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1 SPLIT SUPPLIERS SOUGHT IN VICTORIA
Going into 2022, Teom advises professionals in the HVAC&R industry to review their insurance cover regularly.
4 SEELEY RAISES THE STEAKS
Victoria’s Home Heating and Cooling Upgrades program is expanding to include landlords and renters, and will be looking for suppliers to join the program.
“In these challenging times, it is imperative to maintain adequate insurance cover on assets, whether it be personal or business,” he says.
The program offers rebates to replace gas, electric and wood heaters with reverse-cycle split systems in low-income and vulnerable households. It plans to reach 250,000 households over the next three years, improving thermal comfort for occupants, reducing their energy consumption, and helping the state transition away from gas.
Teom also recommends staying up to date with the current state rules and regulations, especially around COVID-19. And if cash flow or income have been reduced – immediately or in the coming months – it is worth contacting your insurance company to discuss payment options for premium to reduce the financial burden and stress.
Australian air conditioning manufacturer Seeley International will commission the building HVAC system for what has been described as a “global showcase of advanced food manufacturing”.
The program was initially open only to owner/ occupiers, but is now being expanded to landlords and renters. This includes rental properties that are unoccupied. And as the number of approvals ramps up, there will be greater demand for suppliers to instal the equipment.
Go to www.fitzpatrick.com.au ■
3 PRESSURE ON PRICES
Approved suppliers will provide an end-to-end service and ensure appropriate licensing of retailers and installers, consumer protections and work quality. Service will entail the installation of new split systems in accordance with program requirements, the decommissioning of old systems, and undertaking of switchboard upgrades (if applicable).
A perfect storm of international forces may cause significant rises in the price of refrigerants in Australia. With the US HFC phase-down set to begin on January 1, 2022, importers and users are stocking up before restrictions begin. Because of the sheer scale of the US market, this is having an impact on the global availability of not just refrigerants, but also cylinders and other ancillary equipment.
Although, at time of going to print, one intake of suppliers was just finishing, another was expected to open soon.
At the same time, the global shipping crisis has seen long delays in deliveries and soaring transport costs. The delays are of a particular concern to bulk HFC importers in Australia, who must fill their quotas – or risk losing them.
Go to www.heatingupgrades.vic.gov.au ■
2 INSURANCE IN COVID TIMES One sector of our economy that has been heavily affected by the pandemic is insurance. Unlike other industries, however, some of the impacts are only coming to the fore now.
The shipping crisis is also putting upward pressure on refrigerant prices because of increased transport costs. According to one industry expert, importers of bulk refrigerant and air conditioning equipment have seen an increase in shipping costs as high as tenfold in some cases.
“We are all in unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Tom Teom from Fitzpatrick & Co Insurance Brokers.
Finally, refrigerant prices in China are increasing due to rising prices of raw materials and electricity restrictions.
“Restrictions are still in place, coupled with the hardening of the insurance market, which has impacted insurance premiums and decimated risk capacity.”
This “trifecta” of market forces has the potential to cause significant refrigerant price rises in Australia. ■
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HVAC&R Nation
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www.airah.org.au/nation
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November 2021
Thomas Foods International’s meat-processing facility in Murray Bridge, South Australia, will have a significant cooling and ventilation demand, with an initial beef processing capacity of up to 600 head per day and a range of associated packaging, storage, and administrative facilities. Seeley’s Group Managing Director Jon Seeley, Affil.AIRAH, says the project would be a strong case study for Seeley’s growing credentials in the food and beverage manufacturing sector. “We are exceptionally proud to be partnering with Thomas Foods, which has very strong sustainability and health mandates,” says Seeley. “These are really what our technology espouses. The project will use Seeley’s Climate Wizard (IEC) indirect evaporative cooling technology, which the company says has been a global disruptor of conventional cooling, with thousands of units deployed across the food and wine, manufacturing, retail, health, and education sectors. It also says that the Thomas Foods International contract is an important milestone, demonstrating the capacity of Seeley’s technology to meet the stringent efficiency, health and airflow requirements needed to deliver premium food produce. Go to www.seeleyinternational.com ■
5 KICKING GOALS Western Sydney Wanderers FC has announced a three-year extension to its partnership with Mitsubishi Electric. The agreement takes the partnership into its 12th year from the end of 2021/22. Mitsubishi Electric will continue its placement on the A-League side’s back-of-shirt and will now be extending its support to the W-League team, where it will feature on the front-of-shorts from this season.
