News Archive - July 2013
SAE International's CRP team publishes final report on R-1234yf
29 July 2013
SAE International, the global association of more than 128,000 engineers and related technical experts in the aerospace, automotive and commercial-vehicle industries, says that its Cooperative Research Project (CRP) team has confirmed that R-1234yf is safe to use in automotive direct expansion air conditioning systems.
BRE helps manufacturers reach new markets
25 July 2013
BRE has launched a new Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) verification scheme allowing product manufacturers to communicate their sustainability credentials to customers.
CDL strengthens sales team
25 July 2013
Cool Designs Ltd (CDL), which specialises in designing and distributing air conditioning and heat pump systems, has appointed Chris Beech as sales engineer.
Bitzer opens new plant in Atlanta
25 July 2013
USA: The Bitzer Group has opened a new plant in Atlanta, Georgia, which produces semi-hermetic reciprocating compressors.
Mike Nankivell is new FETA chairman
25 July 2013
Mike Nankivell, president of the HEVAC Association, is the new chairman of the board of the Federation of Environmental Trade Associations (FETA).
MDS Conference 2013 hits the road
25 July 2013
The Motor Driven Systems (MDS) Conference takes to the road in 2013 with a series of regional events aimed at helping industry professionals generate huge savings from motor driven apparatus - pumps, fans and compressors.
Emerson director discusses natural refrigerants at US conference
24 July 2013
USA: Sam Gladis, business director - heat pumps, Vilter Manufacturing LLC, a business of Emerson Climate Technologies, spoke at the second annual ATMOsphere America 2013 Conference, held in Washington from 17 to 19 June.
BPMA announces awards date
24 July 2013
UK: The British Pump Manufacturers Association (BPMA) has announced that the 2014 Pump Industry Awards will take place on Thursday 27 March at the Chesford Grange Hotel, Kenilworth.
WR Refrigeration looks to secure industry's long-term future
24 July 2013
UK: Working with Nottingham Trent university, WR Refrigeration has launched a major research project to help secure the industry's long-term future.
DuPont calls on EU to crack down on MAC non-compliance
18 July 2013
USA: DuPont has called on the EU to aggressively curb noncompliance with the MAC Directive and called on the German motor industry to take an open, collaborative approach to testing cars designed to use HFO-1234yf.
MPs call for maximum workplace temperature
18 July 2013
UK: As the UK basks in a heat wave a group of MPs is calling for a maximum temperature of 30degC in the workplace.
HFOs have lower GWPs than CO2 - new report
17 July 2013
USA: The new HFO alternative refrigerants have been found to have GWPs below that of carbon dioxide, according to a new study.
Backing for France as EU meets to discuss refrigerant row
17 July 2013
EUROPE: France has received backing for its decision to ban certain Mercedes cars over the German manufacturers continued use of the banned refrigerant R134A in its car air conditioning systems.
Spain threatens tax on HFCs
17 July 2013
SPAIN: A proposal by Spain's Ministry of Finance to impose a special tax on HFCs could increase the price of refrigerant by almost eight-fold in an economy still struggling to recover following last year's European bail-out.
EU environment committee votes to ban HFCs
16 July 2013
EUROPE: The European Parliament's environment committee has voted to ban HFCs in new equipment from 2020. The overwhelming vote by 48 votes to 19 is the latest stage in the planned revisions to the F-gas regulations but will still have to be ratified by Parliament.
Manufacturers back RHI scheme
16 July 2013
UK: Manufacturers have endorsed industry support for the new Renewable Heat Incentive scheme for low carbon heating systems announced by the government.
Refcom reassures sector over new F-gas qualifications
16 July 2013
UK: Certification body Refcom has stepped in to reassure companies that new alternatives to the existing F Gas refrigerant handling qualifications are recognised equivalents.
GE considers rival bid for Invensys
15 July 2013
UK: American business giant General Electric is said to be considering a counter bid for British company Invensys.
£3.3bn bid for Invensys
12 July 2013
UK: Controls company Invensys has confirmed a £3.3bn bid has been received from French company Schneider Electric.
Rod Pettigrew is new B&ES boss
12 July 2013
UK: Rod Pettigrew has been announced as the new chief executive of the Building & Engineering Services Association (B&ES) with immediate effect. He succeeds Blane Judd who stepped down from the role at the end of June.
Mitsubishi's Livingston expansion celebrates 20 years in Scotland
12 July 2013
UK: Mitsubishi Electric's factory in Livingston is set to become one of the Japanese air conditioning and heat pump manufacturer's centre of design excellence following the opening of a new world-class research and development facility.
Domestic RHI a boost for heat pump industry
12 July 2013
UK: The domestic heat pump industry has received a boost following the publication of the financial incentives that will be available under the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI).
Sulphur dioxide identified in US refrigerant leak
11 July 2013
USA: A toxic refrigerant made obsolete when CFCs were introduced in the 1930s has been identified as the gas involved in a leak in an old apartment building in Milwaukee.
UK apprentice is WorldSkills medalist
10 July 2013
GERMANY: Canada's Michael Scheideman and Korea's Woo Yule Kim took the gold medals in the Refrigeration category of the WorldSkills competition that came to an end in Leipzig on Sunday.
Leaking acetylene cylinder blamed for explosion
07 July 2013
USA: A leaking acetylene cylinder has now been blamed for an explosion that injured two people in Jersey City last week.
GEA opens spiral chiller plant in Dijon
04 July 2013
FRANCE: GEA Refrigeration Technologies has opened a new plant in Dijon to manufacture spiral chillers and freezers from its A-Tec and Maxi-Stack ranges.
GEA to sell heat exchanger business
04 July 2013
GERMANY: The GEA Group is to sell its heat exchanger division to focus on its core business as system provider to the process and food industries.
US EPA warns against use of hydrocarbons in domestic air conditioning
02 July 2013
USA: The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has warned against the illegal use of hydrocarbon refrigerants in domestic air conditioning systems.
HFC tax could cost Euro1.2bn
02 July 2013
EUROPE: A proposed tax on the sale of HFCs in Europe could cost companies and consumers up to €1.2bn per year, according to refrigerant producers.
Keith Berry 1947- 2013
02 July 2013
UK: Refrigeration and air conditioning distributor Thermofrost Cryo Plc has announced the sudden and sad passing of its former industrial director, Keith Berry.
Cooling towers disinfected after confirmed LD cases in Scotland
02 July 2013
UK: Fourteen cooling towers within a 6km radius of the homes of two cases of legionnaires' disease in Renfrew have been disinfected as a precautionary measure. A number of the towers treated have also been sampled for traces of the bacteria.
Cosaf relocates its Dubai office
01 July 2013
DUBAI: UK-based air conditioning contractor Cosaf has consolidated its position in the Middle East by opening an office in Dubai's Airport Free Zone (DAFZ).
Chief executive quits B&ES
01 July 2013
UK: Blane Judd has left the Building & Engineering Services Association. The surprise announcement sees the UK contractors' body searching for a new chief executive two years after the retirement of long-standing predecessor Robert Higgs.