CCN provides a roundup of all the action from the ARBS trade show floor including product highlights, industry initiatives and new releases.
At the Beijer Ref stand the focus was on energy efficiency. The company’s applications engineer, Andreas Stamatakis, showcased the E Series product range including the PattonPack condensing unit.
“We created the E Series range to increase capacity,” he said. “With an increase in size comes an increase in power use so we added a range of energy efficient features so customers could minimise their carbon footprint.”
The E Series range has Bitzer Ecoline compressors, EC fans and a VSD.
Kirby presented their newest Kirby commercial equipment ranges – the Kirby Nullarbor Peak condensing unit, Guardian and Heavy Duty Ready Connect evaporators, as well as fully customized solutions which remain part of Kirby’s expertise and equipment offer.
Kirby also featured Australian made ARMCOR Air Solutions. The business was acquired by Beijer Ref in September 2021 and products are now available through the Kirby as well as Armcor sales network.
SCM Ref Australia and SCM Frigo SpA introduced a CO2 transcritical rack with Copeland scroll compressors which attracted a lot of attention. It is the first type of unit the company has introduced to the Australian market. SCM Frigo in Europe had been testing the rack for the past three years. It is now available in Australia.
Teco have added R32 to their product line-up and showcased their ducted systems which are made for the harsh Australian climate and even have vermin protection. Teco has also made their products more accessible for installers.
The company will introduce new inverter units including an inverter portable air conditioner that will be available at the end of the year.
Strong interest in the Revere CO2 Heat Pump kept the team at the Automatic Heating stand on their toes.
The Revere CO2 35kW unit was on display. Consultants, specifiers, and end-users alike were keen to learn all about the advantages of employing natural refrigerant in electric heating and hot water systems. Utilising R744 supercritical carbon dioxide refrigerant, the Revere CO2 heat pump delivers positive environmental outcomes such as a Global Warming Potential (GWP) of one, and zero ozone depleting potential (ODP).
Even in low ambient temperatures, down to -20 degrees, Revere CO2 heat pumps still produce 65-90-degree hot water, making Revere CO2 suitable Australia-wide and in varied conditions.
According to company director Terry Plaisted this is the valuable point of difference that separates the Revere CO2 heat pumps versus Heat Pumps utilizing HFC refrigerants.
“Revere CO2 Heat Pumps will operate with minimal capacity reduction at low ambient temperature, as opposed to heat pumps using HFC refrigerants,” he said.
“Revere CO2 Heat Pumps also offer exceptional Coefficient of Performance (COP) of up to 4.2. This equates to higher energy efficiency when compared to traditional electric hot water heaters and generates savings in energy costs.
“The unit also features an inbuilt compressor and circulating pump. We’ve incorporated Revere Co2 Heat Pumps into many of our prefabricated system builds to reduce both the impact on site and the time to complete a carbon neutral hot water installation” Revere CO2 Heat Pumps range from 5-80kW.
Mitsubishi Electric had its new floor standing vertical HYBRID Branch Controller (HBC) on show. This product is accessible from the front and at floor level during commissioning, meaning there is no need to break into the ceiling. The Vertical HBC is available as a 6-port main unit, with new compact 8 or 16 port sub-HBC options.
The Mitsubishi Electric range of Climaveneta products were also on display including 4-pipe systems for both heating and cooling.
ActronAir had an extensive range of products on display from residential split ducted systems, through to commercial split ducted systems. ActronAir has introduced R32 to its product portfolio to reduce their impact on the environment.
There was a big focus on their new range of controls including the innovative NEO control which was designed and built right here in Australia.
This year’s event wasn’t just about products, it was also an opportunity to promote our industry and to let the world know why it is important to use a licensed RAC technician.
Australian Refrigeration Council (ARC) partnered with Refrigerant Reclaim Australia (RRA) and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water to produce a new brochure promoting licensed technicians. The brochure was previewed at ARBS and is now available as a free download from the ARC and RRA websites for licensed technicians to include with their digital quotes.
ARC chief executive officer Glenn Evans said the brochure was designed to help fridgies explain to their customers why they should only deal with ARCtick licensed technicians.
“We all know how difficult it can be for a licensed technician to compete on price with someone who may be cutting corners, not recovering used refrigerants, and trimming the price accordingly,” he said.
“To help redress that balance, fridgies can attach this brochure to their quotes to explain that only ARCtick licensed technicians safely and legally recover gases from fridges, air conditioners and heat pumps.”
Finally, one of the highlights of ARBS 2022 was the Industry Awards, which honoured those who are achieving greatness in the industry. It was held at the Crown Palladium and hosted by media personality, Andrew Daddo.