HVAC

The development of a sophisticated control system for an iconic home in Melbourne’s leafy suburbs has not only provided greater comfort to its occupants but broken new ground in predictive climate control systems. Sean McGowan reports on a house that has been home to four generations of the Featherston extended family, having evolved every step of the way.

In 2019, Australian energy ministers agreed on the need for the Trajectory for Low Energy Buildings (the Trajectory). One of the key aspects in the Trajectory for residential buildings is to expand the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) to offer nationally accredited whole-of-home (WoH) tools to enable compliance requirements in the National Construction Code (NCC).

Canberra Grammar School’s new Snow Concert Hall features a subterranean design boasting an innovative ground‑source heat pump system. 

Over the past decade the HVAC industry has experienced a maturity in fault- detection diagnostics. From a technical standpoint this has resulted in historical analytics, streaming analytics, forecasting, modelling, and a welter of other innovations changing the way to figure out what’s wrong with our buildings. Ideally this data can be used to radically change the way things are done, make BMS professionals more efficient, and actually generate some outcomes for facility owners and building owners.

District heating and cooling could offer an important pathway to decarbonisation – and one of the biggest barriers to its uptake might simply be our mindset, writes Mark Vender.

Alan Obrart, L.AIRAH, wonders why the bottom line is so thin for those HVAC businesses that detect and fix difficult-to-resolve problems in buildings. He has a theory. 

In becoming the first regional NSW project to achieve 6 star Green Star Design and As-Built rating certification, the University of Newcastle’s Q Building has set a new sustainability benchmark for the Hunter region. Sean McGowan discovers how mass timber construction and a smart glass façade contribute to the achievement.

Hospitals aren’t just another building; they are a processing facility in which lives are being saved daily – this requires reliability and energy. So, can we please stop bundling them in with other building types when it comes to talking about green buildings? James Moyes, Simon Witts, M.AIRAH, and Broden Kay are asking this pointed question.

ARBS chair Professor Tony Arnel talks us through four consumer trends and what they mean for the future of the office.

The redevelopment of the Walsh Bay Arts Precinct on Sydney Harbour is not only preserving the wharf’s heritage but has incorporated renewable thermal energy to deliver energy–efficient cooling to the facility. Sean McGowan reports.

When Ecolibrium last took a deep dive into the state of Australia’s HVAC&R manufacturing base, we discovered that contrary to negative commentary at the time, there was a strong beating heart. As Sean McGowan reports, the challenges may differ today but the same optimism and ingenuity remains.

A multi-award winning, mixed-use development in Melbourne’s prestigious Collins Street has brought building managers, service technicians and energy optimisation specialists together to collaborate on operational performance improvements post-completion. Sean McGowan reports. 

ARBS 2022, Australia’s premier international air conditioning, refrigeration and building services trade exhibition, is slated for August 2022 in Melbourne.

The new-look 388 George Street office tower in Sydney’s CBD represents one of the largest commercial office building refurbishments the city has ever seen. As Sean McGowan reports, the multidisciplinary approach taken by consulting engineer Arup has delivered world-class amenity, connectivity and comfort to tenants. Importantly, the clever refurb integrates the site with a newly pedestrianised George Street.

A finalist in the Excellence in Sustainability category for the 2021 AIRAH Awards, The Annex at 12 Creek Street is set among Brisbane’s heritage-listed fig trees. As Sean McGowan reports, the building’s design promotes connection with the outdoors, as well as with others.

In the future, many Australian HVAC systems may be required to deal with harsher environmental conditions due to more extreme climatic conditions and a push to increase population centres in more northern and central regions of the country.

The Doone Kennedy Hobart Aquatic Centre, owned and operated by the Hobart City Council, was recently upgraded as part of a major project to create a more sustainable city. One area that required work was the motors and drives used to manage the pool filtration and water circulation system, HVAC central plant, and grey water systems.

The LeBron James Innovation Center at Nike World Headquarters (WHQ) embodies the pursuit of excellence in sport and sustainability, writes Mark Vender.

Challenged by site constraints, award-winning architect, builder and developer Oliver Steele pivoted an apartment project to Passivhaus design. As Sean McGowan reports, the decision led to a first in the southern hemisphere.

AIRAH’s Infection Control and Operating Theatre Practices Special Technical Group has published a document considering common COVID-19 practices in operating theatres.