The winners of the ARBS 2022 Industry Award were announced at a gala dinner held last week at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne.
The ARBS awards, which are held every two years, attracted nominees from across all sectors.
A panel of industry experts evaluated the nominations based on various criteria such as leadership, sustainability, performance, and innovation to select the award winners.
The Product Excellence Award went to Temperzone for its Econex R32 Inverter Air Cooled Package Units.
The Econex air cooled R32 Inverter package unit range is a new mid-range product family consisting of four models with nominal cooling capacities and is the first R32 inverter package unit range in the ANZ market.
Compared to the Eco R420 range the Econex range has a 71–79 per cent reduction in refrigerant related global warming potential per kilowatt of cooling or heating capacity.
As higher GWP refrigerants face increasing cost due to emissions tax levies, using R32 systems represents a significant reduction in the costs of maintaining these systems, combined with a reduced global warming impact.
The Software and Digital Excellence Award winner went to Copper Tree Analytics for Kaizen.
The powerful data analytics and ongoing commissioning works in conjunction with building automation and metering systems to continuously monitor a building’s HVAC equipment performance and energy consumption.
Kaizen alerts the user if performance is sub-optimal, or a fault is detected.
AG Coombs and Aurecon won the Project Excellence Award for 25 King Street, Brisbane, which is Australia’s tallest engineered timber office building.
This is a project that pushed current boundaries in design, construction, indoor environment quality and sustainability.
The Industry Education/Training Award went to AMCA Australia for its Building Ventilation Summit.
With airborne transmission now widely acknowledged as the primary source of COVID-19 transmission, the building industry has a vital role to play in supporting Australians to return to workplaces and other indoor settings confidently, safely and sustainably.
Recognising both the technical and people challenges involved, the Building Ventilation Summit brought together experts from across the sector and beyond to discuss the latest approaches being adopted by industry, as well as the health, economic and political contexts and the likely medium- and long-term reform implications.
The Young Achiever Award winner was Grace Foo of DeltaQ.
A multi-talented, multi-disciplined energy efficiency specialist, Foo embodies the future of the HVACR industry. The co-founder of DeltaQ, a boutique energy and carbon management consultancy, Foo has delivered landmark projects for more than a decade.
The ARBS Hall of Fame recognised the following industry leaders:
AIRAH – Gwen Gray
A trailblazer for women in the world of HVACR, Gray has a long standing career as a mechanical engineer.
Gray became AIRAH’s first full female member when she joined in 1967. She went on to become the President of AIRAH’s Victorian Division and was recognised during AIRAH’s Centenary celebrations in 2020 as part of the 100 Faces of AIRAH. Gwen Gray passed away in April 2021 at the age of 94.
AMCA – Chris Wright
Chris Wright has worked in the HVACR industry for more than 48 years – with 45 of those years as a member of AMCA.
Wright sat on AMCA’s national board for eight years and, as Tasmanian and National President, represented AMCA internationally. He proudly chaired the Alliance of USA, Canada, UK and Australia in 2017. He continues his commitment to the industry as President of the new Testing and Commissioning Association.
Passionate about industry professionalisation, Chris has gone above and beyond for many decades.
CIBSE – Ian Small
Ian Small has been involved in the building services industry since 1968.
Small has volunteered his time and talent to various groups in South Australia, including AMCA, the Specialist Sub-Contractors Association, Engineers Australia and the Society of Building Services Engineering.
He was South Australian Chapter Chair of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers. He was also Treasurer of the CIBSE ANZ Regional Committee for 15 years before serving as Chair from 2014 to 2017.
AREMA – Ken Ball
During a long and distinguished career, Ken Ball has worked for a who’s who of companies from Kelvinator, Carrier and Haden Engineering through to Mitsubishi and Temperzone.
His service to industry has been exemplary. In his roles with AREMA for 20-plus years he has provided advice and contributed to a seemingly endless series of standards and technical committees.
He has been deeply involved in international engagement on standards and training and has provided significant technical support to government officials and industry associations. A previous recipient of the HVAC Leader of the Year, Ken has assisted AREMA members at any time of the day, night or weekend to understand the nuances of issues and their implications.
RACCA – Noel Munkman
Noel Munkman started as a refrigeration and air conditioning apprentice 50 years ago. The profession has evolved rapidly since then, and his influence has been instrumental. Munkman has held senior roles with TAFE NSW, WorldSkills, Energy Skills Australia, Electrotechnology Industry Reference Committee and the Australian Refrigeration Council.
He has been involved in WorldSkills competitions at regional, national, and international levels since 1989 and is currently WorldSkills International’s RAC Skills Competition Manager. In his current role as Technical and Training Manager at the Australian Refrigeration Council, Munkman helps technicians and businesses improve their day-to-day operations.
He also participates in national technical committees and working groups to develop solutions for safety, technology, training and refrigerant issues.
AIRAH – Simon Hill
Simon Hill was nominated by AIRAH in honour of his four-decade contribution to mechanical services design, installation, commissioning, and maintenance. A life member of AIRAH, Simon has made an exceptional contribution to the industry.
He has developed and presented training seminars on ventilation, fire and smoke control, and fire damper installation, that has upskilled our entire industry. He has acted as an expert witness on HVAC disputes and offered an objective, professional opinion on interpretation of HVAC standards and regulations. Hill has also contributed to Standards Australia on multiple sub-committees.