AIRAH is recognised by industry and government – in Australia and internationally – as an authoritative source of information about refrigeration and refrigerants.

Gathering independent scientific and technical knowledge in every sector of refrigeration, AIRAH advocates proactively with bodies that develop associated regulations, codes, and standards.

AIRAH and our international partners share their collective knowledge and experience on committees and task forces to educate members and the wider industry on various aspects of refrigeration.

With a commitment to disseminating knowledge of refrigeration to improve the quality of life for all, AIRAH does this while respecting the environment, considering economic imperatives, and taking action to implement sustainable refrigeration in all its applications.

We invite you to explore these refrigeration resources below and to get involved with our Refrigeration Special Technical Group (STG).

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Technical resources

See also:

• Optimise performance of your commercial refrigeration and cooling systems (2022)
  A guide produced by the Victorian government with industry consultation for anyone who operates commercial refrigeration and cooling equipment, such as split and ducted air conditioning, chillers and coldrooms.
   
• Flammable refrigerant gases – position paper (2018)
  The Heads of Workplace Safety Authorities (HWSA) developed this position paper providing information on the obligations of work health and safety duty holders with respect to the use of flammable refrigerant gases at workplaces.
   
• Flammable refrigerants safety alert (2017)
  This safety alert by WorkSafe Victoria concerns Class 2.1 Flammable refrigerant gases (flammable refrigerants) and provides guidance to occupiers of premises on how to control the risk of fire and explosion from refrigeration and air-conditioning systems containing flammable refrigerants.
   
• Management guidelines for the phase-out of refrigerant R22 (2015)
  This Guide helps building owners, facilities managers, system operators, and technical service providers to all be on the same page and talk the same language when it comes to planning for R22 phase-out.
   
• R32 – Common questions (2014)
  This document has been prepared by the Air-conditioning and Refrigeration Equipment Manufacturers Association of Australia (AREMA) and the Consumer Electronics Supplier Association (CESA) as a service to the air conditioning industry, the general public, and other stakeholders who have an interest in technologies to reduce the environmental impact of air conditioning appliances.
   
• Flammable refrigerants safety alert (2011)
  The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage established Energy Saver to promote the widespread adoption of cost-effective, commercially proven, and energy efficient technologies throughout the industrial refrigeration sector. Energy Saver helps organisations identify the most cost-effective energy efficient industrial refrigeration technology upgrades and provides support for each phase of the implementation process.
   
• Victorian code of practice – Ammonia refrigeration (2011)
  This code of practice is the culmination of work by a dedicated Ammonia Taskforce including regulatory bodies, fire services, end users, suppliers, design engineers, and contractors. Although Victorian-based as far as the state regulations go, it can easily be integrated in any state by substituting their state regulations at the beginning of the document. This informative and thorough code of practice covers all Australian Standards at time of publication.
   
• Refrigerant Handling Code of Practice
  Part 1 – Self-contained low charge systems and Part 2 – Systems other than self-contained low charge systems (2007)
  The Australia and New Zealand Refrigerant Handling Code of Practice 2007 has replaced the HB40 series of codes of good practice in Table 135 of the Australian Ozone Protection and Synthetic Greenhouse Gas Management Regulations 1995, making compliance with them mandatory for anyone holding a refrigerant handling licence or refrigerant trading authorisation as of January 1, 2008.
   
• AIRAH's Refrigeration Selection Guide (2003)
  Information for designers and contractors in the refrigeration and air conditioning industry about environmental issues and the effect refrigerants and systems can have on the environment.
   
• International Dictionary of Refrigeration
  A definitive global dictionary for the refrigeration industry which has been developed by the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR), with input from 200 industry experts in 30 countries.
   
• Natural refrigeration case studies
  Information on the potential of “natural” refrigerants for industry decision-makers.

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Streamline sessions

AIRAH members have free access to our library of webinars, including sessions on:

• IIAR 2 – A design standard dedicated solely to ammonia refrigeration
• Untended flammable mixtures when recovering refrigerant
• DA12 Energy Efficiency in Cold Rooms

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Refrigeration webinar series

Join us throughout 2023 for a series of free webinars exploring the key fundamentals of refrigeration.

• June 1 – Heat load estimation for cool rooms and freezers
• July 20 – Coolselector
• September 7 – System maintenance and performance benefits
• October 19 – CO₂ system basics and ideal applications

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International publications

• USA: International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR) – Condenser Magazine
• EU: International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) – International Journal of Refrigeration
• UK: Institute of Refrigeration (IOR) – publications

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Natural refrigerants case studies

• History of flammable refrigerants
  Dr Daniel Colbourne charts the use of flammable refrigerants from the middle of the 18th century to the present day in this paper.
   
• East coast chill factor
  Aldi supermarkets in Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions by using R290 hydrocarbon chest freezers in their retail frozen food departments.
   
• Sirromet Winery ammonia (NH₃) chiller
  The Sirromet Winery, located 40 km south-east of Brisbane, upgraded its refrigeration equipment with a new ammonia chiller plant.
   
• Supermarket energy and TEWI comparisons
  This case study compares five different options of providing refrigeration to a large supermarket of around 4000 m². The TEWI (Total Equivalent Warming Impact) method of calculation has been used to compare the global warming effect of each of the options.

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Education and training

AIRAH’s technical courses

As a specialist HVAC&R industry education and training provider, AIRAH offers face-to-face, online, and in-house professional development opportunities for those working in the industry.

Our refrigeration courses include:

• Industrial Ammonia Plant Operations
• Ammonia Emergency Response
• Ammonia Safety Awareness
• Energy-Efficient Industrial Refrigeration

see more

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Real Alternatives 4 Life

The European F-Gas Regulation encourages wider adoption of alternatives to refrigerants with a high global warming potential (GWP).

Industry groups have joined together to provide education on the safe use of alternatives such as ammonia, hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide, and low flammables though the free REAL Alternatives 4 LIFE online learning program.

see more

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ASHRAE / UNEP eLearning

ASHRAE and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) have partnered to create web-based, interactive learning courses, in addition to other free resources (available via the ASHRAE UNEP Portal).

Modules include:

• Refrigerants Literacy
  A basic understanding about refrigerant types, policies, classifications, and management practices for non-specialists in the field. This module can also serve as an introduction to refrigeration basics for those new to the industry.
   
• Sound Management of Refrigerants
  A review of best practices for key environmental issues, ASHRAE standards, and refrigerant terminology for refrigeration and air conditioning specialists. This module also provides an introduction to refrigerant management programs, certification schemes, and relevant policies and regulations.
   
• Energy Efficiency Literacy for Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems
  Education for developing country policy-makers, business leaders, and community stakeholders about the benefits of air conditioning and refrigeration, the scientific principles involved, and factors contributing to maximum energy efficiency.
   

AIRAH members receive free access to these modules! For information on how to enrol, click here (please note you will be prompted to log in to your AIRAH member account).

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AIRAH’s Refrigeration STG and Refrigeration Conference

The Refrigeration Special Technical Group (STG) provides AIRAH members with a platform for involvement in issues that affect the refrigeration industry, including policy advice, regulation development, sustainability and environmental impact, and much more.

The STG also assists in the planning and programming of our annual Refrigeration Conference.

We invite you to get involved with our Refrigeration STG and to learn more about their work.

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This page was last updated May 10, 2023