News Archive - March 2012
Site safety shows slight improvement
30 March 2012
THE safety of construction sites in the UK is improving - but only slightly, according to the HSE.
Graeme Maidment voted in as president elect
30 March 2012
GRAEME Maidment has today (Friday, March 30) been voted in as president elect of the Institute of Refrigeration.
G&L Beijer increases sales by 17%
29 March 2012
IN A year which saw it make more acquisitions, Europe's largest refrigeration wholesaler G&L Beijer increased sales by 17% to £552m (SEK5,846.4m) in 2011. Acquisitions contributed £72m (SEK759m) to those sales and have strengthened G&L Beijer's position as the third biggest refrigeration wholesaler in the world.
China now largest hvac market
29 March 2012
IN ADDITION to being the largest producer of heating, ventilating and air conditioning products in the world, China is now also the largest market for hvac, a new report claims.
Hitachi creates dedicated ac company for Europe
27 March 2012
HITACHI has created a new company in Europe, specifically to look after its air conditioning business.
ACR Show to be regular biennial event
27 March 2012
FOLLOWING the successful staging of the inaugural Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Show at the NEC last week, the exhibition organisers Faversham House Group have confirmed that it will become a regular biennial event in the industry's calendar.
EPEE calls for effective policing of new ecodesign regulations
26 March 2012
EPEE, the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment, has welcomed the European Commission's publication of the ecodesign requirements for air conditioners and comfort fans but has called for effective policing of non-compliance and urged the Commission to swiftly conclude and adopt other ecodesign rules for critical products, such as boilers and water heaters.
Help us to save the Ice Factory
23 March 2012
THE group battling to save the Grimsby Ice Factory is appealing for financial help in its efforts to preserve the crumbling building and the unique and historically significant refrigeration equipment it contains.
Hydrocarbon fridge engineers should be licensed - Tamahere coroner
21 March 2012
THE coroner who conducted the inquest into the death of the New Zealand firefighter killed in the 2008 Tamahere coldstore explosion has called on the New Zealand government to introduce a licensing scheme for refrigeration engineers involved in the installation or handling of hydrocarbon refrigerants. In his findings following the September 2011 inquest, coroner Peter Ryan also recommended a scheme for the licensing and inspection for installations using hazardous substances posing a significant threat to life or property.
Hussmann and Sainsbury's see the light
20 March 2012
IRISH LED lighting specialist Nualight has entered into a "co-development alliance" with US refrigerated display case manufacturer Hussmann in a deal reported to be worth $100m. The announcement follows a partnership deal signed at the end of February with Sainsbury's to supply lighting in refrigerated cases across all new and refurbished stores.
Daikin buys Dutch service and maintenance business
20 March 2012
Daikin's Dutch subsidiary has announced an agreement to acquire ServiceNed, a Dutch company involved in the service and maintenance of chillers and applied cooling equipment in data rooms.
AREA calls for compulsory training on low GWP refrigerants
20 March 2012
WITH the EC taking measures towards decreasing the use of HFCs, the European contractors body AREA has called for compulsory training on the use of low GWP refrigerants.
Eco directive could hit refrigeration companies - CESA
16 March 2012
COMMERCIAL refrigeration equipment manufacturers have warned that the proposed Eco Design Directive could place significant costs on refrigeration companies and discourage them from developing new technologies.
Exhibitors confirm success of ACR Show 2012
16 March 2012
THE inaugural ACR Show has been voted a success, with exhibitors praising the sheer quality and buying-power of visitors.
Watsco acquires Carrier's Canadian distribution business
15 March 2012
US distributor Watsco Inc is to acquire Carrier's hvac distribution network in Canada. The business will operate as a joint venture under the name Carrier Enterprise Canada with Watsco owning 60% and UTC Climate, Controls & Security 40%. The companies operate similar joint ventures in the US, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Comfort for air conditioning contractors
15 March 2012
FUJITSU Air Conditioners launched its major new trade incentive programme, The Comfort Club at this week's ACR Show at the NEC.
WR named top contractor at glittering awards night
15 March 2012
WR REFRIGERATION was crowned Large Contractor of the Year in front of nearly 500 people at last night's ACR News Awards. The award was recognition of WR's recent initiatives and investments in training, manufacturing and distribution. Essex-based Ceilite Airconditioning took the award for smaller contractors.
RDM to expand in the US
14 March 2012
GLASGOW-based refrigeration control and monitoring company Resource Data Management (RDM) is to open an office in the USA and extend its partnership with Verisae Inc, the US-based provider of maintenance, energy, and environmental management software solutions.
THE ACR Show is now open
13 March 2012
The inaugural ACR Show opened its doors at the NEC for the first time this morning. The only event of its kind for three years, the ACR Show is the only UK exhibition showcasing the best of the air conditioning and refrigeration industry.
Show debut for revolutionary pipe connection system
13 March 2012
A NEW aluminium tube connection system has been introduced by Reflok at the ACR Show.
Toshiba sees sales grow
09 March 2012
BUCKING current market trends, Toshiba Air Conditioning has reported two consecutive years of growth in the UK and is gearing up for a series of major product launches and initiatives this year.
Phase change material makes blood mobile
06 March 2012
PHASE-change technology used by the military is today being used for the first time by London's Air Ambulance to carry blood on board its aircraft and cars. The new initiative is expected to save many lives.
First chance to view new Panasonic products
06 March 2012
VISITORS to the ACR Show will have the first chance to view the latest additions to Panasonic's Aquarea range of heat pumps. This extensive heat pump range now has a total of 32 MCS accreditations.
See you at the ACR Show!
06 March 2012
IT IS now just a matter of days to the ACR Show - the only UK showcase of products, technologies, ideas and information.
Reefer industry gets to grips with contaminated refrigerant
01 March 2012
VIETNAM is said to have imposed strict controls over the supply of R134a following the contaminated refrigerant scare which caused a number of explosions and three deaths in the refrigerated container industry last year. It is now known that a total of 1,181 units were serviced in Vietnam in 2011 in terminals identified as using contaminated refrigerant. All these units have been isolated and are being tested.