Climate Control News March 2018

Skills shortage & training review MARCH 2018 Digital engineering Construction boom Building code updates

Climate Control News

Commercial Air Conditioning

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Contents

Commercial Air Conditioning This feature looks at local issues impacting the commercial air conditioning market as well as the latest product releases.

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Climate Control News March 2018

In the news Training review

06

Migration scheme

This month Case study

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06

National HQ

24

HVAC activity

08

Building automation

30

RET 2020

10

Thermal energy

34

Electrotechnology Industry Reference Committee (IRC) training review.

Skilled migration scheme is just another blow to small business.

Activity in the commercial construction sector is set to reach a decade high.

Australia is set to reach its Renewable Energy Target in 2020.

Energy efficiency

12

Ziehl-Abegg takes a cool approach to energy efficiency.

12

Johnson Controls has completed an 18-month retrofit project.

Fujitsu General begins work on its new Australian headquarters.

Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for Building Information Modelling (BIM) solutions.

South Australian-based company, 1414 Degrees, gets serious about thermal energy.

Local innovation

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Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) CEO, Dr Larry Marshall, talks innovation.

Cover Prime is the newest player in refrigerant industry and is only becoming more prevalent. With well over 100 stockist locations across the nation, and a wide variety of products, Prime can offer you choice, quickly. As the industry moves from HFC blends, Prime offers support casting industry knowledge and transparent information on a greater range of alternatives.

While still a new brand, Prime really are leading the way. www.actrol.com.au (03) 9274 0000 CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS  MARCH 2018

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Editorial

Climate Control News EDITOR Sandra Van Dijk Ph: (02) 9213 8277 sandravandijk@yaffa.com.au NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Michael Northcott Ph: 0420 403 044 michaelnorthcott@yaffa.com.au ADVERTISING PRODUCTION Michelle Carneiro Ph: (02) 9213 8219 michellecarneiro@yaffa.com.au

Get ready it’s showtime THERE HAS BEEN PLENTY OF GOOD NEWS ON THE ECONOMIC FRONT IN RECENT WEEKS WITH THE WORLD'S BIGGEST AIR CONDITIONING BRANDS COMMITTING TO THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET AND CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY ABOUT TO REACH A DECADE HIGH. Sandra Van Dijk – Editor

FUJITSU GENERAL IS investing in its national headquarters in Sydney's west while at the same time opening an air conditioning centre in Brisbane for customers to plan with clients and check out its latest suite of products.

With so much activity forecast for the local market in coming years the big question is this: can the HVACR industry keep pace? Do we have enough technicians and engineers to support such a booming market?

The answer is a long, silent pause and that's only because we have so much work to do. Thankfully, 2018 is the year that huge strides are being taken to really make a difference.

There are a range of reviews underway that will adress many of the challenges facing the HVACR industry today.

For example, the current training review to tackle upskilling and strengthening different areas of the HVACR job market is moving in the right direction. It will lead to improved apprenticeship models and better post-trade training.

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The average age of workers in this industry is 39 with 24 per cent of the workforce over 50. This means the loss of key skills from retiring workers will put a serious strain on the industry if we don't get more apprenticeships and attract a lot more young people to the industry.

Many of the issues related to strengthening the trade are covered in this issue including a special edition In Focus section where readers have their say. There has been so much reader feedback I could not deny you, the reader, any longer. The letters page begins on page 14.

There are many more initiatives planned to improve the industry and I am hopeful we will see some dividends over the next 18 months. It's clear that the role of this industry and its influence is growing every year.

Climate control matters, even if others are only now starting to realise its significance. We really are at a turning point, one where the industry is beginning to get the recognition it deserves.

Step aside plumbers and electricians it's time to make way for a new specialist, an expert with a unique set of skills. That's right, it's time for industry to showcase a little climate control magic.

It's showtime! ***** Finally on a more sombre note, I would just like to send my condolences to the family of Tim Edwards, the former president of the Australian Refrigeration Association (ARA). Many readers will no doubt remember Tim as a passionate advocate for natural refrigerants. He will be sadly missed.

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News

A NATIONAL TRAINING REVIEW TO UPDATE HVACR SKILLS AND ADDRESS CRITICAL GAPS ACROSS THE INDUSTRY HAS IDENTIFIED A LONG LIST OF CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED TO ENSURE THE TRADE CONTINUES TO MEET INDUSTRY NEEDS.

National training review priorities ACKNOWLEDGING CURRENT CERTIFICATIONS and training for the RAC trade are out of date and in need of a complete overhaul, the Federal Government announced a review of the Electrotechnology Training Package which covers certifications for HVACR. The Electrotechnology industry includes the design, maintenance, installation and repair for all electrical and electronic equipment. It covers a range of sectors including the electrical services industry, manufacturing, construction, re-

SKILLS SHORTAGE

newables, domestic and commercial refrigeration and air conditioning.

It is an industry worth $87.1 billion in revenue and employs 340,000 people.

As part of the review, Australian Industry Standards released a Discussion Paper identifying the biggest challenges that need to be addressed to upskill the RAC workforce.

A special two-page report on the Discussion Paper is covered in this month's Commercial Air Conditioning Feature which begins on page 20.

ELECTROTECHNOLOGY WORKFORCE BY STATE/TERRITORY 79,281

Victoria

65,741

Queensland

47,020

Western Australia

27,984

South Australia

15,851

Tasmania

4,612

Australian Capital Territory

3,663

Northern Territory

2,469 0

10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 80000 90000

Source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (2017)

New South Wales

The discussion paper found 71.6 per cent of employers reported experiencing a skills shortage in the last 12 months. Shortages were identified for the following occupations: • Refrigeration/Air Conditioning Technicians • Electricians • Educators • Engineers • Specialists in Renewables • Employers identified the following reasons for the shortage with the most frequent response listed first: • Ageing workforce/current staff retiring • Cost/time to achieve the required qualification • Wages/salaries considered too low • Unattractive job/poor industry image • Competition from other organisations

PRIORITY SKILLS In order of priority the following skills were identified as the most important for the Electrotechnology workforce over the next three to five years: 1. Testing/diagnostics 2. Health/safety 3. Maintenance/servicing 4. Electrical 5. Air conditioning/refrigeration

Skilled migration too costly FOR BUSINESSES IN regional or rural areas finding staff can be an impossible task.

As the Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, points out no amount of advertising or word of mouth is going to fill a vacancy in the bush.

She said legislation put forward around the skilled migration scheme is just another blow to small businesses.

Commenting on a Senate Committee report released last month, Carnell said increasing the cost of temporary migration for work visas will

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add to the angst already involved in the complex and time-consuming process of securing a suitable worker.

“We know that small businesses contribute significantly to the training of their own workforce and are more than happy to do this,” Carnell said.

“However, in some businesses and some areas, no amount of advertising is going to fill a vacancy.

“This is when employers look to what is probably the last resort for them, which is getting skilled workers from overseas.

“We are disappointed that this new legislation

increases costs, timeframes and red tape.

“Under the proposed legislation, business owners will have to pay an upfront training levy of up to $8,000, spend around 80 hours filling out paperwork and then wait between seven to nine months for this to be processed.”

LEFT: Ombudsman, Kate Carnell.

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News

Warranty extension for EC fans IN A BID to ramp up local support, ebmpapst A&NZ has been investing heavily in staff and local facilities to better service its customers in Australia and New Zealand.

Service and product quality have been identified as priorities to support customers with ebm-papst strengthening local capabilities.

The first part of this investment will be the extension of the warranty period for EC fans from two to five years from April 1, 2018.

The new, extended warranty applies to a range of EC products with a power input above 125W. A complete description of product inclusions is available on request.

In a second step, the company has recently completed the construction of a local Centre of Excellence at its head office in Melbourne.

It comprises a dedicated Research and Development area that will strengthen the company's core capabilities, including: • an ISO5801 accredited Test Rig • a standalone R&D area • a facility for product analysis under warranty • extended and optimised assembly floor space.

The official launch of the new Centre of Excellence is scheduled to take place in Q2 2018.

More information can be found at http://www. ebmpapst.com.au/CoE.

LEFT: ebm-papst employee Tini Hope assembling local products.

RIGHT: Local staff member, Joe Capovilla.

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Commercial building activity will be strong enough on its own to drag the whole industry back into positive territory for the first time in four years.

Booming construction market to drive HVAC activity ACTIVITY IN THE commercial construction sector is set to reach a decade high which is great news for the HVAC industry.

The latest Building and Construction Industry Forecasts produced by Master Builders Australia show that total commercial construction activity is expected to contribute $42 billion to the economy in 2017-18.

The organisation's national manager for economics, Matthew Pollock, announced forecast growth of more than 14.5 per cent which is equal to $5.3 billion.

Pollock said commercial building activity will be strong enough on its own to drag the whole industry back into positive territory for the first time in four years.

"With a small moderation expected in the value of residential construction work and another year of consolidation in the engineering sector, the timing of this surge in commercial construction couldn't be better," he said.

"Better yet, new commercial construction projects will provide job opportunities for workers who may be finishing up on major high density residential projects over the next 12 months or so.

"New retail related construction is expected to rise to $6.9 billion in 2017-18, led by the recent in-

troduction of some big international retailers, including Amazon which recently built a large distribution centre in Melbourne's Dandenong South and plans by Aldi to open another 30 stores across the country in the next 12 months."

On the residential building front, Pollock said the last three years saw unprecedented growth in new housing construction. "We have built more than 200,000 new dwellings per year – a feat unmatched in our history," he said.

"Despite the forecast showing a moderation in new dwelling construction, we expect new commencements in 2017-18 to top 195,000 and average around 185,000 thereafter. To keep pace with population growth we will need to build at least 185,000 new dwellings each year for the next five years."

Adding to the good news is a forecast boom in renovations which will average $8.8 billion per year and top $44 billion over the next five years.

These figures were supported by the CoreLogic Construction Monthly report which confirmed 1,719 development applications and proposals were added to the construction pipeline across Australia in January.

CoreLogic commercial research analyst, Eliza Owen, said Australia saw $4.2 billion worth of projects commence in January.

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News

The IEA has recommended driving more energy efficiency improvements in Australia’s existing buildings.

Call to ramp up policy framework for energy efficiency THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY (IEA) HAS CALLED ON AUSTRALIA TO RAMP UP ITS ENERGY EFFICIENCY EFFORTS WARNING THAT NOT ENOUGH IS BEING DONE.

IN A REPORT released last month the IEA said Australia has an abundance of energy resources but despite this is facing a number of policy challenges.

“A consistent energy and climate framework up to 2030/50 is needed at the Commonwealth level to ensure continued and adequate investment in the energy sector,” the report said.

Australia's Energy Efficiency Council (EEC) CEO, Luke Menzel, welcomed the report which recommends the federal government ramp up its ambition on energy efficiency across all economic sectors including building, industry and transport.

Menzel said the report confirms that Australia is behind the eight ball when it comes to energy efficiency.

“The global experts have run the ruler over Australia’s policy settings and found that our current effort on energy efficiency is not up to snuff,” he said.

“Whether its buildings, industry or transport, the IEA has found there is much more we can do to slash energy costs and reduce carbon emissions through smart energy efficiency policies.”

The IEA made a list of recommendations including more work to drive energy efficiency improvements in existing buildings and a program that supports big industrial energy users to improve their level of efficiency.

Menzel said that in some ways, the IEA is pointing out the obvious.

In global terms, Menzel said Australia is missing the boat when it comes to energy efficiency policy.

“That’s despite the fact that it’s the cheapest and quickest way of slashing energy bills and reducing carbon emissions,” he said.

“We have a good framework in the National Energy Productivity Plan.

“It’s time for the Turnbull Government to put some meat on the bones of that plan, and drive the kind of changes that will get us back in the game.”

Energy Efficiency Council CEO, Luke Menzel.

Australia set to meet Renewable Energy Target THE CLEAN ENERGY Regulator (CER) announced there will be enough renewable energy projects built over the next three years to meet the Renewable Energy Target in 2020.

The CER has previously said that to meet the Renewable Energy Target approximately 6000 megawatts of capacity would need to be announced and built between 2016 and 2019.

This milestone has been surpassed ahead of schedule following a record level of investment in renewable energy in 2017, according to Environment and Energy Minister, Josh Frydenberg.

"Already, 4924 megawatts of the 6532 megawatts of capacity that has been firmly announced is under construction or already operating, with the balance expected to be fully financed and under construction early this year," he said.

"More than 1600 megawatts of projects have a power purchase agreement in place which we

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expect will progress to financial close.

"The construction of this level of firmly announced renewable projects will lead to an investment of more than $12 billion which will support growth in the Australian economy."

Queensland has the largest share of this new build with more than 2000 megawatts of capacity, followed by Victoria with around 1600 megawatts and New South Wales with 1400 megawatts.

Frydenberg said one of the major shifts in the market is the huge increase in share of large-scale solar.

In the first 6000 megawatts committed under the scheme, solar contributed only four per cent of the total. In the firmly announced projects since 2016, solar now makes up 46 per cent.

"This will ensure significant additional electricity supply is available in the market well ahead of 2020," he said.

"Importantly, as outlined in the Australian Energy Market Commission's 2017 Residential Electricity Price Trends Report released in December, this extra supply is expected to apply downward pressure on wholesale electricity prices over the next three years.

"This year should see around 2600 megawatts of new renewables projects commence operating which will further strengthen reliability and reduce emissions in addition to reducing electricity prices."

Minister for Environment and Energy, Josh Frydenberg.

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New cogeneration plant

Court rejects HFC bans A PETITION BY Chemours and Honeywell challenging a US Court decision to overturn bans on the use of certain HFC refrigerants has been rejected.

The United States Court of Appeals in the District of Columbia has denied the petition instead supporting the original court decision made last year to overturn refrigerant bans imposed by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA).

The EPA ruled that high global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants such as R404A,

R134a and R410A be banned from as early as January 1, 2021. The bans were introduced to phasedown the use of high GWP refrigerants.

The EPA ban was supported by Chemours and Honeywell but opposed by refrigerant manufacturers Mexichem and Arkema.

Appealing against the EPA ruling, Mexichem and Arkema said the EPA cannot use the Clean Air Act to target HFCs and the US Court of Appeals has agreed by rejecting the Chemours and Honeywell petition.

A GAS ENGINE with generator was delivered to the University of Göttingen and the University Medical School (UMG) which represents the “heart” of its new combined heat and power plant.

A heavy duty crane was used to lift the 53-tonne unit into the building (pictured).

Three large cogeneration units have been implemented at the university and medical school, a saving of 6,500 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

The 4.5 megawatt cogeneration plant was developed and supplied by ETW Energietechnik.

A cool approach to energy efficiency

The replacement of the 40 fans took place in two batches during planned outages.

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ZIEHL-ABEGG HAS REPLACED the fans cooling the converter station at BritNed in Rotterdam.

BritNed is the operator of the high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) subsea power cable connecting the United Kingdom and the Netherlands.

The new fans helped BritNed lower energy consumption and reduce its carbon footprint.

The subsea power cable covers 256 kilometres and has a capacity of 1.000 MW. In order to convert the HVDC to the widely used alternating current (AC), converter stations are located at each end of the power cable. These heavy duty converter stations, of approximately five hectares each, are permanently working and produce a significant amount of heat.

Reliable cooling is a continuous requirement but cooling fans running without interruption consume a lot of energy. With the product series ZAplus, Ziehl-Abegg was able

to offer several improvements to the existing system.

The newly placed cooling fans have Electronically Commutated (EC) motors which are proven to be highly energy efficient and environmentally friendly. The practical design of the fan allows easy maintenance and improves uptime.

The bionic profile of the blades (inspired by the owl) minimises noise pollution to the surrounding area. Altogether, the new fans will help BritNed to lower its energy consumption by 450,000 kWh per year and reduce its carbon footprint by 51 tonnes per year.

Equipped with a special service ring which enables easy access for maintenance and repair, the cooling unit no longer needs to be turned off for maintenance, reducing expensive outages.

Replacement of the 40 fans took place in two batches during planned outages with the old fans recycled.

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In Focus

State of Industry:

Readers have their say

IN THIS SPECIAL FEATURE, READERS SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY.

FOR THE FIRST time CCN has dedicated this section to readers to allow them to voice their concerns about the future of the industry and to share suggestions on how to strengthen the trade.

The current training review and initiatives to improve the HVACR industry have ignited a lot of interest. In fact CCN was overwhelmed by the number of letters received in recent weeks following the publication of a story last month entitled: "HVACR hit by huge demand for tradies, engineers" (February 2018, p6).

These pages showcase the voice of readers.

Letters have been edited due to length.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR I have been in this industry for 40 years and have been involved in both training and bringing in workers from other countries under our ever changing visa system. Can I say the problem is not a simple one.

Training is being pushed onto private companies, the government at state or federal level are not pulling there weight and need to change the training of our youth within this country.

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TAFE needs more funds, the reintroduction of night school and more pre-apprenticeship training. A massive overhaul is needed because the current system isn't working.

Employers don't want to invest in apprentices that are poached once they reach a certain level of competency.

Training needs to be a priority with tax breaks to encourage industry and better use of training money overall. Let's make use of our ageing population, let them train our young people rather than retire.

Skilled migration isn't working but it is very necessary, we need more skilled workers. This is another area in need of urgent reform.

Labour shortage increase costs encouraging organisations to manufacture overseas.

Let's get rid of this "changing parts" mentality, train our youth to understand more about the air conditioning and refrigeration systems they are working on. This is why overseas workers are highly sought after. They are taught to repair rather than just change components. The time for rhetoric is over.

Let's make it happen for all Australians new and old.

cians and plumbers do the work. The value of our trade is undermined.

We should have an Aircon and Refrigeration Trade in all states. Then when skills are further developed you become a HVACR technician.

Paul Hawkins Founder, Topwise Pottsville, NSW

Bill Skuthorp AMS Installation & Maintenance Solutions Bayswater, WA

As a contractor I consider it my duty to train apprentices. If only the larger companies had the same attitude instead of just poaching staff when it suits them. These larger companies should be forced to do their share and have a training quota. Training is hard work. This is not a simple trade.

Apprentices completing Cert III need to be mechanically minded yet the general impression out there is that tradies are school leavers without many career options. This is a myth that needs to change if we are going to make the trade more attractive to school leavers.

I have seen plenty of young people unable to complete the trade because it is not as simple as they initially thought.

All the apprentices I have trained take great pride in their work, but this is a trade that doesn't get the recognition it deserves.

The way to stop the skills shortage is to stop deconstructing our industry by letting electri-

Ken Civil, Camden Park, Adelaide

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In Focus

Training apprentices has been a double-edged sword for many small businesses.

I can only give you our perspective which is that of a small, family-owned business in regional Queensland.

We have been hit squarely in the face in the past two weeks with the sudden reality that, in our local region, demand for staff has turned on a dime. We have had our two most recently completed (six months and nine months) tradesmen poached by other companies. One a multi-national that has swept into our region in the past couple of months to "take over" and the second is a locally-based firm but a very large nationally focussed one.

It costs us around $250,000 to train an apprentice over four years. We get $5,000 in government incentives. Hardly any incentive at all.

Why does it cost so much? Because our customer base is also like us: small, local businesses and families. We cannot and do not charge our customers to have an apprentice just hanging around watching. We know that this is standard practice for the larger companies but their customers are local and state governments – the local branches of national businesses and, of course, mining.

Over the 40 years we have been in business we have trained around 30 apprentices. It may not sound like much but we believe that for our size, we have punched well above our weight.

We have what the local Department of Educa-

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tion and Training has described as an "extraordinary" success rate with our apprentices. That is in terms of finishing those that we sign on.

Any non-completions were before my time (more than 20 years ago). Not only that, the local TAFE teacher has said that the high level that we train our apprentices to is a doubleedge sword. All our competitors know they are good so they are poached shortly after finishing. Our competitors have not spent the money

“TRAINING APPRENTICES IS DISHEARTENING AND EXPENSIVE.” - HELEN ATKINSON

to train them so they can pay them at rates that are just beyond our imagination.

Here's a suggestion on how to make it more attractive for smaller business to train apprentices – a training contract stating that staff remain for a set period of time once training is completed.

Even a year would be better than nothing although two years would help with some of the cost.

To say that training apprentices is disheartening and depressing is an understatement, not to mention expensive.

Helen Atkinson, CEC Funch Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Rockhampton, QLD As a mature aged tradesperson I was made redundant and there appears to be little interest in employing a 60-year-old, even though I have a wide range of experience in the trade.

It is hard to understand why employers write off this group of workers and not consider the value of their years of knowledge.

Wayne Taylor, Central Queensland We are forced to sit back and watch young people pass on jobs that are actually in demand, instead choosing professions where hundreds are competing for the one job. It is tough because it is easy to believe that the job ends once you have your trade.

We need more career pathways, more options to ensure opportunities don't end once you are qualified. Getting your trade should be the beginning.

Vera Griffin Sydney, NSW

In Focus

Complex contracting kept simple to minimise disruptions

REPLACING THE CHILLER PLANT This project included six new 1800 kW YORK YMC2 variable speed centrifugal water-cooled chillers with a total plant capacity of 10,800kw as well as: • 12 x new primary chilled water pumps with two new condenser water pumps • 9 x new secondary chilled water pumps • Primary control system integration • Chemical treatment system • Refurbishment of six cooling towers located in the forecourt of the gallery • Side stream filtration system and condenser water treatment upgrade • Chilled water pipe work replacement from primary header isolation point to chillers only

HOT WATER LOOP JOHNSON CONTROLS HAS COMPLETED AN 18-MONTH RETROFIT PROJECT AT THE ARTS CENTRE IN MELBOURNE REDUCING ENERGY USE BY 27 PER CENT.

THE PROJECT INCLUDED the decommissioning of all end of life equipment, installing a new chiller plant, refurbishing the heating hot boilers and modernising the heating hot water distribution system.

Additionally, the large mechanical plant inside the basement plant room was demolished and a new direct digital control (DDC) plant manager system integrated with an existing Honeywell building automation system.

It was also imperative that the system remained operational throughout the project.

To achieve this, Johnson Controls decommissioned the chillers in stages.

Also to allow the Arts Centre to continue supplying water to the National Gallery of Victoria, the preparation work and boiler refurbishment began during the warmer months.

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CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU

As the weather cooled, the six chillers were decommissioned two at a time along with associated pumps and pipework.

The two new chillers and equipment were installed and fully operational before the next two chillers were withdrawn from service.

This process helped control site conditions and minimise disruptions.

It was a challenging project which required a high level of engineering expertise.

There were up to 20 sub-contractor companies working simultaneously on site, which the Johnson Controls team had to work around, according to the buildings engineer at the centre, Jim Grayson.

"This was a major project for us and we've been suitably impressed with Johnson Controls," he said.

"They remained flexible, solutions focused and cooperative – nothing was too hard.

"While the assets had reached the end of life phase, we took the opportunity to push for energy savings and given the size of the plant and equipment, we've achieved a very positive outcome."

The YORK chillers alone are saving the venue approximately 1,029,234 kWhrs (November 2016 to June 2017) which is a 27 per cent reduction.

This project was the 100th YORK YMC2 chiller installed in Australia. ✺

A new high-performance, energy-efficient heating hot water loop was also installed, consisting of: 2 x new natural gas fired variable speed enterprise burners (boiler three being a dual fuel diesel) with a total plant capacity of 7,200kw • 3 x new primary heating hot water pumps • Refurbishment of boilers one and three including new stay and flu tubes • Air dirt separator • Pipe work alteration to create a primary and secondary system

Future depends on a well-trained THE FUTURE OF AUSTRALIA'S HVACR INDUSTRY DEPENDS ON A WELL-TRAINED WORKFORCE.

B

USINESSES ARE STRUGGLING to meet staffing demands and are continuously trying to upskill, retrain and recruit from a workforce that is seriously lacking.

The need for more training is paramount, according to a discussion paper released by Australian Industry Standards which has identified a range of problems impacting the future of the Electrotechnology industry.

While the average age of workers in the industry is 39, 24 per cent of the workforce is aged over 50.

"The loss of key skills and industry knowledge created by retiring workers will put strain on the workforce and further increase competition for employment," the discussion paper said.

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CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU

“FEMALE PARTICIPATION HAS DECREASED FROM 22 PER CENT IN 1987 TO 17 PER CENT IN 2017.� - ABS FIGURES

"With major disruptions caused by changes in the use of technology, ensuring workers have the right skills cannot be overstated.

"The industry struggles to recruit new trainees and retain skilled workers. There is considerable effort within the industry to increase apprenticeship enrolment figures and completion rates via a new training model."

In addition to an ageing workforce, another serious shortfall is the lack of women in the industry.

Female participation has been gradually decreasing over the past 30 years, from approximately 22 per cent in 1987 to 17 per cent in 2017, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

"Encouraging a diverse workplace and increasing the cohort of women in the Electrotechnology industry would be beneficial to keep up with demand for skilled workers. This will help ensure the sustainable and economic viability of the industry for the future," the discussion paper said.

It is an ongoing struggle to recruit new trainees and retain skilled workers with enrolments continuing to decline.

The discussion paper also pointed to strong industry concern that the language, literacy and numeracy capability of new apprentices entering with school certification are significantly below the recommended standards to satisfactorily complete Electrotechnology qualifications.

Commercial Air Conditioning

Current training for the design of renewable energy systems is inadequate for commercial/ utility scale installations greater than 100kW.

workforce At the same time there is a lack of upskilling opportunities and post-trade training.

"The reduction of post-trade training has the potential to further widen the 'skills gap' between the highly technical systems being manufactured, and the trade technician's ability to keep those systems operating. This is further affecting the industry's knowledge base," the paper said.

Australia is currently aiming to reduce HFC emissions by 85 per cent by 2036.

This means the entire industry needs to be trained in the use of low GWP refrigerants.

This shift in refrigerant use requires new skills and knowledge requirements, just as new technologies and increased automation has contributed to the need for new education strategies.

"Technological advancements and new energy efficiency targets will create an increased demand for electrotechnology workers. These workers require new skills in these technologies as the design and installation of these products will shape the in-

dustry over the coming years," the paper said.

One example is in the area of renewable energy. Current training for the design of renewable energy systems is inadequate for commercial/utility scale installations of greater than 100kW. The discussion paper points to the Federal Government's billion dollar Clean Energy Innovation Fund which aims to facilitate change by supporting emerging technologies.

One initiative involves investigating the development of solar-powered system which use concentrated solar thermal energy to cool commercial buildings.

This enables the building to operate and achieve greater energy efficiency than using current air conditioning systems. âœş

KEY ELECTROTECHNOLOGY METRICS Revenue ($b)

87.11

Profit ($b)

11/73

Average wage ($) No. of businesses Employment growth to 2023 (%)

77,493.27 53,649 5.0

CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS  MARCH 2018

21

Commercial Air Conditioning

The solutions is ideal for organisations such as universities which have a number of buildings across a campus

Cloud-based monitoring of installations PANASONIC HAS UNVEILED ITS ADVANCED AC SMART CLOUD, A CLOUD-BASED REMOTE MONITORING SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS BUSINESSES TO CENTRALISE CONTROL OF PANASONIC AIR CONDITIONING INSTALLATIONS FROM A SINGLE INTERNET CONNECTION – ANYWHERE, ANYTIME, ACROSS MULTIPLE SITES.

ONE OF THE first solutions of its kind, the new Panasonic AC Smart Cloud solution has been developed with the commercial market in mind, allowing an administrator to remotely monitor and control air conditioning systems in multiple locations with a simple click.

The administrator can remotely receive status updates and alert notifications in real-time via a PC, tablet or smartphone.

The new AC Smart Cloud solution also showcases Panasonic's advanced capabilities in smart, connected HVAC solutions which provide real-time data to help companies save on energy and money, according to the company's product marketing manager for air conditioning, Jack Tey. "The new Panasonic AC Smart Cloud allows accurate and instant monitoring and control, so companies can compare performance across locations and develop best practice in building energy management," he said.

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"THE SOLUTION MAKES IT EASY TO COMPARE PERFORMANCE ACROSS LOCATIONS." - JACK TEY, PANASONIC AUSTRALIA.

The solution is targeted to organisations such as universities which have a number of buildings across a campus as well as aged care facilities, hospitality, retail and government.

Tey said the new AC Smart Cloud system is fully scalable so it can be adapted to the needs of a business – from a franchise to a large facilities company.

A Cloud Adaptor, which is connected to the Panasonic heating and cooling installations at each premises, feeds real-time data and informa-

tion via a central cloud portal directly to the user.

The system is simple to use and does not require specialised software, so users can log in anytime, anywhere using a standard web browser.

Panasonic heating and cooling units are connected to the cloud server using the company's integrated LAN connection.

It is quick and easy to install and can be connected to new and existing installations, with all parameters updated in real time.

It allows accurate and instant monitoring, anytime, anywhere.

The new AC Smart Cloud system has a userfriendly operations interface to optimise time management and minimise energy costs with accurate and instant monitoring of: Temperatures: Optimise climate with full control of individual units/groups/sites to reduce energy costs.

Running Time: Anticipate maintenance requirements with the potential to improve energy consumption .

Breakdowns: Error logs and alert notification help maintenance to take quick action to fix malfunctions as they occur.

Energy Efficiency: Statistics are provided, allowing organisations to track and reduce energy consumption.

Performance: Compare performance across locations and develop best practice.

User profiles: Easy to create unique user accounts and assign locations to the network.

Site floor map: Installations can be viewed via a simple unit chart or floor map of the site, allowing smooth operation for non-specialist users.

Alarms: Can be set as required.

For more information on AC Smart Cloud, contact 1300 COMFORT (1300 266 367). ✺

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Commercial Air Conditioning

Fujitsu General invests in multimillion dollar HQ WORK HAS BEGUN on Fujitsu General’s new Australian headquarters in Sydney’s west.

The 11,093 sqm HQ will be a state-of-the-art, 5-star Green Star energy rated building with a showroom, on-site gymnasium and auditorium.

It will house the company's head office, Fujitsu General Assist and an 8,500 sqm distribution warehouse.

Fujitsu General managing director, Philip Perham, said the new offices and warehouse will improve operational and distribution efficiencies across the Fujitsu General network, nationally.

He said the innovative features are also a good fit for the company's ‘people first’ culture.

“The development will provide space and resources for Fujitsu General’s continued growth in the air conditioning market,” Perham said.

Fujitsu General has signed a 10-year lease with the current site landlord, Jacfin Pty Ltd and has appointed Vaughan Constructions to complete the construction of the multi-million-dollar development.

Vaughan Constructions managing director, Andrew Noble, described the headquarters as a superior work environment with exceptional staff facilities.

Staff will relocate to the new site in December, 2018 when construction is completed.

Digital support for HVAC technicians HEATING, VENTILATION AND air conditioning (HVAC) technicians should look at their tools as more than a way to get the job done.

The main difference between legacy equipment and modern devices is that the latter can support other objectives of the business. The testo 440 IAQ and air velocity instrument provides maintenance personnel with four distinct benefits that older gadgets cannot deliver including:

1. QUICK MEASUREMENTS The beauty of the testo 440 lies in its digital display. It allows engineers to see three values for each application. Simply plug in the type of analysis you're taking with the intuitive menu, attach the probe to the handle and get started.

Electronic collection of data also supports other organisational objectives. With the ability to print the information on-site or upload it to a computer, HVAC technicians can collect readings to meet regulatory compliance or assist in insight generation through analytics.

The testo 440 boasts an intuitive digital display making it easy to record measurements.

2. CUT THE CABLES Conventional equipment can leave engineers focusing more on not tripping over themselves rather than actually taking measurements. The testo 440 was developed with wireless Bluetooth capabilities in mind to combat this problem.

The benefit of being able to digitally link the control panel to the probe is that most measurements can be done with just one hand. This is a great advantage for testing areas that are difficult to reach, as well as being able to make the whole process simpler.

3. CONSOLIDATE FOR SIMPLICITY

From L to R: Ray and Priscilla Waterhouse of JacFin Pty Ltd; Philip Perham of Fujitsu Australia; Cricket legend Mark Taylor and; Andrew Noble of Vaughan Constructions.

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The issue with legacy tools is that they don't adapt to situations easily - a separate instrument is required for each application. This makes taking multiple measurements an extremely laborious task.

The testo 440 has a one-size-fits-all handle, allowing technicians to swap out probes as they need for different uses.

ABOVE: Everything you need to carry out a variety of inspections.

Every probe in the testo 440 family can be utilised through Bluetooth, or through cables if that's your preferred method. This ensures that the initial investment you make by purchasing them will continue to provide a return for years as the core system won't become outdated with each new innovation.

4. TRIM THE BUDGET The testo 440 digital system itself doesn't need to be calibrated – just the probes do. This means you never have to deal with downtime as you can send the instruments in for inspection in routine intervals.

Furthermore, the platform removes the need for additional tools to be purchased as you have everything you need to carry out a variety of inspections.

Learn more at https://www.testo.com/en-AU/multifunction/testo440. ✺

REMOTE MONITORING • Operating status situation • System running time • Graphical overview of system status • Power consumption and energy efficiency statistic • Error logs • Alert notifications/ Email notifications

REMOTE CONTROL • Full control of individual units/ groups/ sites • Floor plan layout

CONNECTIVITY • LAN module (via internet)

PROJECT REFERENCE

XIAMEN UNIVERSITY, MALAYSIA

Overall: - Total of 13 Buildings - 8 blocks by VRF FSV Systems operated by Panasonic AC Smart Cloud - 5 blocks for Hostel with Inverter Split and Multi-Split

Commercial Air Conditioning

AUSTRALIA CAN COST-EFFECTIVELY STRENGTHEN RESIDENTIAL ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS IN THE BUILDING CODE AND CUT HEATING AND COOLING ENERGY USE BY UP TO 51 PER CENT, ACCORDING TO A NEW REPORT RELEASED LAST MONTH BY THE AUSTRALIAN SUSTAINABLE BUILT ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL (ASBEC) AND CLIMATEWORKS AUSTRALIA.

Action needed to improve building stock

IMPLEMENTING THESE CHANGES now could deliver Australians savings of up to $150 per household per year on energy bills, with savings more than offsetting additional capital costs.

It could also deliver more comfortable homes, reduce stress on the electricity grid and cut emissions by around 10.8 million tonnes to 2050 – more than the amount emitted annually by Victoria's Loy Yang B coalfired power station.

The Bottom Line – household impacts of delaying improved energy requirements in the Building Code report shows these savings could come from simple energy efficiency improvements such as air tightness, ceiling fans and roof insulation.

The chair of ASBEC's national construction code working group, Tony Arnel, said the houses built in the next few years will be in

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use for decades, well beyond 2050 when Australian homes will be near net zero emissions.

Buildings account for almost a quarter of national emissions and more than half of electricity use.

With half a million homes projected to be built between 2019 and 2022, delaying improved energy standards by just three years would lock in an estimated $1.1 billion in unnecessary household energy bills and three million tonnes of additional emissions by 2050.

"Looking further ahead, the benefits of an improved Code will add up fast. An estimated 58 per cent of Australia's expected building stock in 2050 will be built after 2019," Arnel said.

"With buildings accounting for almost a quarter of national emissions and more than half of national electricity consumption, this makes the Code an indispensable policy tool to transition to zero emissions in line with

Australia's commitments under the Paris Climate Change Agreement."

Last month the Australian Building Codes Board released a proposal to update the Code energy requirements for 2019. This includes improvements to the requirements for housing, but there is no proposal to strengthen the required level of energy efficiency for homes.

"We welcome the proposed improvements in the non-residential energy requirements," Arnel said.

"If implemented, these changes could deliver significant energy and emissions benefits in the non-residential sector. The draft changes for residential buildings are also a good start. However, our report demonstrates that greater opportunities exists to improve residential performance."

Arnel said the energy requirements in the Building Code were last updated in 2010 and are next due to be updated in 2019.

"There is currently no plan to strengthen standards for residential buildings in this Code update. Further delay means that we will be building to 2010 standards all the way to 2022, locking in higher emissions and energy costs," he said.

At a time when families are struggling with rising living costs, ASBEC executive director, Suzanne Toumbourou, said low standards for energy efficiency mean higher bills for Australian households.

"With the threat of 50 degree days in Sydney and Melbourne, we need to consider whether our homes are ready to provide safe indoor temperatures. Air conditioning may not be enough if our homes are not built to strong energy standards," Toumbourou said.

Improving Australia's built environment provides some of the most "shovel-ready" opportunities to meet Paris Climate Change Agreement obligations, according to ClimateWorks program manager, Eli Court.

"If we miss this opportunity, other sectors of Australia's economy will need to cut emissions more. That may not be as fast or cost-effective, making Australia's emissions reduction task more expensive overall," he said. ✺

Energy Efficiency Council president and chair of ASBEC’s national construction code working group, Tony Arnel.

Commercial Air Conditioning

The focus of the national roadshow is energy efficiency.

National roadshow to debate HVAC solutions

DATES AND DETAILS PERTH March 8, NIB Stadium (4:30 - 6:30pm)

ADELAIDE SEELEY INTERNATIONAL IS HOSTING A SERIES OF "STAY AHEAD OF THE HVAC CURVE" INDUSTRY EVENTS ACROSS THE NATION TO GENERATE DISCUSSION, SPARK DEBATE AND ENCOURAGE GREATER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT THE HVAC INDUSTRY CAN DO TO HELP BUSINESSES TO REDUCE ENERGY COSTS AND CREATE HEALTHY INDOOR ENVIRONMENTS USING HIGHLY-SPECIALISED COMMERCIAL SOLUTIONS.

March 14, Mayfair Hotel (4:30 - 6:30pm)

MELBOURNE March 15, CUB Carlton Brewhouse (4:30 6:30pm)

SYDNEY March 21, Kirribilli Club (4:30 - 6:30pm)

BRISBANE a number of industry-leading cooling products THE SERIES WILL see hand-picked guest speakthat deliver unrivalled energy efficiency and ofers present at two-hour free-of-charge industryfer a solution for businesses of all sizes and types based events held in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, to significantly reduce energy usage," Seeley said.

Sydney and Brisbane, and showcase practical "It is important that the broader HVAC induscase studies that demonstrate how commercial try comes together to learn, hear case studies, refrigerated air conditioning systems can be cost and think about what can be done to advance effective, healthy and comfortable by packaging options that deliver reduced energy consumppre-cooling technologies. tion and energy costs in refrigerated air condiKeynote speakers include Bob Ellis, general tioning systems. manager, Meinhardt Australia for the Adelaide, "These state-based events also allow attendMelbourne and Brisbane events. Jeff Froster, diees to network with consulting engineers, learn rector, Froster Engineering will speak at the Perth more about the latest HVAC technolevent, while David Shreeve, managogy and understand why it is vital to ing director of DSA Consulting, will create healthy indoor environments present at the Sydney event. using highly specialised commercial Seeley International group manHVAC solutions." aging director, Jon Seeley, said the All of the state events will be hostmanufacturer was pleased to preed by Michael Hamilton, general sent the free industry sessions and manager of commercial sales at Seeinvitation-only Adelaide symposiley International, with attendees reum as part of its ongoing market ceiving a take home pack of USB, leadership and commitment to the printed material and copies of presHVAC industry. entations. Professional development "Seeley International places the Seeley International hours can also be accredited with highest importance on innovation group managing and sustainability, and we now have director, Jon Seeley. AIRAH and Engineers Australia.

March 22, Stamford Plaza (5:30 - 7:30pm) Limited bookings for these FREE events will close 10 days prior to each event. Secure your place by going to www.seeleyinternational.com/hvaccurve.

The event roadshows will culminate in an invitation-only two-day inaugural Symposium in Adelaide on April 4-5, 2018, where attendees will hear from a number of prominent keynote speakers, including Dick Bourne founder and CEO of Integrated Comfort Inc, in California and Dr Frank Bruno, South Australian Chair in Energy within the Future Industries Institute.

Symposium delegates will also participate in a factory tour at Seeley International and enjoy a field trip to Angove winery in the renowned McLaren Vale region to see a Climate Wizard installation in action, network with fellow consulting engineers and sample some of South Australia's quality wines, as part of the two-day program. ✺ CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS MARCH 2018

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Commercial facility owners can install sensors in various parts of the building to track information that they never had access to in the past.

Automation to transform

HVAC maintenance ASK ARCHITECTS, DESIGNERS OR ENGINEERS ABOUT BUILDING INFORMATION MODELLING (BIM) AND THEY WILL DESCRIBE IT AS A 3D MODELLING TOOL THAT GIVES A DIGITAL PICTURE OF AN ACTUAL BUILDING AND ITS ASSETS.

T

HIS IS BECAUSE BIM is a fairly well established tool when it comes to construction and project management.

BIM software is a place where all construction ideas, design documents, functional characteristics and operational details are stored. Essentially, BIM software allows contractors to create a highly accurate virtual model of both existing systems and new ones.

Obviously, these 3D building models can be highly useful to any company involved in HVAC construction projects.

Commercial HVAC construction projects are an expensive commitment and complicated to manage.

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BIM software enables coordination in the field, between HVAC and energy contractors, and between contractors and building owners.

Updates can be made instantly and universally in BIM software, leading to fewer mistakes as a result of poor communication.

This means improved project management and communication, leading directly to time and cost savings.

But BIM isn't just about the construction phase and project management, it is just as important for maintaining a building – just ask facility managers.

Interestingly the cost of managing and maintaining a building is often higher than the initial construction cost. This is why data and an-

alytics about buildings today are critical, especially information that relates to heating, cooling and energy use.

It is also why BIM could really make a difference in the area of maintenance by detecting issues early, especially breakdowns.

However, adoption takes time. Software isn't new to the HVAC industry but it may take a few more years before industry commits to rolling out smart building technology.

Sydney contractor, Isaac Goodman, is excited about using predictive analytics on a large scale.

"We can be made aware of problems within a building even before it actually happens simply by using predictive analytics," he said.

"The biggest hurdle to adopting smart building technologies is lack of knowledge. We are HVAC technicians not computer specialists.

"There is also the problem of dealing with legacy building management systems and complex upgrade paths that end up in the toohard basket."

Despite these hurdles, SenseWare research shows automation is central to the success of high performing buildings.

Building Automation

SURGING DEMAND FOR BIM SOLUTIONS The Asia Pacific, especially Australia and New Zealand, has exhibited a surging demand for Building Information Modelling (BIM) solutions.

In its latest report on the BIM market, Transparency Market Research (TMR) identified North America and the Asia Pacific as regions with a high uptake of BIM software. Specific countries listed included Australia, New Zealand, France and Japan.

"While the high initial cost incurred on these solutions emerges as a major drawback, with the advent of cloudbased software, the BIM market is set to witness widespread deployment," the report said.

"Since on-premise software is expensive and requires frequent upgrades, adoption SMEs is smaller. However, this problem can be mitigated by opting for professional consultancy services.

Releasing a list of the smart buildings trends likely to shape 2018, SenseWare placed predictive maintenance at the top of its list.

Predictive maintenance makes use of IoT sensors and other hardware devices to get a report on the state of a commercial building and all equipment in it.

It gives the exact time when maintenance needs to be performed.

"Unexpected issues that usually crop up with preventive maintenance can be overcome using predictive maintenance. Also, predictive maintenance makes it difficult for commercial activities to be disrupted because it is performed when necessary to keep the environment running at all time," SenseWare said.

Another new trend to expect in 2018 is the use of applications in smart buildings.

For instance, the use of thermal imaging will allow facility managers to check for equipment that are outside of the temperature range. Thus, they can be easily detected and maintenance can be done before the equipment disrupts the system.

Another example will be detection of ultrasonic noises. Electrical transmission lines,

"Therefore with functionalisation of professional consultancy services for BIM, its deployment across SME construction companies will become more relevant."

TMR projects the global BIM market to surge at a CAGR of 19.1 per cent between 2015 and 2022. The market is expected to

““THE BIGGEST HURDLE TO ADOPTING SMART BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES IS LACK OF KNOWLEDGE. WE ARE HVAC TECHNICIANS NOT COMPUTER SPECIALISTS.” - CONTRACTOR, ISAAC GOODMAN.

which have cracks or holes, produce ultrasonic sound. This may go unnoticed in usual cases but with IoT technology, one can easily detect the location for maintenance.

Another area where IoT has wholly transformed is the way commercial facility managers can track information, measure and collect data even in inaccessible areas within commercial buildings.

Commercial facility owners can install sensors in various parts of the building to track all information that they never had access to in the past.

IoT allows facility managers to have access to all information using the interconnected systems.

reach $14.77 billion by 2022, from a valuation of $3.47 billion in 2014.

Regionally, North America has emerged as the dominant market with a share of over 33 per cent in 2014.

In 2014, the BIM market in North America was valued at $1.18 billion. By the end of 2022, TMR said the market will reach $5.2 billion.

Although the European market held the second largest share, the fastest growth in the next few years will come from the Asia Pacific.

TMR forecasts the Asia Pacific market for BIM to grow at a CAGR of 21.2 per cent. The adoption of BIM by end users, contractors, developers and engineers was the biggest among architects.

TMR said the adoption of BIM among contractors will surge considerably in the next four years. However, due to the rapidly increasing number of upcoming construction projects, the architect segments will continue to lead the market through the forecast period.

Details at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com.

IoT offers the ability to collect near realtime data and analyse it with higher spatial resolution.

IoT applications allow facility managers to conduct various experiments to check the result of optimisation. It also gives them room to use IoT devices in monitoring buildings systems using one panel.

IoT makes it possible for commercial owners to have buildings that operate at optimum energy levels.

SenseWare provided examples of using IoT for energy efficiency including the use of sensors for temperature control and actuators for HVAC controls.

IoT can also detect failure or degradation signs of equipment with effective measurement and verification processes as well as tools.

These intelligent building management systems can be remotely managed from any part of the world.

Moreover, the indoor as well as outdoor environment is sensed at all times to give optimal results for ventilation, lighting, fire and security purposes. ✺ CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS MARCH 2018

31

Building Automation

Next generation of commercial buildings PANASONIC HAS INTEGRATED ITS AC SMART CONNECTIVITY SOLUTION WITH SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC'S ECOSTRUXURE BUILDING SOLUTION AND INTELLIGENT ROOM CONTROLLERS, TO CREATE AN INNOVATIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS. Panasonic's AC Smart Connectivity solution is part of a new partnership to improve the efficiency of commercial buildings.

THIS STRATEGIC ALLIANCE brings a new level of efficiency to building air conditioning.

The new solution reduces operating costs while optimising a building's overall green credentials – a key factor in meeting efficiency goals both now and in the future.

Key capabilities for the HVAC industry AC Smart Connectivity enables direct serial communication between Schneider Electric's EcoStruxure Building Solution and intelligent room controllers with Panasonic's packaged air conditioning (PAC) and variable refrigerant flowbased (VRF) HVAC heating and cooling systems, via the ZigBee wireless communication standard (including languages such as BACnet and Modbus).

• Plug and play technology reduces installation time and saves on capital expenditure.

• Excellent Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) manage-

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CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU

ment for comfort and reduction of operating expenditure.

• Precise control provides valuable insights to reduce energy consumption and increase cost savings.

• Easy-to-use interface is fully customisable.

Panasonic Australia's product marketing manager for air conditioning, Jack Tey, said the partnership builds on the expertise of both companies.

"We are passionate about addressing our customers' evolving needs and pursuing the ultimate in energy saving through the application of cutting-edge technology," he said.

"This partnership with Schneider Electric builds on both companies' expertise and leadership in HVAC equipment and building energy management and control."

With global demand for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) products set to

reach $122 billion globally by 2020, according to WorldBuild 365, new technologies are emerging at a faster rate than ever before.

Schneider Electric general manager, Paul Crothers, said facility managers are opting for smarter products and systems which are more energy efficient and provide increased control, while mega-trends such as the Internet of Things mean devices are becoming more connected and communicative than ever before.

"Schneider Electric and Panasonic have simplified energy management with innovative integration that optimises building efficiency and installation costs. The combination of our technologies brings innovation and real value to customers and accelerates their return on investment," Crothers said.

A single interface provides full control to building owners and managers including HVAC, lighting, power, security and electrical distribution for actionable insights that improve occupant comfort, reduce a building's energy consumption and increase cost savings.

The AC Smart Connectivity solution can be installed and integrated easily, which is ideal for retrofits of buildings. The solution takes full advantage of innovative plug-and-play technology which simplifies system configurations for extensive AC systems, or it can be installed as a part of a standalone system.

This not only reduces installation time, but also saves on capital expenditure (CapEx) costs for building owners.

Excellent IAQ management for comfort and reduction of operating expenditure AC Smart Connectivity offers operating expense (OpEx) savings with outstanding IAQ. Integrated room sensors monitor temperature and humidity, while ZigBee wireless sensors measure window/door openings and room occupancy to intuitively deliver the optimum IAQ. This helps create the most comfortable environment for occupants, contributes to improved employee or guest satisfaction and well-being, and significantly reduces operating costs. The easy-to-use interface is fully customisable with set-point boundaries and simple preprogrammable settings including background colour options, custom messaging and displays that can be tailored to match any office interior design.

The colour touchscreens, with six language selections, present a familiar visual control for the user, making them easy to navigate without requiring additional training.

The system offers a range of controllers and window, wall, ceiling and CO2ii sensors. It is compatible with Panasonic FSV systems and PAC systems including High Static Ducted, Cassette, Under Ceiling and Wall Mounted. Panasonic offers a five-year labour and parts warranty.

For more information on AC Smart Connectivity, contact 1300 COMFORT (1300 266 367). ✺

Building Automation

LEFT: Leighton office in Brisbane.

Excellence in digital engineering CIMIC GROUP COMPANIES, CPB Contractors, Leighton Asia, UGL, Sedgman, Pacific Partnerships and EIC Activities are the first Australasian companies to achieve Kitemark certification for excellence in Building Information Modelling (BIM) in design and construction.

It was awarded to the companies from international standards leader, the British Standards Institution (BSI).

The certification is recognised as an international benchmark for excellence in digital engineering and project delivery.

CIMIC Group CEO, Michael Wright, said it is recognition of the group's engineering capability which takes a fully integrated approach to BIM, Quality Assurance and Asset Management across the lifecycle of a project.

"Digital engineering, such as BIM, is a critical capability that improves value for clients and end users. It creates greater certainty during project delivery and greater efficiency during the operation and maintenance of the ultimate assets," Wright said.

"At the completion of construction, clients gain a user-friendly and high quality digital asset that truly complements the quality of the built asset.

"Advanced use of BIM also better positions our clients to leverage technology in the management of their assets."

CIMIC Group's companies integrate digital information with decision-making by efficiently connecting, testing and addressing all inputs from project stakeholders including clients, city authorities and wider communities.

The Group uses that information to enhance value, such as better mitigating impacts on surrounding urban and natural environments and improving people's movement and access to infrastructure and its services.

The approach is already advancing the development of smart, sustainable cities and industries – improving environmental, social, cultural and economic outcomes. Internationally, BSI is the governing body that creates digital engineering and BIM standards in design.

BSI's assessment and certification recognises and endorses all nominated CIMIC Group companies for digital engineering compliance to the specific standards PAS 1192-2, BS 1192-2 and BS 1192-4 with BSI Kitemark certification being the highest certification of excellence to those standards. ✺

CIMIC Group CEO, Michael Wright.

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CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS MARCH 2018

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South Australia gets serious about thermal energy

Solar will be used to displace gas to reduce emissions.

ENERGY STORAGE COMPANY 1414 DEGREES HAS OPENED A NEW FACTORY AND HAS BEGUN BUILDING ITS FIRST COMMERCIAL SYSTEM BEFORE LISTING ON THE AUSTRALIAN STOCK EXCHANGE NEXT MONTH.

T

HE SOUTH AUSTRALIAN company has spent almost a decade developing its Thermal Energy Storage System (TESS) technology to store electricity as thermal energy by heating and melting containers full of silicon at a cost estimated to be up to 10 times cheaper than lithium batteries.

1414 Degrees has moved into a 3000square metre factory on the site of the former Mitsubishi engine plant in the southern Adelaide suburb of Lonsdale where it will build its first 10MWh TESS-IND system and the first 13.3MWh test cell for a 200MWh TESS-GRID system.

The company is also planning to initially build two grid scale 1GWh systems in South Australia, which would comprise five 200MWh

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CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU

units and potentially play a significant role in stabilising the state's renewable energy-dependent electricity network.

1414 Degrees has submitted three applications to the SA government's $150 million Renewable Technology Fund which has already allocated up to $20 million towards Tesla's "world's biggest" lithium-ion battery being built in the state's mid north.

Executive chair Dr Kevin Moriarty said 1414 Degrees was aiming to list on the Australian Stock Exchange in March or April after it had learned the outcome of its funding applications, which require matching funding.

He said the IPO would plan to raise at least $30 million to support the development of the technology.

"It hasn't been difficult to raise money but we do need to offer liquidity to shareholders so we are planning to list at the earliest opportunity rather than continuing to raise privately," Dr Moriarty said.

A tonne of silicon can store enough energy to power up to 28 houses for a day.

Its high latent heat capacity and melting temperature of 1414ยบC make silicon ideal for storing large amounts of energy.

The process also generates clean useable heat, which can be utilised for district heating or industrial purposes.

The 10MWh systems would use about 20 tonnes of silicon (pictured below) and be targeted at industries that required electricity and heat. It is likely the first units will be sent to New South Wales and used in large greenhouses.

"We can extract about half of the energy as electricity and the rest is available as heat. If we can use that heat, which is required by industries and households around the world, we can achieve 90 per cent or more efficiency from the renewable sources," Dr Moriarty said.

"Our target is industry seeking to reduce energy costs or emissions.

Energy Cost Reduction and Monitoring

"We allow them to do all of that by putting in their own solar or buying energy when it's cheap and then releasing it when it's expensive."

South Australia leads the nation in the uptake of wind energy and rooftop solar with renewable sources accounting for more than 40 per cent of the electricity generated in the state.

However, the intermittent nature of renewable energy has been the cause of intense debate in Australia in the past 12 months.

"There's a number of solutions out there from batteries to pumped hydro but the one thing missing is something that's proven, scalable and is going to provide a low-cost solution that can be adopted everywhere," Dr Moriarty said.

"If we are going to solve the issues around renewable energy we have to solve the issues around storage.

"South Australia is a particularly good laboratory because it's one of the first places in the world where a very large proportion of renewable energy is exposing the issues around incorporating these technologies into the electricity grid."

The proposed 1GWh systems include one near the 1414 Degrees factory in Adelaide. It would be connected to the electricity grid and purchase electricity when prices are low, store it and sell it back at times of peak demand and higher prices.

Dr Moriarty said the second system would likely be connected to a solar farm and would store the excess energy it couldn't sell directly to the grid. He said ideally it would be co-locat-

ed with industries that were looking for a lot of heat such as poultry producers, food manufacturers and greenhouses.

"These industries all currently use gas and this will mean that solar will effectively be displacing gas and therefore reducing emissions," he said.

"Once you generate the electricity the heat that's coming off is anything from 400 to 600

"ONCE YOU GENERATE THE ELECTRICITY THE HEAT THAT'S COMING OFF IS ANYTHING FROM 400 TO 600 DEGREES AND THAT'S IDEAL FOR DRIVING STEAM AND OTHER PROCESSES." - 1414 DEGREES EXECUTIVE CHAIR, DR KEVIN MORIARTY.

degrees and that's ideal for driving steam and other processes."

The first 10MWh "off the shelf" unit has already been commissioned.

1414 Degrees has been approached by distributors in Australia, South Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Europe to sell the 10MWh systems as part of a renewable energy technology solution.

"We expect to draw up our first agreements very soon. This will mean the company can use

Executive chair Dr Kevin Moriarty.

its workforce to manufacture the machines and the distributors will take care of the assessment of sites and sales," Dr Moriarty said.

"Once we get a production line going it will be quite fast. It's just a question of building a supply chain.

"This technology is going to have major growth and it's going to be manufacturing intensive because the market is huge.

"That means there's going to be thousands of the smaller 10MWh units and hundreds at least of the large units required in Australia and around the world." ✺

An artist’s impression of a 1GWh integrated system.

CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS MARCH 2018

35

Energy Cost Reduction and Monitoring

Revolving doors produce airlocks which are important for internal temperature control.

Open the door to high rise conservation THE REVOLVING DOORS USED IN HIGH RISE OFFICE TOWERS ARE GOOD AT KEEPING THE COLD OUT AND WARM AIR IN WHICH IS WHY THEY ARE SO ENERGY EFFICIENT.

UNLIKE REGULAR HINGED doors, which allows outside air in making it difficult to keep buildings cool in the summer and warm in winter, revolving doors produce airlocks while still allowing people to enter and exit.

This is important for internal temperature control.

According to revolving door technology company Royal Boon Edam, energy costs fall 30 per cent when revolving doors are used instead of hinged doors.

This figure is based on research the company undertook with TU Delft, a technical university in the Netherlands.

Royal Boon Edam Australia managing director, Michael Fisher, said that while it is hard to calculate exact savings for different applications, the energy savings are very real and significant.

"Calculating the exact amount of savings per building is a science that depends on a host of factors, including the individual site, how heavily it is trafficked, the state of maintenance of the

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CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU

"THE DAYS OF WALKING PAST VENUES ON HOT DAYS TO BE GREETED BY AN ICY WAVE OF COLD AIR ARE LONG GONE." - ROYAL BOON EDAM MANAGING DIRECTOR, MICHAEL FISHER.

revolving door, and whether it is used in a hotel, retail outlet, educational institution, health facility or commercial headquarters," he said.

"What we can say with complete certainty is that the modern revolving door is particularly suited to Australasia, where it helps to control not only losses of heat, but also losses of cool air produced by hard-working HVAC systems.

"The days of walking past venues on hot days to be greeted by an icy wave of cold air are long gone. Facility managers can't afford

to make a gift of their expensive cooled air."

Boon Edam has a long list of installations in Australia and its latest Green OEM and retrofit packages feature motion detectors.

It detects the walking direction of people in the vicinity of the door, ensuring the door will only turn when someone wants to enter it. This reduces energy use.

Another improvement is weather strips, consisting of a combination of horse hair and a Neoprene interlayer that reduces the air leakage by at least 30 per cent, improving energy efficiency even further on each individual application.

The packages can also include a new lighting system with LED lights which have a longer lifespan and 60 per cent lower energy consumption than the halogen lights that are currently used in most revolving doors. The smart lighting control allows the ceiling lighting to be turned off when the door is not in use.

Proper maintenance of revolving doors to optimise energy conservation was one of the factors behind the decision to expand Boon Edam's service division in Australia and New Zealand.

The company has joined forces with automatic door manufacturer Auto Ingress Pty Ltd in Australia, and with leading New Zealand door installation and service company Commercial and Industrial Doors.

"Although revolving doors generally enjoy a built-in energy conservation advantage, this can be extended further by sensible maintenance and upgrading where required," Fisher said, adding that service and maintenance helps to keep the equipment compliant with Australian Standard AS:5007, which requires doors to be inspected every three months. âœş

Energy Cost Reduction and Monitoring

The system provides a solution to one of businesses' biggest expenses.

Central platform for heating, cooling, lighting use AN AUSTRALIAN INVENTION is set to save businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars in energy bills.

Australian-owned Zen Ecosystems has announced the Australian launch of its Zen HQ energy management platform, a year after its successful roll out in the United States.

Multi-site businesses struggling to contain energy consumption and costs will be the biggest beneficiaries, with the Zen HQ system able to control heating, cooling and lighting usage across stores nationally through a central online portal.

US retailer National Stores, which has more than 350 stores nationally, reported savings of up to 30 per cent on energy bills after installing the Zen HQ system across outlets in California and Puerto Rico.

Since its launch Zen HQ has installed more than 40,000 thermostats across 250 sites.

The smart Zen thermostats installed across multiple retail locations can be controlled remotely by a facility manager through a central portal, providing energy solutions for retailers, franchisers, hoteliers and commercial property developers.

Zen Ecosystems general manager, Michael Joffe, said the Zen HQ system provided a solution to one of businesses' biggest expenses.

"Our system puts an end to thermostat wars between individual store managers and staff jockeying with the thermostat setting throughout the day. Our centrally-controlled system allows for all stores to be heated or cooled at a nominated temperature, and regulated or switched off outside of business hours," Joffe said.

"We know from our experiences in the US that this has the potential to save businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars. After just one month of using our thermostat system, businesses were saving 25 to 35 per cent off their store power bill."

Joffe said the thermostats could be easily retrofitted and were cheap to install.

Zen HQ was one of a handful of projects to receive a multi-million dollar grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) on behalf of the Australian Government late last year.

Businesses signed up to the system have the option to receive incentives to reduce power usage in peak demand times, easing the strain on the national power grid.✺ Go to zenecosystems.com for more information.

On track to deliver billion dollar savings by 2030

TOP: YourDC has installed a 199kW rooftop solar system.

BOTTOM: 26 Flinders Street, Adelaide is installing power factor correction equipment.

THE CLEAN ENERGY Finance Corporation (CEFC) is helping demonstrate the diverse potential of energy efficiency programs by helping finance clean energy improvements to two Adelaide buildings, under the South Australian Government’s new Building Upgrade Finance (BUF) initiative.

The YourDC data centre is a 6,000 square metre specialist facility in suburban Edinburgh Parks, while the 26 Flinders Street commercial

property is a 15-storey office tower in the heart of the Adelaide CBD. Both buildings are installing equipment that will reduce their grid energy use and lower their carbon emissions.

The businesses accessed finance through Eureka Real Assets, a subsidiary of AXA IM – Real Assets, a global leader in real assets investment.

Eureka draws on finance provided by the CEFC and NAB. CEFC Building Upgrade Finance spokesperson, Yolande Pepperall, said although property accounts for almost a quarter of Australia's carbon emissions, there are proven technologies that can dramatically improve this situation.

In fact, effective energy efficiency technologies could deliver an estimated $20 billion in energy savings by 2030. YourDC is installing a 199kW rooftop solar system from ZEN Energy that is forecast to deliver electricity at an effective cost of just over four cents per kWh over the life of the system. The commercial office block at 26 Flinders Street has commenced an upgrade that includes installing around 30kW of Solar PV as well as power factor correction equipment. ✺ CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS MARCH 2018

37

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New products

Advanced calibrator for hazardous areas

CoolBreeze systems get mobile

BEAMEX HAS ANNOUNCED the release of the MC6-Ex, an advanced intrinsically safe field calibrator and communicator.

Beamex has been producing calibration equipment for more than 40 years and intrinsically safe process calibrators for over 30 years.

In many process industries, there are certain areas in the plant that are classified as a "Hazardous Area" or "Ex area". This is an area that contains, or may contain, flammable substances – gas, vapor or dust.

Using an Ex certified intrinsically safe calibrator in an Ex area is the safest and easiest choice.

The Beamex MC6-Ex is a high-accuracy calibrator and communicator with outstanding functionality. It is a documenting, multifunc-

AIRGROUP AUSTRALIA, MANUFACTURERS and distributors of CoolBreeze Evaporative Air Conditioning Systems, has announced the release of CoolBreeze Connect.

It is cloud technology which enables users to control their Evaporative Air Conditioner remotely via the new CoolBreeze connect QC Controller.

Instead of only being able to regulate air conditioning settings via a traditional wallmounted or handheld controller, users can now download an app for their iphone, or use any web-enabled device to control their CoolBreeze from bed, on the way home from work – essentially from anywhere, on anything that is connected to the internet and has a web browser.

MC6-Ex is a high accuracy calibrator.

Additionally, with CoolBreeze Connect, a CoolBreeze user can control their system with their voice. The technology is already compatible with Google Home and coming increasingly engaged and excited Google Assistant, with additional voice conabout smart home capabilities, seeking out trol available on the Echo and Echo Dot with products that provide the latest in comfort Amazon Alexa and Apple's HomePod and Siri and ease-of-use." in early 2018.

With CoolBreeze Connect, it is as AirGroup Australia managing easy as saying "Hey Google, turn on director, Devin McLevie, said my CoolBreeze".

CoolBreeze Connect is a world first AirGroup Australia's sales and in evaporative air conditioning marketing director, Patrick van der technology.

Walt, said CoolBreeze Connect can be "We are incredibly proud of retrofitted to existing CoolBreeze our R&D efforts in bringing this units and it is recommended that a Seto the market, so soon after the curity Relief Vent is installed in conGoogle Home unit was introjunction to take advantage of the full duced in Australia," he said. functionality of CoolBreeze Connect.

"Today's home owners are be- Patrick van der Walt

tion calibrator and communicator that offers calibration capabilities for pressure, temperature and various electrical signals.

It also contains a field communicator for HART, FOUNDATION Fieldbus and Profibus PA instruments. It is an IEC and ATEX certified calibrator and can be used in any Ex Zone /Division, and the certification classification is Ex II 1 G and Ex ia IIC T4 Ga. The robust, IP65-rated dust- and waterproof casing, ergonomic design, and ease-of-use make the MC6-Ex an ideal device for field use.

The MC6-Ex communicates with Beamex calibration management software, enabling fully automated and paperless calibration and documentation.

He said the new QC Controller with CoolBreeze Connect will retail at $449 ex GST and is available from authorised dealers across Australia now.

AirGroup Australia is a privately owned and operated Australian company established in 1991.

Its core business comprises the manufacturing, distribution and export of advanced-technology air conditioners, heating appliances and associated componentry.

AirGroup Australia supplies the domestic Australian market and distributes cooling solutions to 39 countries around the world.

Visit www.airgroup.com.au.

CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS MARCH 2018

39

New products

Reliable temperature measurement tools

THE IIR INTERNATIONAL Dictionary of Refrigeration is freely available online and is the work of nearly 200 experts from 30 countries across the globe.

The online tool features definitions of scientific and technical terms, and provides term searches in Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Norwegian, Russian and Spanish.

The dictionary's content covers all areas of refrigeration such as: • basic principles (thermodynamics, transfer of heat and mass) • production of refrigeration (refrigerated systems, refrigerants) • refrigerated installations • methods of chilling, refrigeration and freezing • storage, transport and distribution • refrigeration applications for perishable products and the agro-food industry • air conditioning • heat pumps • cryogenics • environment.

Visit www.iifiir.org.

FROM HVAC SERVICING to Legionella testing, two new thermometers make it easy to take reliable temperature measurements.

The DT173 single input and DT175 dual input K Type digital thermometers are new additions to Martindale Electric's comprehensive thermometry range for contact and non-contact measurements and thermography.

Built for ease of use and performance, the new series of hand-held digital thermometers from Martindale Electric provides users with a range of enhanced features to meet the latest demands for temperature measurement in industrial, commercial and public premises.

Supplied with bead thermocouples as standard the new thermometers are also compatible with the full range of Martindale K Type probes including air, penetration, clamp and surface probes, ensuring simple measurement solutions for every application.

The two new high performance digital thermometers are supplied in a tough holster with built-in stand. The backlit display has large digits for easy viewing in all environments.

The Martindale DT175 is a dual input digital thermometer which allows users to take readings from two type K thermocouples at the same time. For example, the input and output of heating equipment and other systems.

When used with the handy differential mode, readings can be used to show the effectiveness of heating and cooling systems.

ABOVE: The dictionary covers methods of chilling and freezing.

The DT173 single input and DT175 dual input digital thermometers.

Dictionary of refrigeration

Both models can be used to record minimum, maximum and average values to identify extremes of temperature and a handy Hold functions to freeze the displayed value. Readings can be displayed in either Centigrade or Fahrenheit.

For details, visit http://martindale-electric.co.uk.

Signals for commercial use The new beacon is for fire detection systems installed in commercial areas.

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E2S WARNING SIGNALS is the world’s largest independent manufacturer of audible and visual warning signals for use in fire detection systems installed in commercial, industrial and hazardous areas.

The new D2xB1LD2 beacon is UL1638 approved for private mode fire applications and general signalling duties.

It is available in a choice of red or grey enclosure colours with UV stable polycarbonate lens colour filters, field-replaceable without needing to access the enclosure and fitted with a stainless-steel guard as standard.

Candela ratings of 73.4cd to UL1638 for pri-

vate mode fire and 180cd for general signalling applications ensure that the D2xB1LD2 is the most effective LED signalling solution available for hazardous locations.

The beacon has five flashing modes: 1Hz, 1.3Hz, 2Hz, double strike and triple strike with an effective output of up to 180cd for warning applications.

It also has selectable high power and low power steady modes with outputs up to 87cd for status signalling. DC voltage versions feature three remotely selectable stages, enabling different flash rates to be allocated to different processes or alarm conditions from one device.

New products

Pump technology a game changer

Two new universal condensate pumps.

ACTROL HAS ANNOUNCED two new universal condensate pumps each capable of handling anything from a small 1.75kW air conditioner to a massive 35kW unit with four selectable pump speeds.

The Refco Combi and Gobi II pumps are full of custom features that are unique to the world market including their digital water sensor, universal voltage, user configurable flow and new pump technology.

The digital water sensor eliminates the need

for floats, ensuring block-free operation.

Further enhancements also make it the strongest, quietest condensate pump on the market today.

This is allowing installing contractors to stock and use a single product that fulfils all their requirements, rather than keeping an array of pumps in van stock.

Available at Actrol, Reece HVAC and Metalflex branches around the nation, get in store and check them out for yourself.

New freezing and filtration technology for food industry GEA WILL SHOWCASE a host of new technology and services for the food industry later this month including the S-Tec spiral freezer and chiller which is capable of handling capacities up to seven tonnes per hour.

Highly effective full height horizontal airf low and exact air temperature control ensure the best freezing and chilling performance and product quality.

The machine can handle single-shift to 14day operations without interruption to defrost, based on the evaporator configuration selected for customers' needs – with GEA Sequential Defrost (SD) or Snow Removal System (SRS).

The CALLIFREEZE system, GEA's revolutionary freezing process control, is now measuring continuously the product level of frozenness at freezer outfeed and adjusts freezing time, air temperature and fan speed

to achieve the exact freezing quality with minimum energy consumption.

GEA will showcase MaxiFormer, a rotative drum forming concept that completes the GEA line solution for high capacity formed poultry, pork or meat replacement products as well as CombiPlus – a new solution for the production of pasta filata cheese.

Also on show is its new high pressure pump for use in dairies.

The Hilge HYGIA H is designed for system pressures up to 64 bar for filtration processes in the dairy industry, where it can handle liquids as well as homogeneous air or gas-containing media. It is available in two sizes, of which the larger variant – powered by a 45 kilowatt motor – delivers a volume f low of up to 200 cubic metres with a maximum delivery head of 70 metres.

The S-Tec spiral freezer and chiller which handles up to seven tonnes per hour.

GEA’s HYGIA pump is ideal for filtration processes in the dairy industry.

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CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS MARCH 2018

41

Temperature Gauge

Our national science accelerator, ON, takes benchtop breakthroughs to pilots and prototypes, ready for investment and growth.

We have also created Main Sequence Ventures, to manage the CSIRO Innovation Fund and support new spin-out and start-up companies from Australia's publicly-funded research sector.

Second, we have reinvented our industry partnerships. In the past, we've unleashed our science on the world as undeveloped ideas, like a

"OFTEN WE LOOK TO OVERSEAS MODELS WHEN PROPOSING SOLUTIONS TO OUR INNOVATION CHALLENGES. BUT WE HAVE OUR OWN STRENGTHS AND OUR OWN OPPORTUNITIES." - CSIRO CEO, DR LARRY MARSHALL

COMMONWEALTH SCIENTIFIC AND INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH ORGANISATION (CSIRO) CEO, DR LARRY MARSHALL, OUTLINES THE DISRUPTIVE FORCES THAT ARE RESHAPING AUSTRALIA.

Solution to Australia's innovation challenges MUCH HAS BEEN written on the disruptive forces of digitisation and automation that are reshaping Australia.

In many ways, we have been here before. History is strewn with examples of revolutionary change – technological, ideological, economic. But through every invention, every revolution, every major economic shift, science has underpinned the industries that emerged from the turmoil.

So while there is much talk of technology destroying jobs, it is worth remembering one simple truth – that science creates new industries, and industries create jobs.

As your national science organisation, it is CSIRO's role to ensure those industries and jobs are created and developed in Australia.

And our role has never been more vital. As we've become more connected, our reliance on Aussie ingenuity has waned.

The most recent Australian Innovation System report showed this most starkly through examination of two kinds of "innovation".

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CLIMATECONTROLNEWS.COM.AU

There's "new to market" innovation, when a business invests in their own novel products.

Only 5.5 per cent of Australian businesses were doing this. Then there's "new to business" innovation, which describes a business adopting someone else's idea. A more significant 19 per cent of Australian businesses reported this was their interpretation of innovation.

Clearly, we are more prepared to back someone else's ideas than our own.

Often we look to overseas models when proposing solutions to our innovation challenges.

But we have our own strengths and our own opportunities – and our deep science capability will underpin the next wave of transformation.

So we have made three fundamental changes to CSIRO to ensure that happens.

Firstly, we are working at greater speed, with two programs created under the National Innovation and Science Agenda that accelerate the process of taking science from the lab bench and putting it into the hands of those who can use it to best effect.

raw material dug from the ground. It's time to shift our focus to generating our own high value products from those materials.

And third, we are opening up our imaginations and allowing ourselves to think bigger. Under our Strategy 2020 we're committed to increasing the funding dedicated to science that will reinvent and create new industries for Australia's future. In the past year we've brought in 60 new researchers to work across six Future Science Platforms, each closely aligned with the "next leap forward" in major Australian industries.

And we have just announced two more. The first is to intensify and broaden our research into hydrogen as a new renewable fuel. We have also created a group focused on the emerging field of precision health.

As all our traditional industries face significant disruption, we must not allow other countries to seize the opportunities we have at our fingertips. ✺ ABOUT THE AUTHOR Physicist Larry Marshall became chief executive of Australia’s national science agency, the CSIRO, in January 2015. He was born in Sydney and received both his undergraduate and postgraduate education, including a PhD in physics, at Macquarie University. Following his PhD work, Marshall went to the United States where he spent time at Stanford University and founded six startups over 26 years. He is the inventor of some 20 U.S. patents.

30% Complete cold room management with combined temperature and humidity control • High efficiency and energy savings ensured by integration with CAREL electronic expansion valves and drivers; • Highest performance when combined with EVD ice, the valve controller installed on the evaporator that can be configured and managed directly from the Ultracella display; • Vast range of applications with more than 40 types of gas, including natural and low-GWP refrigerants; • Highly flexible installation and integration using additional modules for protecting and managing the loads (including three-phase).

CAREL Australia Pty Ltd PO BOX 6809, Silverwater Bus. Ctr. N.S.W. 1811 - Unit 37, 11-21 Underwood Rd Homebush N.S.W. 2140 Tel. (+61) 2 8762 9200 - Fax (+61) 2 9764 6933 - sales.au@carel.com

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NATURAL REFRIGERANT

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