The standard of maintenance applied to existing air conditioning and refrigeration systems is so poor that even the most minimal maintenance regime could make a big difference.
In a discussion paper on how to transition to a low emissions future, the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) says there are a range of reasons why this poor culture exists.
This includes a reluctance by end users to pay for the cost of maintenance and a lack of regulatory enforcement by government regarding maintenance for energy efficiency and refrigerant leaks.
"The definition of intentional refrigerant leakage may be unclear to owners and operators,” AIRAH says in the discussion paper.
"If a system leaks a large amount of refrigerant over time this can be discovered, documented and mitigated. The starting point is education and enforcement.”
As the paper points out, maintenance for energy efficiency is not typically practised and it is not a primary focus in the delivery of TAFE training.
This is why the HVAC HESS (high efficiency systems strategy) Maintenance Guide for commercial buildings was created to try and improve practices in this area.
The AIRAH discussion paper also points out that access and facilities provided for the maintenance of systems is often inadequate.
There are coils and fans that cannot be reached, roof-mounted equipment with no safe or occupational health and safety (OH&S) compliant access, high level plant installed without access platforms, no lighting, power or drainage facilities for maintenance providers.
"The current design trend for multiple distributed systems as opposed to central systems also has an energy use impact," the paper says.
It points to a number of steps that can be taken, including assessing actual refrigerant charge against design refrigerant charge, cleaning heat transfer surface, sealing of the building envelope and system ductwork, recalibration of controls, logging and ongoing analysis of monitoring information.
Australian trials show that a professional clean of fins and coils of a two-year-old split system in a commercial property improved energy efficiency by more than 30 per cent.
AIRAH says maintenance needs to be better defined and the cost outcomes need to be transparent and meaningful.
The discussion paper says a constant complaint by building and system operators and auditors is the lack of system documentation available for existing systems.
There is no industry standard specifying what information should be captured during the lifecycle of a building or system.
Air Conditioning and Mechanical Contractors Association (AMCA) national director, David Eynon, agrees that maintenance is a very real problem for industry.
But the reality is that refrigeration mechanic training at the apprenticeship level is focused on installation, he says.
"There is no specific training for apprentices which is directed at maintenance," Eynon says, adding that AMCA Victoria and the Box Hill Institute of TAFE are working to develop and deliver post-trade training opportunities to qualified maintenance personnel.
"New training courses already developed provide training for essential services maintenance and controls,”he says.
"The poor quality of maintenance, when it exists, lies at the feet of property owners and managers.
"AMCA members through their staff are able to deliver quality service, and they are capable of providing the very best service if the client is prepared to pay.”
Eynon says the 10-year HESS strategy is an important step forward in improving maintenance.
"The missing part however is the lack of funding on the part of the Commonwealth and state governments to implement what we all agree is needed," he says.
