ARBS, Australia’s leading HVACR and building services exhibition has released a new whitepaper, Catalysts for Change: Learnings from ARBS 2024.
Developed by ARBS chair, Professor Tony Arnel, the whitepaper captures the strategies and insights that emerged from this year’s event.
It discusses the critical role of HVACR in advancing global sustainability efforts by addressing key themes including electrification, smart systems, and circular economy practices.
It highlights the increasing significance of embodied carbon, which is expected to account for up to 85 per cent of the built environment’s emissions by 2050.
“Building services operate quietly in the background, invisible to the everyday observer. Yet, they are at the epicentre of some of the world’s most visible and pressing issues,” Arnel said.
“From managing indoor air quality to reducing energy consumption, cutting carbon emissions to championing a circular economy, heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVAC&R) is at the heart of a healthier, more sustainable future.
“Our industry stands at a pivotal moment and our actions today will determine how effectively we can reduce emissions and create a sustainable future.”
Arnel said ARBS was established in 1998 to bring the HVACR sector to the foreground.
“Our role at ARBS is to showcase innovation, create connections, spark new conversations and bring more people together into an ever-expanding circle of influence,” he said.
Insights from the whitepaper include:
- Priority on electrification: Calls the industry to prioritise electrification to support decarbonisation efforts. It highlights the need for more efficient and smarter systems to meet the demands of a rapidly warming world.
- Focus on embodied carbon: With embodied carbon poised to become a dominant factor in building emissions, the whitepaper urges industry leaders to measure and manage these emissions now, using tools like the NABERS Embodied Carbon Tool.
- Adapting to regulatory shifts: Outlines how upcoming regulatory changes, including Australia’s national net zero targets and the Global Cooling Pledge, will impact the industry. It provides a roadmap for aligning business strategies with these new standards.
- Innovation through circular economy: Advocates for a shift towards circular economy principles, encouraging HVAC&R professionals to rethink design and material use to extend the lifecycle of products and reduce waste.
Chapters covered in the whitepaper range from the nuts and bolts of net zero to embodied carbon.
As much as 80 per cent of a product’s environmental impact is influenced by decisions made during design.
Refrigerants Australia executive director, Greg Picker, said equipment manufacturers have a lot to consider in design: function, safety, size, cost, maintainability, repairability, as well as circularity.
“This inevitably brings trade-offs. Balancing all the varying pressures is a challenge for the industry trying to make good, rational decisions, in design,” he said.
Picker pointed to several examples. Thinner materials may enhance heat transfer efficiency but may compromise durability and lifespan, for instance.
Hermetic sealing refrigerant equipment, while better for product performance and reliability during its operational life, can make repairability impossible.
Camfil Australia managing director, Jonathan Bunge, agreed.
“Air filters end up in landfill, but we also need clean air…” he said.
“Wash an air filter and its efficiency almost falls to zero, but you’ve saved it from landfill.” Bunge said the “lowest hanging fruit” is to design products that perform better and last longer.
“The world has shifted towards making things easier, cheaper, faster and forgotten about how to make things that last,” he said.
Download the whitepaper today to explore the strategies that will shape the future of the HVACR and building services industries: https://www.arbs.com.au/arbs-2024-whitepaper/