AIRAH on Air

The name may sound abstract, but data ontologies have a very practical role to play in making our buildings work better. Whether it's Brick, Haystack, VBIS, or something else, their purpose is essentially the same: to help us organise data from the built environment. In this episode of AIRAH on Air, host Mark Vender talks to four members of AIRAH's Big Data and Analytics Special Technical Group about data ontologies, the issues we face when people use different systems for managing their data, and how we can overcome these challenges. Guests:• Tristan Webber, Affil.AIRAH • Nicholas Lianos, Affil.AIRAH • Sylvia Quaglia • Daniel Porragas, Affil.AIRAH For more information on AIRAH's Big Data and Analytics Forum, go to airah.org.au/bigdata You can also learn about AIRAH's Big Data and Analytics Special Technical Group. Listen to the AIRAH on Air podcast about Big Data. Or check out the cover story from the November 2021 issue of Ecolibrium about data ontologies. Thank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au

As AIRAH celebrates 100 years, we commemorate not just our Institute’s history but also our members and their contributions to heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration. In this episode of AIRAH on Air, we talk to two former AIRAH Presidents about the state of HVAC&R. In an interview with Ecolibrium editor Matt Dillion, Sean Treweek, F.AIRAH, and Ania Hampton, M.AIRAH, detail their careers in the hidden industry; offer predictions for where it’s going; talk experiences with AIRAH; and provide advice for those interested in a career in an essential industry. “If you look at HVAC&R, we are so deeply embedded in everybody’s lives at every moment,” says Ania Hampton, pointing to its impact on agriculture, healthcare, and beyond. “People take what we do for granted.” Guests: Sean Treweek, F.AIRAH, CEO at Meinhardt Australia Ania Hampton, M.AIRAH, Director at Edefice Sean and Ania were also profiled as two of AIRAH’s 100 Faces. Read their Q&As and meet other notable people, places, and objects from AIRAH’s history and the HVAC&R industry at https://www.airah100.org.au/faces.html Thank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. For more on AIRAH – including information on how the Institute can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last year at AIRAH’s Building Physics Forum in Melbourne, Clare Parry, M.AIRAH, from Grün Consulting presented on how to create high-performance buildings with the help of the Passivhaus methodology. In this episode of AIRAH on Air, you’ll hear her present a detailed case study of Australia’s first scale Passivhaus building: Gillies Hall at Monash University’s Peninsula Campus in Frankston, Melbourne. She also expands on this – and on the increasing prevalence of Passivhaus principles – in an interview with AIRAH’s Mark Vender Guests:• Clare Parry, M.AIRAH Read Clare’s 100 Faces profile at https://bit.ly/2VbbJ27 Find out more about AIRAH’s Building Physics STG at http://bit.ly/2TwweXm Explore the Building Physics Forum at https://www.airah.org.au/BuildingPhysicsforum Thank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. For more on AIRAH – including information on how the Institute can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Oct 23 and 24 at AIRAH’s Building Physics Forum in Melbourne, over 100 attendees came together from the fields of building science, architecture and design to discuss topics related to different areas in constructed performance. From air movement to thermal performance, control of moisture, passive house principles, and window design, it was an insightful two days of discussions into how we can create buildings that are more environmentally effective, comfortable and healthier for their occupants.Mark Vender, editor of HVAC&R Nation, was at the 2019 Building Physics Forum. He caught up with a couple of the speakers to hear further insights into the importance of building physics. We also hear from Jenny Edwards – owner, managing director and lead scientist at Light House Architecture & Science – with her presentation: “Designing and building, cost-effective, high-performance homes: lessons learned.”Guests:Marcela Brauner, Holistic Building ServicesDr Arianna Brambilla, The University of SydneyJenny Edwards, Affil.AIRAH, Light House Architecture & ScienceAIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. To keep up to date and hear about new releases, please follow us on Facebook (AIRAHconnect), LinkedIn (AIRAH) and Twitter (AIRAHnews).For more on AIRAH - including information on our upcoming events, major conferences and forums - please visit www.airah.org.au

In 2019, AIRAH conducted a comprehensive analysis of salaries in the Australian heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. It is the first of its kind and covered professionals and practitioners across the sector. Almost 500 people participated, providing benchmarks for the industry. AIRAH plans to run the survey every two years to measure industry trends and developments.The initial results of the survey were analysed by IF Market Research (www.ifmarketresearch.com) and published as a six-page report in the November 2019 issue of Ecolibrium (www.airah.org.au/ecolibrium), AIRAH’s official journal. The results of the survey will be made available to the public in January 2020 at www.airah.org.au/salarysurvey“The message here is that this sector is very healthy,” says Leigh Funston, director of IF Market Research. “It is well paid, and its retention of people is very good. This is a sector that’s in good shape.”Guests:• Dr David Iacuone, director of IF Market Research• Leigh Funston, director of IF Market Research• Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH, AIRAH’s CEOAIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. To keep up to date and hear about new releases, please follow us on Facebook (AIRAHconnect), LinkedIn (AIRAH) and Twitter (AIRAHnews).For more on AIRAH - including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry - please visit www.airah.org.auWe also welcome your comments and suggestions for our podcast. Please get in touch at airah@airah.org.au

In the last of three episodes from the 2019 Melbourne Forum on energy poverty, we hear from Sustainability Victoria’s Michele Burton. She details a pilot project in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley that aims to retrofit low-income households – its target market occupying homes originally constructed as short-term builds for the mining sector. Burton’s talk covers the advantages (including the energy cost savings and thermal comfort improvements) and challenges of the initiative, as well as the project’s next steps.This episode also features a Q&A with Burton and the other Melbourne Forum speakers – Dr Nicola Willand of RMIT University’s School of Property, Construction and Project Management and Kerry Connors of Energy Consumers Australia. For more from these speakers, please see the first and second episodes of AIRAH on Air’s Melbourne Forum series.Guests:Michele Burton, Sustainability Victoria’s senior project adviser of sustainable homesDr Nicola Willand, RMIT University's School of Property, Construction and Project Management lecturerKerry Connors, Energy Consumers Australia's associate director, researchThe Melbourne Forum aims to increase the development and refurbishment of our built environment to achieve greater levels of sustainable performance. The series facilitates a unique space for leading practitioners and policymakers in the sector to come together and discuss sustainability issues, as well as technologies and developments.It also offers a platform for the sharing of ideas and experiences. It is supported by Sustainability Victoria, the University of Melbourne, RMIT University, City West Water, City of Melbourne and AIRAH. For more on the Melbourne Forum, please visit: bit.ly/2VYxlwrAIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. To keep up to date and hear about new releases, please follow us on Facebook (AIRAHconnect), LinkedIn (AIRAH) and Twitter (AIRAHnews).For more on AIRAH - including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry - please visit www.airah.org.auWe also welcome your comments and suggestions for our podcast. Please get in touch at airah@airah.org.au

Brisbane’s 25 King is a timber building pushing boundaries in construction, sustainability and indoor environment qualityWhat goes into a timber building? What’s the difference between timber and cross-laminated timber? And will we start seeing more wooden buildings? The latest episode of AIRAH on Air is a visit to 25 King, Australia’s largest and tallest engineered timber office building. It was developed and built by Lendlease as part of a continuing $2.9 billion regeneration of Brisbane’s RNA Showgrounds, in the inner suburb of Bowen Hills. The project featured ambitious rating design objectives, including a WELL Platinum Core and Shell rating and 6 star Design and As Built V1.1 Green Star ratings.Following their keynote address at the Future of HVAC 2019, we speak to Danni Roberts, Affil.AIRAH, and Joel Fernandes of Aurecon, an engineering consultancy firm, on what it was like to not only deliver the structural engineering design, building services and ESD on the project, but also now occupy the building as its main tenant.This episode is an adaptation of the April 2019 cover story (“King in the north”) of Ecolibrium, AIRAH’s industry journal. For more on Ecolibrium, please visit airah.org.au/ecolibrium and to read the original article by Sean McGowan, please visit http://bit.ly/2KTwgDm

The eighth episode of the AIRAH on Air podcast was recorded at the Melbourne Forum on June 25, 2019.Kerry Connors, the associate director of research at Energy Consumers Australia (ECA), details ECA’s Power Shift program and research underlining the link between energy and household health. She says suppliers should put themselves in customers’ shoes when considering their service offerings.Guests:• Kerry Connors, Energy Consumers Australia’s associate director, researchThe Melbourne Forum aims to increase the development and refurbishment of our built environment to achieve greater levels of sustainable performance. The series facilitate a unique space for leading practitioners and policymakers in the sector to come together and discuss sustainability issues, as well as technologies and developments. It also offers a platform for the sharing of ideas and experiences. It is supported by Sustainability Victoria, the University of Melbourne, RMIT University, City West Water, City of Melbourne and AIRAH. For more on the Melbourne Forum, please visit: bit.ly/2VYxlwrTo listen to the first episode, featuring Dr Nicola Willand on why energy poverty matters, please visit Airahaustralia – Airah-on-air-episode-7-energy-poverty-and-why-it-matters-melbourne-forumStay tuned to AIRAH on Air for more on the topic of energy poverty. We’ll have one more episode featuring Michele Burton, senior project adviser of sustainable homes at Sustainability Victoria.AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. To keep up-to-date and hear about new releases, please follow us on Facebook (AIRAHconnect), LinkedIn (AIRAH) and Twitter (AIRAHnews).For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.auWe also welcome your comments and suggestions for our podcast. Please get in touch at airah@airah.org.au

The seventh episode of the AIRAH on Air podcast was recorded at the Melbourne Forum on June 25, 2019.The Melbourne Forum aims to increase the development and refurbishment of our built environment to achieve greater levels of sustainable performance. The series facilitate a unique space for leading practitioners and policymakers in the sector to come together and discuss sustainability issues, as well as technologies and developments. It also offers a platform for the sharing of ideas and experiences. It is supported by Sustainability Victoria, the University of Melbourne, RMIT University and AIRAH. For more on the Melbourne Forum, please visit: bit.ly/2VYxlwrIn the first of three recordings from the 2019 event, we hear from Dr Nicola Willand, a lecturer at RMIT University’s School of Property, Construction and Project Management. In her presentation, Willand explains the concept of energy poverty; how it can be measured and understood; who’s most vulnerable; the social implications; and what can be done to assist those struggling to cool or heat their homes.Guests:• Dr Nicola Willand, RMIT University’s School of Property, Construction and Project Management lecturerStay tuned to AIRAH on Air for more on the topic of energy poverty. In the coming weeks, we’ll have two more episodes featuring talks by Kerry Connors, associate director, research at Energy Consumers Australia, and Michele Burton, senior project adviser of sustainable homes at Sustainability Victoria.AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. To keep up-to-date and hear about new releases, please follow us on Facebook (AIRAHconnect), LinkedIn (AIRAH) and Twitter (AIRAHnews).For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.auWe also welcome your comments and suggestions for our podcast. Please get in touch at airah@airah.org.au

Thanks for tuning in for the sixth episode of AIRAH on Air. This time we’re taking a trip to Sydney’s CBD to visit Investa’s Barrack Place – the first Australian building to earn a WELL Core & Shell Precertification at the Gold level from the International WELL Building Institute.Barrack Place is the new Sydney headquarters of Arup, an independent firm of designers, planners, engineers, consultants and technical specialists. Arup is not only the anchor tenant, it also designed the mechanical services on the project. Host Mark Spencer finds out more about that experience and how it opened the way for an innovative approach to the building’s heating and cooling.Guests:• Andrew Pettifer, Arup’s principal NSW region leader• Jack Noonan, International WELL Building Institute’s vice president, Australia and New ZealandInterested in learning more about WELL certifications? Stay tuned – we’ll have more from Noonan on this new building standard, what it means for the built environment and its impact on AIRAH members.For a more in-depth look into Barrack Place, be sure to read Sean McGowan’s cover story in the March 2019 issue of Ecolibrium, AIRAH’s industry journal: www.airah.org.au/EcoLibrium/2019/…_March_2019.aspxAIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services / design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry.For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au.

In this special episode of AIRAH on Air, we’re talking with Iain Campbell of the Rocky Mountain Institute – a US-based not-for-profit working to find practical, market-based solutions that will shift dependency from fossil fuels to renewables.Part of the Institute’s work involves administrating the Global Cooling Prize (GCP).Launched in November 2018, this international competition calls upon inventors and innovators to develop the next generation of cooling technology. To succeed, the design must have least five times less climate impact than a standard room air conditioning (RAC) unit. For the winners, there’s the incentive of US$3 million in prize money, as well as some pre-established channels to market.The GCP’s goal is to find a combined solution to growing demand and global warming. Residential cooling is set to boom three times globally by 2050 – particularly in developing nations. That means approximately 4.5 billion RAC units will be in use globally, compared to 1.2 billion today. Without any changes, it will result in a massive increase in power demand and emissions.“This technology could prevent up to 100 gigatonnes (GT) of CO2-equivalent emissions by 2050, and put the world on a pathway to mitigate up to 0.5˚C of global warming by 2100, all while enhancing living standards for people in developing countries around the globe,” says the GCP.HVAC&R Nation editor Mark Vender met with Campbell following his keynote address at AIRAH’s Refrigeration 2019 conference. Campbell speaks engagingly about the Global Cooling Prize, why it’s so important and what potential applicants need to know.For more on the Global Cooling Prize, including details on the application process, visit globalcoolingprize.orgYou can also read more about the Global Cooling Prize’s objectives via HVAC&R News: www.hvacrnews.com.au/news/the-global-cooling-prizeA number of organisations and individuals have signed on to support and promote the prize, including AIRAH, the Government of India, Mission Innovation, Richard Branson’s Virgin Unite, ASHRAE, the World Wildlife Foundation and the United Nations Environment Programme, among others: globalcoolingprize.org/about-the-glo…rize/partnersWatch Richard Branson explain Why the Cooling Challenge Matters here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_NEavNUQlMAIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. To find out more about the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating, and to get details on our advocacy, our objectives and opportunities to get involved in the HVAC&R industry, visit www.airah.org.au

In this episode of AIRAH on Air, host Mark Spencer stops by the Refrigeration 2019 conference for a special interview.Refrigeration 2019 was held in Melbourne from March 25–26 and welcomed 170 attendees, more than 30 expert speakers, and four international keynotes. One of these was Prof. Dr. Michael Kauffeld, of Germany’s Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences. Following his address, in which he detailed the HFC phase-down and what’s coming next for refrigeration, Kauffeld took some time to speak with AIRAH on Air about his area of expertise: natural refrigerants.Want to find out more about the HFC phase-down? Listen to episode 5 of AIRAH on Air at Airahaustralia – Airah-on-air-episode-5-the-hfc-phase-down.AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. AIRAH’s Refrigeration 2020 conference will be held in Melbourne from March 23–24. You can find more information at www.airah.org.au.For details on AIRAH’s Refrigeration Special Technical Group, please visit www.airah.org.au/AIRAH/Navigation…frigeration.aspx.

In the fifth episode of AIRAH on Air, we explore a global issue: the HFC phase-down. This is a worldwide effort to stop climate change by reducing hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) – synthetic gases used in air conditioning and refrigeration that are thousands of times more powerful than carbon dioxide when it comes to global warming.Regardless of your experience and knowledge of HFCs you’ll want to tune in to learn about the environmental impact, why restrictions have been put in place, the flammability trade-off, and how the industry’s been adapting since the Australian HFC phase-down began in January 2018.Host Mark Spencer speaks with Vince Aherne, F.AIRAH, a building services engineer and independent consultant. Aherne frequently works with AIRAH. He wrote the original August 2018 Ecolibrium cover feature that this episode is based on.Thank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry.For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au.If you work in HVAC&R and are interested in learning more about refrigerants and the HFC phase-down, join us at our two-day Refrigeration 2019 conference, taking place in Melbourne from March 25-26. Visit www.airah.org.au/Refrigeration-Conference for speaker information and to register.

It was the site of Australia’s first dinosaur bone excavation, then it neighboured a coal mine, and now it’s the future of sustainable housing…In episode 4 of the AIRAH on Air podcast, host Mark Spencer visits The Cape – a new development located about two hours southeast of Melbourne in the seaside village of Cape Paterson. Led by project director Brendan Condon, The Cape is setting a new Australian benchmark for affordable, sustainable living and raising the standards of building design in Australia. There are 14 house designs available, including one that’s Victoria’s first 10 star NatHERS home.The net-zero carbon housing development doesn’t just encourage environmentally friendly construction, either. It’s also setting up an eco-conscious community through thoughtful neighbourhood planning.Guest:• Clint Hare, general manager of The CapeFor more information on The Cape at Cape Paterson, read Sean McGowan’s cover article in the February 2019 issue of Ecolibrium – AIRAH’s official journal: bit.ly/2TLL7ChThank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to building services/design and a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry. For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au.

When a building gets older, oftentimes the obvious option is demolition. But what if there's a way to save it and preserve its history? How can that help increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions?In 2015, The University of Queensland and the TC Beirne School of Law agreed to refurbish the 1930s-constructed west wing of its Forgan Smith building.In the third episode of AIRAH on Air, host Mark Spencer presents a case study on retrofitting in the built environment.Guests:• Danni Roberts, M.AIRAH, Senior Mechanical Engineer at Aurecon• Phil Wilkinson, F.AIRAH, Executive Manager, Government Relations and Technical Services at AIRAHFor more information on the Forgan Smith retrofitting project, read Sean McGowan's article in the December 2018 issue of Ecolibrium - AIRAH's official journal: www.airah.org.au/EcoLibrium/2018/…cember_2018.aspxThank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry.For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au.

Big data. It’s a big idea. It’s also moved from the “next big thing” to business as usual. But what does it have to do with the built environment and why does it matter to the humans who occupy it?In this episode of AIRAH on Air, host Mark Spencer explores the business of big data and scaleable analytics, and reveals its impact on our world.Guests:• Chris Stamatis, M.AIRAH, Director of CopperTree Analytics Australia• Craig Roussac, M.AIRAH, Chief Executive Officer at Buildings Alive• Chris King, M.AIRAH, Business Development at EnviziFor more information on big data, read the cover story by Sean McGowan from the November 2018 issue of Ecolibrium, AIRAH’s official journal: www.airah.org.au/Content_Files/Ec…1-18-Eco-005.pdfThank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry.For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au.

How are we improving the design and construction of buildings? In the first episode of AIRAH on Air, host Mark Spencer explores how we are working toward a "net zero" future - and what, exactly, that means.Guests:• Paul Cooper, F.AIRAH, Director of the University of Wollongong's Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC)• Clare Parry, M.AIRAH, Director of Grün Consulting• Tony Arnel, Global Director of Sustainability at Norman Disney & YoungFor more information, check out the September issue of Ecolibrium where Sean McGowan explores the concept of net zero carbon: www.airah.org.au/EcoLibrium/2018/…tember_2018.aspxThank you for listening. AIRAH on Air is a podcast exploring topics related to a hidden industry in a constant state of innovation: the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) industry.For more on AIRAH – including information on how we can help your career, training and development in the HVAC&R industry – please visit www.airah.org.au.Music:"Air Hockey Saloon" by Christopher Zabrieski used under Creative Commons License - freemusicarchive.org/music/Chris_Za…_Hockey_Saloon"Searching for an Analogue Signal" by Hunter Constellation used under Creative Commons License - Theoreo – Searching-for-an-analog-signal

This episode gives an overview of how the refrigeration and HVAC industry interacts with climate change, it's role and responsibilities, and explains why AIRAH is part of the discussion about climate change mitigation in our society.