Page 33 - Climate Control News magazine February 2022

Refrigerants
Upskilling the next generation of technicians
THE SUPERIOR TRAINING Centre (STC) has once again taken the lead on training for Aus- tralia’s HVACR industry, developing the first na- tional set of assessments for technicians.
This is a first for Australia and will provide a national framework raising the bar for the next generation of HVACR technicians.
STC developed the assessment in partnership with the organisation’s former product manager for refrigeration, Steve Smith, and the Refrigera- tion and Air Conditioning Trainers Association (RACTA).
“IT WAS STC THAT TOOK THE LEAD WITH TRAINING IN A2L REFRIGERANTS A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. ”
STC funded the project but has also reached out to industry for further sponsorship and support.
Smith said setting up a national set of assess- ments is a first for any training package and is in response to industry calling for consistency in standards for training apprentices and up-skill- ing tradespersons.
“We view this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportu- nity,” Smith said.
“It’s a chance to develop valid and reliable as- sessment resources centrally, with input from relevant stakeholders, and share them freely with training providers.
“It will also dramatically improve the coopera- tion of our industry, and the professionalism of our students.”
STC director, Richard Bencic, said the entire industry has a responsibility to promote the HVACR trade and to address the critical skills shortage in refrigeration and air conditioning.
He said STC is developing new interactive re- sources to promote the trade to schools and to bet- ter inform the entire community about the trade.
STC is also training overseas students and technicians and is the only training provider in Australia delivering 10809NAT Gap Training that provides the Minimum Australian Context Gap training to skilled migrants holding a OTSR (Offshore Technical Skills Record).
Another priority to address is energy efficien- cy and the need to use low Global Warming Po- tential (GWP) refrigerants.
ABOVE: A national set of assessments will provide consistency in training standards.
It was STC that took the lead with training in A2L refrigerants and has developed train- ing programs in CO2, hydrocarbons, ammo- nia and R32.
The programs teach technicians how to safely handle, service and install these units.
“Low GWP refrigerants are becoming the new standard in refrigeration and air conditioning,” Bencic said.
“We are training groups of technicians for large corporate clients covering everything from safety to insurance requirements.”
US HFC phasedown finally underway
US Congress passed the AIM Act in late 2020.
THE UNITED STATES officially began its HFC phasedown on 1 January, 2022. The phasedown has been legislated under the American Innovation and Manu-
facturing (AIM) Act.
As part of the phasedown the production of HFC refrigerants including R-410A
and R-404A has been reduced by 10 per cent.
The phasedown really begins in 2024 when HFC production is reduced to 60 per
cent of the baseline.
Congress passed the AIM Act in December 2020 to phase down HFCs to 15 per
cent of their baseline levels by 2036.
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) is still finalising its rulings but
has proposed a 750 GWP limit for new air conditioning equipment from 2025 and a 2026 deadline for VRF system manufacturers.
The EPA has two years to provide a clear regulatory framework for the phase- down and to help industry transition to low GWP alternatives.
CLIMATE CONTROL NEWS FEBRUARY 2022
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