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53OCTOBER 2018 • ECOLIBRIUM

POISED FOR A CELEBRATIONHas your company, project or colleague been nominated for this year’s AIRAH Awards? We roll out the red carpet for our finalists.

Over the past few months, the AIRAH Awards judges and organisers have been busy working through a tall stack of nominations to select the finalists. As always, it has been a difficult task because it means omitting many deserving projects, initiatives and people. But at the same time, the tough competition shows the ever-increasing standard of innovation, leadership and performance in Australia’s HVAC&R industry.

“We are living through a time of transformation in the built environment,” says AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH. “The urgent need to improve energy efficiency and sustainability, the phasing down of HFCs, and the continued digitisation of our industry have all spurred great change – and great innovation.

“The AIRAH Awards are a chance to celebrate the best of that innovation. Whether or not they go on to win their category, all of the finalists have achieved a standard of excellence that deserves recognition.”

The AIRAH Award 2018 finalists are listed here. The winners will be announced at a presentation dinner in Melbourne on November 15.

WR AHERN AWARDAwarded to the best technical paper published by an AIRAH member in 2017. Eight papers have been nominated this year.

n “So we have done NABERS. Now what?”By Dr Paul Bannister, F.AIRAH

n “Mitigating the risk of fire spread from pipe insulation”By Hongsen Zhang, M.AIRAH, and Dr Paul Bannister, F.AIRAH

n “The HFC phase-down – What are the solutions and how should the industry plan ahead?”By Graeme Dewerson, Affil.AIRAH

n “Refrigeration, Politics and the Donald Effect”By Bruce Nelson, M.AIRAH

n “Chilled-water systems – yesterday and tomorrow”By Peter Phillips, F.AIRAH

n “Advances in CFD modelling for data centre optimisation”By Warwick Stannus, M.AIRAH, and Neil Silke

n “Practical modelling application”By Ken Thomson, M.AIRAH, and Mei McNamara

n “Building tuning using a simulation”By Matthew Webb, M.AIRAH

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AWARDThis award recognises and celebrates individuals and organisations that have shown leadership in their efforts, initiatives, policies, programs and practices to embrace and foster truly inclusive levels of representation within their ranks.

As Ecolibrium went to print, the judges were finalising the nominees for this category. ❚

AT A GLANCE

What: AIRAH Awards Presentation Dinner 2018

When: 7pm, Thursday, November 15

Where: Peninsula C Central Pier, Docklands Melbourne

Cost: Ticket: $190 Table of 10: $1,800

Tickets: awards@airah.org.au

www.airah.org.au/awards

2018AWARDS

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FUTURE LEADERn Sponsor: A.G. Coombs

Succession planning is vital for the HVAC&R sector and this award aims to foster the next generation of leaders. It is for AIRAH members aged 35 years or under as of December 31, 2017 and encompasses the full range of professions involved in the industry, from project managers to tradespeople, engineers to technical sales people. Our six finalists show this diversity.

n Massimo Fiorentini, Affil.AIRAHSustainable Buildings Research Centre, University of Wollongong

“Massimo has shown outstanding leadership in both academia and scholarship, and industry/technological innovations,” says Dr Georgios

Kokogiannakis, M.AIRAH, senior lecturer at the University of Wollongong.

“This is exemplified by his leadership of the development of the award-winning control systems for the Team UOW ‘Illawarra Flame’ Solar Decathlon house through to the main innovations he has delivered for Australian HVAC&R in the form of new control and automation systems for air conditioning, mixed-mode and natural ventilation systems, and BMS fault-detection and automation.

“He has also acted as a mentor and an outstanding role model for many young HVAC&R and Building Services engineers and students during his career to date. Despite his heavy research and industry liaison commitments, Massimo has made time to volunteer for lecturing to the UOW undergraduate and postgraduate students studying air conditioning and refrigeration subjects.” ❚

n Jason Harrison, M.AIRAH Airmaster

“Jason’s commitment and drive have seen him complete his studies whilst at the same time growing and progressing his career at a rapid pace,”

says Brad Sang, corporate marketing manager at Airmaster.

“His commitments to help further the HVAC industry have seen him drive

and complete various award-winning and energy-efficient focused projects. These include the final commissioning of Darling Quarter, a 5-star NABERS Lendlease project, as well as the 8 Chifley Square $1.4m BMS installation.

“Jason regularly presents key Airmaster projects and technological products and services as case studies on both a local and international scale, including at the IBcon conference in the United States.”

Harrison was named Young Achiever at the 2018 ARBS Industry Awards and Young Energy Efficiency Professional of the Year by the Energy Efficiency Council in 2017. ❚

n Lina Le, Affil.AIRAH BUENO

“Lina is a strategic thinker who is incredibly talented at implementing ways to align the organisation behind the strategy – an immense challenge in a hyper-growth business like BUENO with 100 per cent year-on-year growth,” says Brad Sang, corporate marketing manager at Airmaster.

“As general manager, Lina led the implementation of a goal-setting framework across the business (OKRs), delivered strategic sales, improved corporate systems and provided support to capital-raise activities. Lina consistently has her finger on the pulse of issues being faced by various stakeholders of the organisation and tirelessly works to improve the value BUENO delivers to customers, employees and shareholders.

“What is most amazing is that Lina has achieved this so much already in this role at the age of only 29. She is the embodiment of the type of future leader that AIRAH is looking to recognise with this award.” ❚

n Firas Shawash, Affil.AIRAHi-Fire Engineers Pty Ltd

Shawash is a chartered professional engineer and a national registered engineer (NER) in the field of fire safety and mechanical engineering.

He has extensive experience in providing cost-effective performance solutions under the Building Code of Australia for different classes of buildings

with different issues. He has a Master’s degree in fire engineering.

Daniel Ho is Shawash’s manager at I-Fire Engineers, and first met him at another company in 2013.

“I found him punctual, a team player and with a great ability to work under pressure, therefore I recommended hiring him when I moved to a new company. Firas is very active outside the work environment: he does presentations, publishes papers, attends seminars and tutors.

“He does not accept things simply because other engineers do. He comes up with and communicates innovative solutions. He inspires and helps his colleagues and friends in the industry who wish to do post-graduate studies in fire safety engineering.” ❚

n Chris Stamatis, Affil.AIRAHCopperTree Analytics

“Chris has been the director of CopperTree Analytics Australia since it was founded in August 2015,” says Jessica Russ-Smith from the University

of New South Wales. “He has shown outstanding commitment to the HVAC industry and continually pushes to improve it. Chris has worked across multiple HVAC disciplines (mechanical design, building controls and service and now analytics), which has helped him understand the inner workings of HVAC systems.

“CopperTree Analytics was recently named as one of the Telstra Business Awards finalists for 2018 and this is largely due to the hard work and dedication shown by Chris and his team. He is extremely passionate about what he does and has always shown exceptional leadership qualities.” ❚

n Mark Vigors, M.AIRAHEllis Air Conditioning (Qld)

“Mark is an outstanding mechanical engineer who looks to lead by example and takes on responsibilities over and above his current ones with success and ease,”

says Ellis Air Conditioning engineering manager Scott Cahill.

Justin Wong.

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“He is a likeable character who all colleagues, design team members and clients enjoy working with. Mark gains respect from his peers who appreciate what he offers to the project teams he works with. He is always looking to better himself and others, and shows a keen interest in mentoring the younger members of the engineering team.” ❚

STUDENT OF THE YEAR – Traden Sponsor: LG

AIRAH has long recognised the importance of engaging with professionals who come through the vocational education sector as well as those with tertiary qualifications. This award is for members who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship at any level in the HVAC&R industry. ❚

n Matthew Benger, Stud.AIRAHTAFE SA

“Matthew would be a great candidate for AIRAH Student of the Year award as he has high ambitions within our industry and demonstrates outstanding

work ethic and commitment to study,” says lecturer John Allen.

“He has demonstrated strong skills and knowledge in the classroom and on the job. Matthew is always very well presented and punctual and participates in all tasks including the mentoring of other peers. He also demonstrates strong leadership qualities both at work and outside of work at his sporting clubs.” ❚

n Patrick Brennan, Stud.AIRAHTAFE Queensland SkillsTech

According to teacher Carl Balke, Brennan had an immediate love of the problem-solving elements that come with the refrigeration

side of the HVAC&R industryand knew it was the trade for him.

“Patrick is now in his third year of his trade and has passed all of his units with flying colours,” Balke says. “He was selected in the Queensland team to compete in Sydney at the Worldskills National Championships where he won

gold. He has recently gained selection in the Australian Worldskills squad (the Skillaroos) where he has a chance to compete at international level in Kazan, Russia, 2019.” ❚

n Anthony Consterdine, M.AIRAHSouth Metropolitan TAFE, WA

Consterdine is currently studying the Certificate IV in Commissioning and Diploma of Engineering – Advanced Trade, whichaccording to lecturer

Jean-Michel L’Aiguille traditionally attracts the cream of the HVAC industry.

“Anthony was the stand-out student,” says L’Aiguille, “the best of the best. It soon became clear that Anthony was soaking up the available theory and was independently studying beyond the requirements of the Diploma.

“He is mild mannered and courteous, and is always willing to assist other students, facilitating their learning by steering them to look up the information rather than just giving an answer.

“Anthony is a true proponent of lifelong learning.” ❚

n Matthew Farrugia, Stud.AIRAHTAFE NSW – Nirimba

Farrugia is currently studying a Certificate III – Air-Conditioning andRefrigeration and doinghis apprenticeship at SetTemp Air Conditioningand Refrigeration.

“Matthew takes his studies and work very seriously,” says CEO Peter Refalo. “He often brings his TAFE books to work and will study on the way to our jobs, asking lots of questions to further his understanding.”

“His results to date have been exceptional,” adds head teacher Steve Smith, M.AIRAH, “with a 100 per cent pass result in virtually every assessment he has undertaken. He has also demonstrated a mature approach to the values of respect and loyalty.” ❚

STUDENT OF THE YEAR| – Higher Education

and ResearchThis award recognises outstanding efforts in HVAC&R research by AIRAH members.

n Farnam Fathalian, Stud.AIRAHSouth Metropolitan TAFE, WA

Fathalian works at Orica and is studying an Advanced Diploma in HVAC Engineering – something that he clearly relishes.

“I study hard because I love this course,” he says. “During my studying I read most important AIRAH standards, I provided some programs such as pipe and duct sizing based on DA16, pump curves and operating point calculation based on DA01, heat load calculation based on DA09, and I have provided a manual for Trane Trace 700 for heat load calculations.

“I work with some expert HVAC engineers in Orica and it is very good opportunity to enhance my knowledge and experience in actual projects.” ❚

n Clayton McDowell, Stud.AIRAHUniversity of Wollongong

After completing a Master of Engineering Practice, McDowell has moved on to a PhD. He’s also part of the Desert Rose team that is representing the University

of Wollongong in the Solar Decathlon Middle East 2018 competition.

“Clayton McDowell is a remarkable young man who is carrying out vitally important research on the thermal performance and energy efficiency of residential buildings,” says senior professor Paul Cooper, M.AIRAH.

“He has gone far beyond the expectations that we would normally hold of even the very best PhD research students. He has used his research and industry experience to inspire and lead an entire team of students and staff from the University of Wollongong and TAFE Illawarra, and over 80 industry sponsors, to design and build a net-zero energy solar decathlon house that implements the latest research and innovation in a wide range of fields.” ❚

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PRODUCT OF THE YEARThis award pays tribute to the best new HVAC&R kit from Australian manufacturers. The winner is selected based on innovation, energy efficiency, sustainability, originality and industry need.

n Trafalgar Fire Containment Firebox

The Firebox provides a single, compact, pre-formed fire-rated opening in fire walls and floors for HVAC&R and other trades to run their services.

The Fyrebox Cast-in is cast directly into the floor slabs, and the Fyrebox Slab-Mounted is bolted underneath the slab prior to wall construction. This “Firebox family” removes defect issues associated with service separation and non-compliance, issues that Trafalgar notes have plagued the construction industry for decades.

“Our customers told us that firestopping was too difficult, too messy, and too complicated,” says Trafalgar’s Kate Emmerick. “Firestopping was the last consideration in the building – it costs too much and was often done incorrectly, resulting in failed compliance inspections requiring expensive and time-consuming rectification works.

“The Firebox family was developed to be simple, quick, cost-effective, and most importantly flexible for site needs.” ❚

n Aeris Environmental Corrosion Protection Plus

According to Aeris Environmental, 4 per cent of Global GDP is spent every year to prevent metal products from returning to their natural state. Corrosion Protection Plus is a corrosion resistant coating specifically for HVAC protection, completely developed and manufactured in Australia and now sold worldwide.

“The product is a unique, water-based coating that is applicable to any metallic surface, no matter how corroded, without the need for a primer,” says Blair Milnes from Aires.

Corrosion Protection Plus was developed by a specialist team – Including two experienced PhDs with international R&D experience – over a two-year period, followed by a further 18 months of product testing and validation. It has received final validation testing from the CSIRO, University of NSW and NATA-accredited corrosion laboratories. ❚

n Hevac Controls HCP7

The HCP7 is a ventilation controller and sensors for controlling CO2 and NO2 pollutants in line with AS 1668.2-2012.

According to Hevac Controls director Trevor Sweetman, the HCP7 satisfies the need for a lower cost and purpose-built unit that meets all aspects of the standard.

“Our research found that most control systems satisfying this growing market were universal-type programmable

controllers programmed to meet as much of the AS 1668 standard as possible and were highly priced.

“We used our 40 years’ experience in the air conditioning controls industry and 30 years’ experience in design and manufacturing of purpose-built controls to engineer and design the HCP7.

“The controller and sensors have now been available for 18 months and are gaining huge popularity due to price but more so because of the ease of site commissioning and testing.” ❚

n Seeley International Braemar Evolution

The Braemar Evolution is a high-capacity, low-profile evaporative air conditioner that has been designed to reduce energy use and noise.

The development of the Braemar Evolution was prompted by increased customer demand for evaporative coolers that can be installed below the roof ridgeline,” says Seeley’s Mikael Svensson.

“Stricter criteria for new sub-divisions and housing developments means builders in particular are looking for products that can be installed hidden from street view.

“A brief was set to develop a low-profile, sloped-tank cooler that would outperform equivalent competitor models in both airflow and cooling capacity.”

According to NATA testing to the requirements of AS 2913–2000, Seeley was successful.

The Braemar Evolution LPQ1550 was found to have the highest cooling capacity (kW) based on test results of all equivalent capacity sloped-tank evaporative air conditioners. ❚

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EXCELLENCE IN REFRIGERATIONThis award puts refrigeration front and centre, recognising projects over the past three years. It includes new systems, upgrades and retrofits, but excludes products.

n Cold Logic Coopers Brewery

Coopers new facility at Regency Park in Adelaide represents the single biggest investment in the company’s 155-year history and is considered the most technically advanced maltings in the world. So getting the refrigeration right was vital. Cold Logic achieved this by bringing a state-of-the-art ammonia refrigeration system capable of providing 3600kWr of chilled water to various stages of the malting process.

“The system was integrated with the overall maltings plant control system provided by Coopers, and significant time was spent optimising following commissioning to achieve the best possible energy efficiency and robustness available,” says Dr Michael Riese from Cold Logic. “During the installation phase extensive communication and planning together with the main parties ensured a seamless build process.” ❚

n Glaciem Cooling The Bend Motorsport Park

The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia demonstrates a significant advance in refrigeration technology, combining thermal energy storage (TES) and R744 (CO2) systems with unique features.

The TES system uses a newly developed phase-change material (PCM) that freezers and melts at -6°C, enabling cooling of between 0–2°C. The new coil design and dynamic melt system incorporated in the TES tank increases the thermal efficiency of the PCM, allowing more than 85 per cent of the latent heat stored to be extracted. The charging of the PCM is controlled by a cloud-based forecasting algorithm.

The R744-only system has been integrated with indirect cooling technology – the result of extensive R&D carried out by Glaciem in conjunction with the Barbara Hardy Institute at UniSA. ❚

n Heatcraft + Goff’s Refrigeration Optus Stadium

This project in Perth encompassed the design, engineering and installation of leading refrigeration technologies to service Optus Stadium’s extensive cold chain requirements. Equipment specifications evolved throughout the project adding complexity, requiring Heatcraft Australia and Goff ’s Refrigeration to adapt and accommodate. They overcame project challenges with a national approach, harnessing the full strength of the Heatcraft technical and sales support team.

“Optus Stadium features the latest innovation in design, construction and technology and has made its mark as one of Australia’s top sporting and entertainment venues,” says Heatcraft’s Elizabeth Paparo, Affil.AIRAH. “The project team demonstrated excellence in refrigeration, delivering an entirely customised solution designed to achieve TEWI reductions of 48 per cent and energy savings of 3 per cent compared to conventional refrigeration system design.” ❚

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EXCELLENCE IN SUSTAINABILITYn Sponsor: Heatcraft

Year after year, the industry’s focus on sustainability just gets stronger, and that’s reflected in the standard of the finalists in this category. The award includes new HVAC&R systems, retrofits or improvements to existing systems, and improvements to the delivery of services.

n Refrigeration Innovations Ritchies IGA Supermarket

After a disastrous fire in 2016, Ritchies Super IGA in Beechworth, Victoria, committed to rebuilding the store for the local community as quickly as possible, on the same site with the same footprint. Refrigeration Innovations won the job and took a holistic view of the supermarket’s requirements.

“We needed to provide not only reliable refrigeration,” says principal David Redden, F.AIRAH, “but also we took the view that we could incorporate the rejected heat from the plant, the cooling capacity of smart control of compressor capacity, and the co-efficient gains of CO2 refrigerant to supply comfort cooling and heating.

“We were also cognisant that this system had to work in the variances of the Australian climate, as this area of Victoria is subject to temperature swings between summer and winter conditions. To that end we decided to incorporate a first for Australia and employ gas ejector technology.” ❚

n BUENO Crown

BUilt ENvironment Optimisation (BUENO) is an innovative, Australian-founded technology company that has been operating since 2013. BUENO has developed bespoke technology and IP that targets opportunities for improved data utilisation across the property sector.

During this time BUENO and Crown have developed a collaborative and cooperative working relationship, enabling data to be utilised across the complex to increase the site’s sustainability.

BUENO’s analytics platform has reduced energy, gas and water consumption across Crown sites. It has also helped identify maintenance works, reducing disruptions to visitors and improving overall comfort levels.

From day one, data analytics has produced genuine actionable information and is continuing to provide insights at a frequency, resolution and accuracy that was not possible with traditional manual point-in-time review methods.

The project has been integral to Crown’s strategic environmental commitment initiatives to become leaders in innovation, energy, water and life-cycle management. ❚

n Norman Disney & Young RN Robertson building

The RN Robertson building in the Australian National University in Canberra, is a three-storey concrete-framed structure with a large central atrium space that was originally completed in 1972. In 2016, NDY was commissioned to deliver mechanical and electrical design services for the building as part of a comprehensive refurbishment.

The design included a “neighbourhood” grouping of similar use spaces, and the placement of plant and systems around existing reticulation spaces to minimise modifications to façade and slab and reduce coring and waste to landfill. It also incorporated a comprehensive mechanical services strategy for improving energy efficiency.

The newly refurbished school has been described as an “unexpected joy”.

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“The adaptive re-use of the building showed that with careful planning, design team engagement and user group consultation a building many people had written off and marked for demolition can be revitalised and regenerated to provide a home for the various schools for another 40-plus years,” says NDY. ❚

n CIM Enviro 99 Elizabeth Street

Approximately 30 months ago, landlord Kyko Group set operator CBRE a target of lifting the NABERS star rating of an A-grade commercial office at 99 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, from 1.5 to 4 stars. Typically, this would require significant capex investment, but in hopes of leveraging advances in data analytics, CBRE went to market in search of a smarter way of getting more for less for their client.

CIM Enviro won the project, and through in-house engineering expertise and the ACE building tuning analytics platform, enabled 99 Elizabeth Street to improve from a 1.5 Star indicative NABERS rating up to a NABERS 5.5 Star performing building between 2016 and 2018.

“This demonstrates the impact tuning and optimisation can have on the sustainability of the HVAC industry,” says CIM Enviro’s Scott Beauman. “The seven half-star jump has been achieved with $48,000 opex, but most impressively, no capex expenditure. Furthermore, tenant comfort complaints have reduced to less than 5 per cent.” ❚

n A.G. Coombs and AECOM International Convention Centre

The new $1.5 billion International Convention Centre (ICC) at Darling Harbour represents one of the largest ever urban renewal projects in Australia. It replaces the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre that was built in 1988.

The ICC is the first Australian facility of its kind registered with the US Green Building Council for LEED, achieving Gold Certification in July 2017. It also achieved a 6 Star Green Star Communities (v1) rating from the GBCA.

To support the demands of the precinct and events, the HVAC systems needed to be efficient, reliable, durable, and maintainable. Building and service designs incorporated sustainable initiatives such as a 520kW solar PV array, centralised energy plant comprising highly efficient chillers configured in series counterflow arrangement, heat pipes in all displacement cooling air handling units and rainwater harvesting.

“The project is unique in many aspects,” says A.G. Coombs’ Bryon Price, F.AIRAH, “and the particular focus on sustainability and the achievements made on this front are world class.” ❚

n Kingspan Insulation Kingspan Insulation manufacturing facility

Last year Kingspan Insulation opened a new manufacturing centre in Somerton, Victoria. It is Australia’s first manufacturing facility to be built to 5 star Green Star standards and is seeking a 5 star Green Star Performance Rating (awaiting certification). It is likely the factory will be net positive energy for 2018.

The building includes an energy-saving smart lighting system and high-performance insulation products. It was built using sustainably sourced or manufactured materials. It also uses energy-renewing ventilators, providing occupants with 100 per cent more fresh air than required by the building code, and harvests rainwater for bathroom and landscape use. Energy recovery from process heat is used to heat hot water on site, and a 750kW solar system is designed into its roof structure.

Kingspan says it was well worth the slightly higher capital cost.

“Ultimately, we achieved a better facility with an improved working environment, reduced operating costs, and a far lower environmental footprint,” the company says. ❚

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EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATIONn Sponsor: Standards Australia

Previous winners in this category have made advances in data centre cooling, health facility HVAC and prefabrication. This year’s finalists have once again shown the industry’s willingness to work at the leading edge of technology.

n A.G. Coombs and AECOM International Convention Centre

Also a finalist for the Excellence in Sustainability award, this project delivered mechanical and HVAC systems in Sydney’s International Convention Centre (ICC) that set a new benchmark for the Australian industry in terms of innovation, scale, quality and performance.

The precinct HVAC systems are configurable, catering for a range of events varying in size and nature. The systems will support the hosting of concurrent events with a peak population of 32,000 people. The smoke hazard management strategies are unique and accommodate the challenging functionality of the spaces at the same time ensuring the safety of occupants. And the facility’s mechanical and HVAC systems in operation have outperformed the energy efficiency design performance targets in their first year.

“Collectively, the sophistication and scale of the systems at ICC Sydney represent a significant step forward for mechanical and HVAC services in Australia,” says Bryon Price, F.AIRAH. ❚

n Airmaster Tuggeranong Office Park

Tuggeranong Office Park in Canberra, completed in mid-2017, is a 30,400m2 building comprising five floors of office space and two levels of support facilities, storage and parking. It features floor plates of more than 5,000m2 and a central atrium allowing natural light to flow through the building. It can accommodate up to 2,500 staff.

Airmaster developed a bespoke Building Services Network (BSN) for the building, a product that streamlines operations and minimises overhead duplications. The BSN uses the common network platform (Ethernet TCP/IP) shared by most technologies used in the operation of a building.

“Airmaster’s engineered design of the BSN infrastructure is a combination of passive structured cabling and active networking, supporting the large amount of information transmitted,” says Airmaster’s Brad Sang. “The result is a stable, failsafe and resilient infrastructure for the day-to-day running of the building that provides a cost-effective solution for the roll-out of site-wide services, now and into the future.” ❚

n Black Stump Technologies Solar-powered deployable mortuary

In remote places, the consistent supply of electricity from the grid is an almost daily challenge for residents and businesses alike. Following disasters, the only sources of power are usually diesel gensets. Fuel supply then becomes an issue, not to mention noise and pollution.

This led to Heuch’s development of its range of solar-powered deployable chillers and freezers for humanitarian applications. Heuch created Black Stump Technologies to further develop this technology.

For the ANGAU Memorial Hospital at Lae in Papua New Guinea, the lack of consistent power plays havoc with the day-to-day running of the hospital and a solution was needed while the hospital mortuary was rebuilt.

Working with the Lae Hospital redevelopment team comprising of Hospital personnel and Johnstaff Project Management, Black Stump has produced a solar-powered deployable mortuary with customised tray system, giving great comfort and dignity not only to hospital staff but to relatives of the deceased. ❚

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n Airmaster John Gorton Building

A heritage-listed, historically significant public service building, the John Gorton Building in Canberra is large and complex. Completed in 1956, it comprises a ground floor, six upper floors (including a plant room on level six), a basement, a sub-basement, and a communications centre.

Airmaster developed and delivered a night audit procedure for the purposes of identifying after-hours plant operation abnormalities, OH&S issues, BMS issues, and energy-saving opportunities/initiatives.

Airmaster is also investigating the possibility of implementing a “Total Overview” building management and analytics system.

“This project illustrates innovation through a unique approach to managing and identifying potential improvements for the client by way of a value-added service,” says Airmaster’s Brad Sang.

“The night audit resulted in a number of energy-efficient and building optimisation solutions including a lighting upgrade that would result in energy savings of $550,000 over 10 years with a payback period of 1.6 years.” ❚

n Kingspan Insulation Kingspan Insulation manufacturing facility

Also nominated for the Excellence in Sustainability award, Kingspan’s Somerton building was constructed using low- environmental-impact and low-carbon-impact raw materials that can be reused or recycled, rather than sent to landfill, at the end of their life cycles.

The gas-fired curing ovens used to manufacture Kingspan’s phenolic boards are one of the site’s most significant users of energy. The innovative design of these ovens has achieved improved quality of finished insulation boards, reduced cycle times (providing higher capacity per oven), and reduced energy requirements.

Being the first manufacturing facility in Australia to apply the Green Star framework also represented major innovation – and challenge. And yet Kingspan’s Neil Cox says that overall it helped the project.

“In many cases, the Green Star framework resulted in us making better overall choices,” he says. “For example, the HVAC systems installed in our main office area utilise 100 per cent external air, with energy recovered from the exhaust used to prepare the intake air.” ❚

Event sponsors Daikin

Entertainment sponsors Mitsubishi Electric

Student of the Year – Trades LG Electronics

Future Leaders A.G. Coombs

Excellence in Innovations Standards Australia

Excellence in Sustainabilitys Heatcraft

AIRAH AWARDS 2018 SPONSORS

Awards supporter s iHub

The Innovation Hub for Affordable Heating and Cooling will facilitate the HVAC&R industry’s transition to a low-emissions future, stimulate jobs growth, and showcase HVAC innovations in buildings.

For more information, go to www.airah.org.au/ihub

THE IN

NOVATION HUB

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BEST HVAC RETROFIT OR UPGRADEProjects commissioned in the past three years are eligible for this category. It covers a vast range of projects including planning, engineering, documentation, procurement, teamwork, installation quality and workmanship, working in operational facilities, commissioning, fit-for-purpose outcomes and handover, and training and documentation.

n Norman Disney & Young RN Robertson building

Also nominated for Excellence in Sustainability, the comprehensive refurbishment of this Australian National University building in Canberra is a strong contender for the Retrofit or Upgrade award because of the new life the team brought to an ageing building.

“The design team’s dedication to making this space work should not go unnoticed,” says NDY. “From the placement of the functional laboratory neighbourhoods in the centre of the low, deep floor plate, allowing all services-intensive spaces to be stacked, to the purposeful location of administration and office functions along the perimeter of the building, allowing the existing risers and limited reticulation space to be utilised.

“An energy-efficient, simple and effective design solution has been built, commissioned and set to work and provided to the ANU and the school. By utilising an existing built structure and the existing reticulation and plant space, we have been able to fully upgrade the HVAC system of a building with minimal cosmetic, fabric and structural changes.” ❚

n Aurecon UQ TC Beirne School Of Law

The TC Beirne building is heritage listed and part of the iconic great court at the University of Queensland, St Lucia campus.

“Aurecon worked closely with BVN Architecture and UQ to produce a high-quality installation of a new air conditioning and ventilation system, as part of the overall project,” says Aurecon’s Danni Roberts. “This involved demolishing the majority of the building internals, including removal of all of the existing HVAC systems, controls and supporting building services, to drastically remodel the building into a space of light, learning and collaboration, incorporating the latest technology and facilities.”

Although the project covered a range of atypical mechanical systems, not historically applied to this type of building or found on the UQ campus, Aurecon was able to meet all design objectives and deliver a considerably improved facility around maintenance access and building functionality. The building’s energy efficiency has also improved, as has the comfort of its occupants. ❚

n Cundall TAFE NSW Northern Sydney

Institute Asian Cookery

This Cundall retrofit project at Ryde TAFE has transformed a 1976 HVAC system to an energy-efficient system that meets the industry requirements of a Le Cordon Bleu-standard Asian cookery multi-purpose teaching kitchen.

The project has provided the TAFE with a more individualised system with a kitchen exhaust and air handling system that minimises energy consumption, increases chiller life, and allows reallocation of existing capacity for future upgrades and a comfortable environment for students.

Challenges included a tight design timeframe, using hand-drawn 1976 as-built drawings and the building remaining a functional teaching space throughout.

These were overcome to create a system that has reduced kitchen energy consumption by 20 per cent and raised the standard of the institute.

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A I R A H

“This is the Cundall project I am really proud of,” says Jay Goh, the mechanical engineer for the project. “It was the first time I collaborated with our ESD team to carry out energy modelling, which resulted in large energy saving solutions.” ❚

n ENGIE Services ANZ Four Seasons Hotel Sydney

The landmark Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney was built in 1981 and since then has had received limited updates of its mechanical equipment.

“The 2017 upgrade of the iconic Four Seasons Hotel in Sydney serves as a great example of an innovative energy-efficiency upgrade with the customer’s business needs at the heart of the project,” says ENGIE’s Caroline Bommes. “It follows BOOT scheme principles (build, own, operate, transfer). The project structure focuses on delivering guaranteed energy-efficiency savings based on a fixed construction and maintenance fee. It enables the client to finance priority projects that would otherwise be difficult to fund, receive guaranteed energy savings, risk-free assurance of operation and a guarantee that technology and know-how are transferred at the end of the operating period.”

Results indicate a saving of 23 per cent in electricity within the first two months of operation, which is expected to increase to 26 per cent per annum once system optimisation is complete. ❚

n AECOM RMIT New Academic Street

RMIT University’s $220 million refurbishment of its Melbourne CBD campus transformed five floors across four buildings into a revitalised student hub. The New Academic Street redevelopment integrates a new entry point into the university, plus arcades and laneways, to open up large sections of the existing façade, providing greater connectivity to the campus and the Melbourne CBD. Among other things, AECOM worked on applying environmentally sustainable design strategies to create a comfortable internal environment while using both natural and mechanical ventilation schemes so that favourable outdoor weather conditions can permeate the building and ensure a comfortable learning environment.

“Proof of the resounding success of the development is evident in the incredibly positive staff and student sentiment and consistently high utilisation of the refurbished area,” says AECOM’s Nicholas Bamford. “Utilisation has exceeded all expectations, with students occupying the building well beyond RMIT class times and to all spaces. The project has quickly established itself as a benchmark project for how to transform the student experience.” ❚

n Energy Action 221 London Circuit

This Canberra icon is an office building constructed in 1968. Energy Action’s project lifted the base-building NABERS energy rating from 3.5 to 4.5 stars – a significant achievement for a building nearly five decades old.

Savings were achieved by focusing on reducing façade infiltration, improving ductwork layout, and a detailed program of HVAC controls tuning. In addition to the HVAC upgrades, improvements to the domestic hot water system and a 54.4kW rooftop PV array added further benefits to the project.

“As of May 2018, the site has reduced its annual electricity consumption by 42 per cent and natural gas consumption by 35 per cent,” says James Spears, M.AIRAH. “Overall emissions have been decreased by 41 per cent. In terms of utility costs, $45,000 per year has been avoided at current tariffs.

“But the largest value-add from this project came from the improvement in thermal comfort, particularly on the higher floors which attract premium rents. Addressing this issue allowed one of the floors to be quickly re-leased after a former tenant had vacated.” ❚