Page 10 - Climate Control News Magazine Feb 2019

News
The geothermal heating and cooling units are called GeoAir.
Alinta Energy backs geothermal technology for future growth
RCR Tomlinson collapse hits subcontractors
THE COLLAPSE OF one of Australia's oldest engineering firms, RCR Tomlinson, which has gone into administration, has left thousands of subcontractors struggling to survive.
The collapse of RCR, which has 3400 em- ployees, has spread across the Asia Pacific.
RCR Tomlinson has 41 subsidiaries in Aus- tralia, three subsidiaries in New Zealand and five in Asia, including businesses in Malaysia, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Vietnam and India.
Employees have been directed by adminis- trators McGrathNicol to continue with their normal duties.
McGrathNicol is seeking a buyer to take over the business but if one cannot be found, it will be shut down.
Thousands of Australian subcontractors continue to be forced into insolvency due to building and construction companies that are failing to pay, despite government attempts to address this issue.
The Australian Subcontractors Associa- tion (ASA) spokesperson, Louise Stewart, said when companies collapse the domino effect can be devastating. “Unfortunately, the subbies are often left to fend for them- selves,” she said.
“When companies fail to pay subcontrac- tors for work done, the subbies still have to pay employee entitlements and taxes.”
A 2015 Senate inquiry into insolvency found that the industry is burdened every year
by an estimated $3 billion in unpaid
debts, including subcontractor
payments. In 2018 alone 1,642 construction firms became insolvent.
In 2018 alone 1,642 construction firms became insolvent.
THERE IS A massive appetite for geothermal heating and cooling in Australia and it is still largely untapped, according to the managing di- rector and CEO of Alinta Energy, Jeff Dimery.
He said the application of this technology isn't just limited to domestic settings, its being adopt- ed by business.
“We have successfully rolled out over 11,000kW of geothermal heating and air conditioning ca- pacity to offices, restaurants, aged care facilities, medical centres,” Dimery said.
“We also have contracts in place for an addi- tional 18,000 kW.”
Following the acquisition of a geothermal heating and cooling business last year, the ener- gy retailer launched Alinta Energy Geothermal which uses Australian-made geothermal heat- ing and cooling units called GeoAir.
The launch was held at the Fairwater Housing Estate in Blacktown, west of Sydney. It features
Alinta executive Jim Galvin, Fraser’s Ray Baksmati and Alinta CEO, Jeff Dimery.
more than 800 homes, and is the largest residen- tial geothermal installation in the Southern Hemisphere.
Residential installations of GeoAir typically involve drilling a single 70-80 metre hole to house a ‘loop’ (a metal pipe) filled with refriger- ant, which is used to either reject or collect heat from underground, where the temperature re- mains constant.
“We’ve just had testing back from the CSIRO showing that in lab conditions our units are about twice as efficient as standard air condition- ers; and even more on very hot days,” Dimery said.
“It may seem odd for an energy retailer, but we are backing this magnificent technology pre- cisely because it will lower our customers’ energy usage and their monthly or quarterly bills, and put more money back in their hands.
“We want to demonstrate that when we talk about being determined to deliver more afforda- ble energy to our customers – we mean it.”
Dimery said the company is working on a hot water solution to pair with the geothermal units that is already proving to be very promising.
Heating and cooling represents around 40 per cent of household energy usage, and water heat- ing is another 20 per cent.
“So, once you plug in solar panels, geothermal heating, cooling and hot water, and even a bat- tery – that’s going to lower the costs of electrical and gas infrastructure in new housing develop- ments and get those monthly bills right down,” he said. Frasers Property which developed the Fairwater Estate is keen to support geothermal technology.
Frasers Development director, Ray Baksmati said the technology had delivered tangible bene- fits to the residents of Fairwater.
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