Nation-wide delivery* • Exclusive offer to AIRAH readers: 15% discount, discount code: Airah15
1300 002 247 | sales@aitcool.com.au | www.aitcool.com.au
*within 100km of capital cities.
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 25
Around the Nation 1
2
3
4
1
CLADDING BAN COMES INTO FORCE
NSW Fair Trading has placed a ban on combustible cladding with a core of more than 30 per cent polyethylene. The new rule affects any form of the combustible building material used in external cladding, external insulation, facades or rendered finishes for certain multi-storey residential and commercial premises. It is retrospective, and applies to buildings built before the ban came into force as well as those under construction and any future developments. A corporation found to be using a banned building product can be fined up to $1.1 million and individuals can be fined up to $220,000. The ban comes amid increasing scrutiny on flammable cladding after fires at Lacrosse tower in Melbourne’s Docklands in 2014 and at Grenfell Tower fire in London last year. In the aftermath of the Grenfell fire, in which 72 people died, a Senate committee said it saw “no place” for polyethylene-core aluminium composite panels in Australia. It remains to be seen whether the NSW ban will be applied by other states, and whether a harmonised and consistent approach will be taken across the country. Go to www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au n
2
THE FINAL FRIDGIE FRONTIER
A new cooling system has been installed at the European Space Agency’s ESTRACK Earth station in New Norica, Western Australia. The cooling water network serves two high-power amplifiers in the antenna pedestal that are used to communicate with deep space probes such as the Rosetta Probe and Mars Lander. “It was an extremely challenging project,” says Chris Musgrave, managing director of Chris Musgrave Engineering, which won the contract. “The system
operates at 700pa working pressure, with the highpower amplifiers rejecting approximately 100kW of heat when fully operating.” Musgrave’s team replaced the old, damaged, rubberhose system with Conex Bänninger’s stainless steel press-fit system. This has the benefit of de-ionising the water to prevent electrical arching due to the very high voltages in the high-power amplifiers. It also meant that no welding or hot works permits were required, making the work much faster. Musgrave says the project took just four days to complete. “I estimate we saved at least 50 per cent in labour installation time,” he says. The system was pressure tested to 100kPa for 24 hours, with no leaks detected and a 100 per cent pass rate. Go to www.conexbanninger.com n
3
BUCK’S PARTY
Heatcraft has appointed Kirk Buckley to the role of marketing manager, HVAC&R equipment. Sydney-based Buckley has more than 10 years’ experience in various marketing, communications, strategy and technology roles across various industrial markets. His role will be to work with company leadership to continue driving the strategic direction of the Lennox HVAC and Kirby Refrigeration equipment portfolios, and further penetrate the market through new product development and business tools. “In a world that is getting increasingly smaller, with much more access to information and a variety of consumer options, the key for Heatcraft is to continue to remain the first-choice business partner,” says Buckley. “We’ll continue to provide greater customer experience to drive success, both for ourselves and our customers. “In addition, we have some exciting new residential HVAC products about to launch that we’re confident will meet expectations, so watch this space.” Go to www.heatcraft.com.au n
26 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
4
NEW LEGIONELLA LAWS
NSW Health has released new regulations that introduce significant changes to cooling tower systems management in that state. Following two outbreaks of Legionnaires’ disease in the Sydney central business district in March and May 2016, the Legionella Taskforce, headed by the NSW Health Chief Health Officer, worked with stakeholders to develop the new regulatory approach to managing cooling towers. The changes include a new monthly report in the “Approved Form” for each system, a compulsory Risk Management Plan (RMP) per cooling tower, and an annual audit for compliance to the RMP. Additionally, each cooling tower requires the installation of a unique identification number, and the system must be maintained in accordance with AS/NZS 3666.3:2011 and serviced at least once a month by a “duly qualified person”. A new penalty has also been introduced for falsifying reports or results. The new laws have a significant effect on the industry, with an estimated 6,000 RMPs required by law to be completed by June 2019. NSW Health has also released comprehensive guidelines for practical guidance on the legal requirements. This document details the roles and responsibilities, explains the risk factors, runs through the RMP process and outlines reporting, response and administrative requirements. Go to health.nsw.gov.au n
5
INDONESIA LOOKS TO AUSSIE MODEL
A delegation of industry, training and government officials from Indonesia has met with the Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) to learn more about our licensing scheme. Indonesia is interested in establishing a national certification scheme for HVAC&R technicians, and is looking at Australia’s system for ideas. The ARC
Around the Nation 5
8
7
9
“From the Rain to Spain” Charity cycle ride 28 September to 7th October 2018
shared information about our qualifications-based licensing scheme and its benefits for industry and consumers. They also spoke about promoting licences to consumers, industry advocacy and more. “This visit by the Indonesian delegation is a valuable opportunity to promote the great work of technicians and the licence scheme in reducing emissions of refrigerants into the atmosphere, increasing the skill-base of the sector and, in doing so, contributing to a professional and healthy industry,” said ARC CEO Glenn Evans. Go to www.artctick.org n
6
OFFICIAL TRAINING FOR A2/A2L
Training for A2/A2L mildly flammable refrigerants has been officially endorsed by the Victorian Registration and Qualification Authority (VRQA). This unit of competency can now be utilised across the nation. The new unit of competency is VU22583 Handle Class A2/A2L Flammable Refrigerants. This sits within the current course as an elective – 22329 VIC Heating, Ventilation & Air Conditioning Service. Stephen Smith, M.AIRAH, who has more than 25 years’ teaching experience in HVAC&R at TAFEs in NSW, believes the training meets a clear need in the industry. “R32 has become the refrigerant of choice for almost all high wall split-system manufacturers these days,” he says. “It is the first refrigerant to see use in Australia that falls within the new A2L Toxicity and Flammability category; however, it won’t remain that way for long. Many of the new HFO refrigerants that are being developed to replace the HFCs we are all familiar with will also fall into this category. “The RAC industry is facing a worldwide move to HFO and natural refrigerants. The addition of this course provides all training organisations with the full suite of products required to assist the industry in making the transition as safe as possible.” Go to training.gov.au/Training/Details/VU22583 n
7
FROM THE RAIN TO SPAIN
has ceased. As is the case in all workplace fatalities, WHSQ will prepare a comprehensive report for the coroner following its investigation.”
Trafalgar Fire owner John Rakic is getting on his bike again for The Black Dog Institute. This time he will cover a distance of about 1,500km over nine days, from London to Barcelona, in the aptly named Rain To Spain ride. “While Trafalgar are known for fire stopping, they are now proud to encourage the burn that John Rakic will feel in his legs, as he traverses the undulating and often steep elevations of the Pyrenees Mountains in France and Spain,” says the company. “All money raised will go towards ground-breaking research into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of mental illnesses, as well as the development of clinical treatments, e-mental health tools, education and awareness programs.” The Black Dog Institute exists to reduce the stigma around mental illness and to actively reduce suicide rates through research and support programs. Trafalgar will match every dollar donated so please give generously. www.justgiving.com/fundraising/johnhoundrakic n
8
WORKPLACE FATALITY IN CAIRNS
On August 20, air conditioning contractor Sol Fagan, aged 40, died after falling from a vent at James Cook University (JCU) in Cairns. Early reports suggest he was undertaking scheduled maintenance of air conditioning ducts and was in the fresh air intake pre-conditioned outside air (PCOA) unit when a floor grate gave way, possibly due to corrosion. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland has issued the following statement: “Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (WHSQ) has commenced an investigation into an incident at James Cook University campus where a contract worker fell from the ceiling while welding. A prohibition notice has been issued to the contract company and all work
WHSQ has indicated the report may take many months to complete. It has also highlighted the risks of working at height on or near fragile surfaces. A Gofundme page has been set up to raise money for Fagan’s wife and two children. Go to www.gofundme.com/help-our-much-lovedhayley-schoon n
9
OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS FOR LAKESIDE
Lakeside Cooling Towers began in 1958 when the original owners sat down for a cup of tea by Albert Park Lake in Melbourne. While the company retains its name, it has now moved to Moorabbin and has evolved over the past 60 years. This is especially true of its products. Lakeside uses hospital-grade antimicrobial product in its fibreglass components, which provides an added protection against harmful bacterial, fungi and algae growth. It is also effective against bacteria such as E. coli, salmonella, Listeria, streptococcus and staphylococcus. Further innovation has allowed Lakeside’s cooling towers to use recycled or untreated ground water and treated waste water in the cooling process. The design allows for easy maintenance access (as per AS 3666) and the heat exchange medium can be changed to suit different applications. The company has cemented a reputation locally and has also successfully completed international projects, including a project at Dubai Aluminium (UAE) that reduced tower size and energy requirement by 75 per cent. Another at Ben Gurion University (Israel) increased cooling capacity by 30 per cent in the same roof space. Now the owner is looking to step back from the business and is seeking a partnership or sale. For details, call Michael on 0408 554 928. n
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 27
Cool Tech
WORKING ON THE CHAIN GANG A chainsaw with grunt but without the growl? Welcome to the age of battery power. OK, OK, so it’s not exactly a piece of HVAC kit. You can’t use a Stihl MSA 120 C to cut up a piece of duct. Please don’t try to. But you can use it to cut logs, trees and branches – everything you would use a regular petrol-powered chainsaw to cut to bits, only without the noise, pull-cord start, the noise, the smoke, and the noise. “The new MSA 120 C delivers a real-world cutting experience,” Stihl says. “Cutting up to 100 logs on a single charge, it’s lightweight, easy to use, and comes fitted with Stihl safety features, such as the Swiss-made chain from our specialist factory. “This compact battery-powered chainsaw is the result of 90 years of constant development, ground-breaking innovations and real-world application.” The chainsaw features Stihl’s quick chain tensioning and trademarked QuickStop Super chain brake, and a 1/4” PM3 saw chain designed for a fine cut.
“This handy Stihl chainsaw really surprised me,” says Tim Carter from Askthebuilder.com. “When you first pick it up, you think it’s a toy. It’s that lightweight. “While this micro saw doesn’t pack the power found inside its gas-powered big brothers that work in the deep forest all day in the hands of professional loggers, this saw is able to cut down a sizable tree with little effort.
“This saw is now my go-to tool for trimming any branches on the many trees at my home. Since it weighs so little, you have excellent control and rarely experience fatigue.” Also, did we say it doesn’t make much noise? Earmuffs not required. n
The online AIRAH Industry Directory has relaunched as HVAC&R Search ✔ Australia’s ONLY dedicated HVAC&R directory ✔ Control your own profile via customer CMS ✔ Add videos, photos, products, articles and more ✔ Join your HVAC&R peers and competitors ✔ Boost sales enquiries ✔ Increase traffic to your site ✔ It’s FREE to join!
Join Australia’s leading HVAC&R directory www.hvacrsearch.com.au 28 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
Smoko with . . .
Name: Geoff Back d Company : TAFE Queenslan teacher Occupation: Refrigeration
Education industry do you work in? What par t of the HVAC &R &R industry? ut working in the HVAC What’s the bes t thing abo Never short on work. 50 years. d in the industry? Over How long have you worke ers. Ratchet spanner. that doesn’t involve comput Favourite tool: Any thing HVAC &R industry, If you didn't work in the g. uld be doing? Bricklayin what do you think you wo t of HVAC &R Nation? What’s your favourite par The funnies at the back. . old school over new school Dream car : Ford Mustang, tis. Dream date: Jamie Lee Cur erian Railway in Russia. Dream holiday: Trans-Sib rently drinking Iron Jack. Drink of choice: Beer, cur Willie Nelson. listen to? “All Of Me” by What song did you las t : Favourite quote or saying give to my countr y. to life one e hav y onl I I regret
– good for the heart. Currently tuna on crackers Favourite smoko snack: yed for Australia. nes, NRL footballer who pla Sporting hero: Keith Bar grandkids, . . . Spending time with the When I’m not working I’m for walks. watching sport and going
Geoff (rig ht) at a rece nt school excursio n.
AIRAH TRADE NIGHTS AIRAH Trade Nights are a great opportunity to broaden your networks and see the HVAC&R industry’s latest innovations. Whether you’re looking for the latest technology to improve your business, or extending your networks, there will be plenty on offer.
AIRAH Trade Nights are free to attend and open to everyone, but you must be registered to attend. October 10
Bendigo
Vic October 30
October 18
Adelaide
SA
Rockhampton Qld
Free entry – Doors open at 4pm Exhibitors with the latest HVAC&R products and innovations. Drinks, food and more.
Register online at www.airah.org.au/tradenights
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 29
The Lighter Side This month’s Lighter Side is brought to you by
Stocked at over 100 branches nation-wide. A huge variety of refrigerant products. A new level of service and support. Available at
Lighter Side strip.indd 1
6/02/2018 10:21:38 AM
2
1 WINNER
3
1
LIGHTER SIDE MEETS
Bruce then politely explained that because it was a cylinder of flammable gas it required a reverse/left-hand thread fitting as per Australian standards. n
THE DARWIN AWARDS* Bruce in Melbourne received this R32 cylinder from a customer, who complained that he couldn’t screw a bottle fitting on it and wanted a replacement. “I took one look at the valve and exclaimed, ‘What the f##k have you done!’ The customer stammered that he knew nothing about it, and that it must have been one of his boys (with a real sheepish look on his face),” Bruce says. “The whole cylinder was covered in brass grinding dust, and had gouges in the side of the handle. “I asked him if he’d take a grinder to a BBQ gas cylinder at home. His reply was: ‘Do you think I’m an idiot?’ So I pointed to the big red flammable sticker.” Bruce says at this point the customer began to realise the error of his ways. Well, almost. “I got a replacement R32 cylinder and put it in front of him and proceeded to watch him take the plastic cap off and pull a R22 bottle fitting out of his pocket and attempt to screw it on. He turned to me and stated, ‘This cylinder is faulty too!’ ”
4
* The Darwin Awards are tongue-in-cheek honours presented annually to individuals who contribute to human evolution by selecting themselves out of the gene pool. See darwinawards.com
2
TROUBLE DWe’dOUBLE have thought it’s hot enough in the Northern Territory without installing this split aircon right under a package unit. Thanks to Rajesh for the photo. n
3
SHOW TPaulHEfromGOON NSW sent in this pic of a very classy improvised electrical cover. n
4
TIME HHowANG long can this install at Warwick Farm in NSW last? Photo courtesy of Phil. n
5
BLOW LDanOW spotted this sunken unit in Tasmania. n
HAVE YOU COME ACROSS SOMETHING SCARY, UGLY OR JUST PLAIN FUNNY? If your entry is deemed the monthly winner, a 700ml bottle of Jim Beam will be on its way to your door. Please include a postal address with your entry. Entrants must be 18 or over. Send your hi-res (>500KB) photos to Editor, Mark Vender at mark.vender@airah.org.au
30 | HVAC&R Nation | www.airah.org.au/nation | October 2018
5
J5217 Actrol DC3_Mag ad_291x210mm_040918_FA.pdf
1
4/9/18
8:48 am
Something revolutionary is coming.
DC-3 will redeďŹ ne the refrigeration industry, introducing a plug and play system for walk in/reach in cool rooms.
PLUG AND PLAY
FULLY PROGRAMMED
HIGHLY ENERGY EFFICIENT
Find out more at actrol.com.au
October 2018 | www.airah.org.au/nation | HVAC&R Nation | 31
AVAILABLE LATE OCTOBER
THE ALL NEW
ZENA
DESIGNER SERIES Engineered with the latest technology, its stylish and elegant design integrates seamlessly into the modern home. Now available in 6.0kW capacity.
ENERGY PERFORMANCE Zena delivers 5.5 Star Rating energy performance in cooling and 5.0 Star Rating in heating (25 Class).
MODELS
CAPACITY RANGE
8 2.5kW 6.0kW - TO -
LARGE FAN ROTOR Ø200mm rotor delivers large airflows quietly
FLASH STREAMER TECHNOLOGY Decomposes bacteria and mould absorbed on the filter by ionisation
ULTRA COMPACT DESIGN With a discrete indoor unit casing size of only 295mm high, 798mm wide and 185mm deep.
BUILT-IN WI-FI Equipped with WLAN module for connection to Daikin’s D-Mobile smartphone interface. Available in White Hair Line or Black Wood finish. ADVANCED FILTER Titanium apatite deodorising filter traps microscopic particles and decomposes odours
For more information, visit daikin.com.au or call us on 1300 368 300
GRID EYE SENSOR Provides draught free comfort and monitors floor temperature to ensure even temperature in the space