The Australian Refrigeration Association (ARA) has announced a new training program in the use of natural refrigerants for HVAC&R contractors.
As the industry moves away from synthetic refrigerants and moves toward low Global Warming Potential (GWP) alternatives and natural solutions, tradespeople will need to keep pace by updating skills and training.
ARA president Tim Edwards said the vast majority of HVAC&R infrastructure wil be replaced in the next 10 years with natural refrigerant solutions.
"Contractors need to be qualified to use natural refrigerants and we can help tradespeople find the courses they need, when they need them," he said.
The ARA training program has been developed in association with TAFE colleges and other Registered Training Organisations (RTOs).
The courses are based on the approved national competency standard units in hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide and ammonia from the UEE11 Electrotechnology Training Package.
Edwards said the ARA training program provides contractors with a government training subsidy (up to 66 per cent), a mature age training subsidy (up to 100 per cent), a certificate showing proof of competence, registration on the ARA website list of skilled contractors and ongoing professional development events regarding natural refrigerant developments in Australia.
The managing director of consulting engineers Minus 40, Dr Michael Bellstedt said while there are short-term solutions like reducing synthetic refrigerant leakage and better maintenance, the best option is natural refrigerant-based technologies.
"Whether replacing the plant in total or retrofitting with natural refrigerants the benefits are clear and important; increased energy efficiency and reduced refrigerant costs," Dr Bellstedt said adding that ammonia, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons have been proven safe and efficient in virtually all applications.
"It's important to understand the increasing use of natural refrigerants also involves new skills and and new safety considerations.
"It is particularly important that technicians are trained to understand what types of existing systems are not suitable to be retrofitted or converted to natural refrigerants, such as cool stores with a high volume of refrigerant discharge.
"These applications can certainly use refrigeration systems employing natural refrigerants, but only if they are well designed and purpose built."
