Page 14 - Climate Control News magazine April 2023

Residential Air Conditioning
NSW FAIR TRADING SENT REFRIGERATION AND AIR CONDITIONING (RAC) TECHNICIANS AN INFORMATION PACK ON NEW STATE LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS INTRODUCED ON 1 MARCH, 2023.
Licensing information
The new licence falls under the Home Building Act.
THE INFORMATION PACK which details how to apply for the mechanical services & medical gas licence was sent to technicians to overcome ongoing confusion about who should or shouldn’t apply for the licence.
The licence was introduced as part of amend- ments to the Home Building Act 1989.
pack for technicians
Amendments were made to the bill in response to two tragic accidents at Bankstown- Lidcombe Hospital in 2016.
Medical gases were incorrectly piped in one of the operating theatres, leading to two babies being administered nitrous oxide instead of oxygen. One of the babies died and one was left with severe brain damage.
The licensing information pack states that “there is some overlap in work permitted under an air conditioning and refrigeration class licence and a mechanical services and medical gas licence.”
To provide clarity flow charts are provided in the pack which estimates waiting time for the new licence to be up to 10 to 12 weeks.
Zero interest loans for insulation, heating and cooling upgrades
ACT RENTAL PROVIDERS can now apply for zero interest loans up to $15,000 for ceiling insu- lation through the Sustainable Household Scheme program.
The program is exclusively administered by decarbonisation financier and enabler Brighte.
The move supports a new regulation coming into effect in April 2023, requiring all residential rental properties in the ACT to meet a new mini- mum efficiency standard for ceiling insulation.
The Residential Tenancies Act 1997 has a phase-in period extending to 30 November 2026. Brighte CEO Katherine McConnell said the company’s market leading platform was sup- porting the ACT’s aspiration of net zero emis-
sions by 2045.
“We know rental properties have a big role to play
in reducing emissions so we’re pleased to support the inclusion of insulation to make homes for renters more sustaina- ble and comfortable, as well as deliver lower bills,” McConnell said.
“Our team has worked closely and collaboratively with the ACT govern- ment, the Energy Efficiency Council and industry providers to co-design a simple, safe and streamlined solution
for ACT residents, that leverages our best in class finance, administration and vendor man- agement capabilities.
“This means Brighte now covers the field in sustainability, supporting household products for generation and storage, electrification and energy efficiency for green schemes.”
According to the ACT government, around half of the energy used in an average Canberra home is for heating and cooling, with insulation helping to keep homes comfortable during the ACT’s cold winters and hot summers.
Under the program, Brighte will accredit insulation vendors for participating in the scheme, provide finance to eligible applicants and support the ACT government’s safety and compliance regime.
Customers can only purchase insulation materials that comply with Australian Standards, and the final product R-value must be R5 or
higher.
The ACT Sustainable Household
Scheme has exceeded expectations with over $110 million in settled
LEFT: Brighte CEO, Katherine McConnell.
loans from over 9,000 Canberra households as of February 2023.
The scheme has been extended to new prod- ucts such as Electric Vehicles (EVs).
Just last month, the ACT government com- mitted an extra $50 million for the program and extended Brighte’s tenure as exclusive partner for another two years.
“WE KNOW RENTALS HAVE A BIG ROLE TO PLAY IN REDUCING EMISSIONS.”
Brighte also administers the Tasmanian gov- ernment’s $50m Energy Saver Loan Scheme which offers no interest loans up to $10,000 for energy efficient upgrades.
The Tasmanian scheme covers rooftop solar and battery storage systems, electric heating/ cooling, hot water heat pumps, solar hot water heating and building upgrades in the form of window double glazing.
Additional products such as energy efficient whitegoods and insulation will be available in future program phases.
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