Around the Nation

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1 SPLIT SUPPLIERS SOUGHT IN VICTORIA

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. 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. 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. 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). Although, at time of going to print, one intake of suppliers was just finishing, another was expected to open soon. 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. “We are all in unprecedented times with the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Tom Teom from Fitzpatrick & Co Insurance Brokers. Going into 2022, Teom advises professionals in the HVAC&R industry to review their insurance cover regularly. “In these challenging times, it is imperative to maintain adequate insurance cover on assets, whether it be personal or business,” he says. 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.

Go to www.fitzpatrick.com.au ■

3 PRESSURE ON PRICES

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. 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. 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.

Finally, refrigerant prices in China are increasing due to rising prices of raw materials and electricity restrictions. This “trifecta” of market forces has the potential to cause significant refrigerant price rises in Australia. ■

4 SEELEY RAISES THE STEAKS

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”. 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.

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The company has been an advocate of the Western Sydney community for many years, hosting free soccer clinics across the region as well as supporting local clubs. More recently, Mitsubishi Electric donated to the grassroots club Lowlands Wanderers FC, which was ravaged by the floods in the Hawkesbury region. “We are very pleased to extend our ongoing sponsorship of the Western Sydney Wanderers and for the first time to include the W-League team as part of this support,” says Mitsubishi Electric Managing Director Jeremy Needham. “Our company and employees are part of the Western Sydney community and the Wanderers have invested a tremendous amount to build up and lift the spirits of this region. We are proud to be a part of the Wanderers family.” Go to www.mitsubishielectric.com.au ■

6 AWARDS GALORE FOR MHIAA

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Air-Conditioners Australia (MHIAA) may need a bigger trophy cabinet after being awarded Australia’s Best Brand of Air Conditioners in 2021 by Choice for the fourth year in a row, and being recognised by consumer comparison group Canstar Blue as the 2021 Most Satisfied Customer award winner in the air conditioners category for the third time consecutively. The Choice Best Brand award is based on a combination of product testing and consumer reliability and satisfaction surveys that are completed by more than 3,489 Choice members. According to MHIAA, the company once again scored exceptionally well to outperform all other brands with a reliability score of 90 per cent and a satisfaction score of 94 per cent for an overall Best Brand Score of 74 per cent. Canstar Blue is a comparison site that aims to help Australian consumers make better purchasing decision via price monitoring, consumer research, and ratings. In the 2021 review, MHIAA outperformed all brands in the six categories to be awarded the 2021 Most Satisfied Customer Award. MHIAA also received a 5-star rating for five out of the six categories. Go to mhiaa.com.au ■

7 ELECTRIC DREAMS

A report released by Rewiring Australia, a new energy think tank, shows that Australian households could vastly reduce their energy bills through electrification, and cut domestic emissions by around one-third by 2030. Rewiring Australia’s report, Castles and Cars: savings in the suburbs through electrifying everything presents modelling that shows electrification will save the average household $5,000 on power and the cost of owning cars and appliances by 2030. According to the report, this would be achieved by replacing conventional cars and appliances with electric vehicles, solar, batteries and efficient appliances such as heat pumps for hot water and heating and cooling. “The future looks like vastly cheaper energy, better homes and nicer cars,” says Doctor Saul Griffith, founder of Rewiring Australia. “No nation is better placed to seize this opportunity for cheaper energy, self-reliance and cleaner air than Australia.”

www.rewiringaustralia.org ■

8 LICENCE DEADLINE APPROACHING

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) is urging workers to submit their applications for occupational and site supervisor licences ahead of the January 1, 2022 deadline.

According to the QBCC, assessment officers have seen an increase in applications over recent weeks, and all efforts are being made to approve eligible applicants in time for the January 1 deadline. Those who apply and have their licence granted before the January 1 deadline will also benefit from a greater period of time before their first renewal date. Occupational licences granted now will commence on January 1, 2022 rather than the date the licence is issued, meaning the first renewal date for these licences will be January 1, 2023. Go to www.qbcc.qld.gov.au ■

9 SUSTAINABILITY FOR THE PEOPLE

A new home makeover show called Renovate or Rebuild on 9Life aims to crack open sustainable building options and encourage Aussies to choose healthier and more energy-efficient homes. As the title suggests, the show challenges teams to decide whether to renovate or rebuild. Teams of two from each state – including some previous contestants from The Block – will tackle a house project. “The idea of the show is simple,” says Nine. “Two teams compete to convince a family that they have the best solution to providing more space, comfort and reduced energy bills in a 60-minute episode hosted by interior designer James Treble.

“Team Renovate believe the family should renovate their existing home, while Team Rebuild think the family should knock down and rebuild.” Go to renovateorrebuild.com.au ■

10 MASTER STROKE FROM MASTERFLOW

Masterflow has recently secured the distributorship of Alfa Laval heat exchangers. Since its establishment more than 20 years ago, Masterflow has grown to become a leading supplier of capital equipment to the Australian HVAC market. “We’re excited to have the Alfa Laval range of heat exchangers in our portfolio,” says one of Masterflow’s leadership team. “It takes yet another procurement headache away from our customers, in being able to deal with a single supplier for multiple items.” Masterflow says Alfa Laval’s reputation for innovation was one of things that attracted it to the brand. “What makes Alfa Laval such a strong name is its leadership in innovation,” Masterflow says. “Consider the T series of plate heat exchangers, and the intricate details Alfa Laval have worked on to make them easier to maintain.” ■