Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers of Australia (AREMA) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) are working together to help Pacific Island countries improve their HVACR training capacity.
With the support of the Australian government, 13 trainers from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Micronesia, Palau and Samoa are undertaking training at the Box Hill Institute in Melbourne.
AREMA president Mark Padwick said the training covers installation, maintenance and the repair of RAC equipment.
“As a result of high-quality training, technicians are able to deliver better equipment longevity and customer comfort, energy savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions,” Padwick said.
The project is a key part of the Montreal Protocol’s HCFC phase-out.
The trainees will also benefit from the development and deployment of training pods, which include both a split system air conditioner and a refrigeration display cabinet.
By choosing this equipment – which is in use throughout the Pacific in increasing numbers – the training also focuses on how to safely work with flammable refrigerants, both R32 and hydrocarbons.