Fourteen of the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry’s top experts will deliver this year’s future:gas refrigerant seminar series, which starts this month aimed at businesses and technicians in the working in installation, service and repair of refrigeration and air conditioning technology.
The mid-week evening events will be held in 26 locations across Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu between May and September this year, delivering vital information to an industry that is now preparing for systems and equipment filled with or designed for a number of new refrigerants – HFOs, CO2, ammonia, hydrocarbon, lower global warming potential (GWP) HFCs such as R32 and various refrigerant blends in addition to other new and upcoming technologies.
These refrigerants and the components and systems designed for them will present significant changes to the tools, working practices, standards and workplace safety considerations relating to installation, repair, service and refrigerant recovery.
Among the expert speakers are people from major global refrigerant and equipment manufacturers, Australian industry associations and the product stewardship scheme that safely destroys refrigerant at the end of its life. These comprise:
Temperzone Australia MD Robert Beggs
Actrol Reece region leader Greg Brooker
Refrigerant Reclaim Australia general manager Kylie Farrelley
A-Gas Australia MD Brett Ferguson
Trane Technologies Australia & New Zealand district leader Stuart Kirkwood
Daikin Australia engineering manager Gary Knox
Sythree principal and director John McCormack (representing Chemours in Australia)
VASA president and SuperCool Group training division manager Brett Meads
Refrigerants Australia executive director Greg Picker
Fujitsu General Australia head of product Kyle Rafter
VASA VP and Rowe Auto Electrical/Jimboomba Batteries director Mark Rowe
Actrol test engineer Ed Tutty
A-Gas New Zealand country manager Mitch Williamson
Honeywell representative in Australia Eric Yang
Kylie Farrelley
Refrigerant Reclaim Australia
Greg Picker
Refrigerants Australia
The reasons behind refrigerant changes, from environmental and energy efficiency requirements, regulatory changes and market forces plus the potential impact of PFAS laws being tabled overseas.
Greg Brooker
Actrol
Brett Ferguson
A-Gas
John McCormack
Representing Chemours
Ed Tutty
Actrol
Mitch Williamson
A-Gas New Zealand
Eric Yang
Representing Honeywell
A discussion of refrigerants including HFOs and lower GWP HFCs such as R32, as well as CO2, ammonia and hydrocarbons plus other new blends and technologies from several perspectives including suitable applications, retrofit potential, safety, sustainability, total cost of ownership, commercial availability, performance and handling characteristics.
Robert Beggs
Temperzone
Stuart Kirkwood
Trane Technologies
Gary Knox
Daikin
Kyle Rafter
Fujistu General
Overview of changes to tools, working practices and equipment standards from a stationary sector perspective.
Brett Meads
VASA, SuperCool Group
Mark Rowe
VASA, Rowe Auto Electrical
Overview of changes to tools, working practices and equipment standards from a mobile sector perspective.
Kicking off in Port Vila, Vanuatu on May 11, the stationary sector leg of the 2023 future:gas seminar roadshow will conclude in Dunedin, NZ on July 27, while the automotive sector leg will overlap slightly, starting in Auckland, NZ on July 25 and concluding in Perth, WA on September 6.
Seminars will also be hosted in Adelaide (SA), Albury (NSW), Brisbane (QLD), Canberra (ACT), Darwin (NT), Hobart (TAS), Lae (PNG), Melbourne (VIC), Perth (WA), Port Moresby (PNG), Sydney (NSW), Townsville (QLD) and Wellington (NZ).
Conveniently timed on mid-week evenings with entry priced at just $20 and complimentary food and drink provided, future:gas seminars are designed to be as accessible as possible to those working in refrigeration and air conditioning across the stationary and automotive sectors.
Attendees to future:gas seminars will be among the first in Australia to receive a comprehensive overview of new-generation refrigerants, related technologies and the reason for these changes in one knowledge-enhancing evening.
Tickets to future:gas seminars in Australia and New Zealand are just $20, making it affordable for technicians to pay for themselves and for business owners to send a number of their employees.
To help as many people as possible to attend, the seminars will take place on weekday evenings during the winter. Doors open at 5pm, with complimentary welcome drinks, food and trade displays. Be there by 5.30pm for a 6pm start.
There will be mid-way break with a question and answer session plus time for refreshments and to browse the equipment and education displays.
In the list below, each venue title links to a Google Map of its location.