SM08: Electrification of the Built Environment AIRAH working group
Tracks
ARBS Seminar Series
| Tuesday, May 28, 2024 |
| 1:30 PM - 2:30 PM |
| Room E3.5 |
Details
The AIRAH Electrification Special Technical Group was formed in late 2023 with the intention to provide industry-leading technical advice on the current buzz-word of electrification as Australia and it’s states and territories moves towards a net-zero future, based on green energy sources.
This presentation and panel session will explore various facets of the electrification journey many commercial buildings and building owners will need to embark on in the future.
Some of the panellists have been a part of projects which have successfully transitioned from gas-heating for HVAC to all-electric outcomes and through such experience have lessons-learnt to share with the wider industry.
The presentation will explore a number of facets of electrification, including the following;
• Power supply constraints in existing buildings
• Performance and reliability of heat pumps in colder climates
• Spatial constraints
• Upgrades to existing hot water distribution infrastructure in existing buildings due to lower water temperatures
• Impact of low GWP refrigerants and system safety considerations
• Examples of completed electrification projects and feasibility studies
• Early lessons-learnt from electrification projects undertaken.
Seminar Cost $40
Speaker
Yale Carden
Managing Director
GeoExchange Australia
Electrification of the Built Environment AIRAH working group
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Yale Carden is the Founder and Managing Director of GeoExchange Australia and an Honorary Fellow with the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre (SBRC) at the University of Wollongong. He has nearly thirty years of experience in the sustainability sector, eighteen of which have been specifically in renewable thermal energy and heat pump systems. His commercial and academic work has him advising the public and private sector across the Asia Pacific.
Daniel De Valentin
Senior Engineer
A.G. Coombs
Electrification of the Built Environment AIRAH working group
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Daniel is an accomplished Senior Mechanical Engineer with over 9 years’ experience in the engineering and commercial buildings sector.
He began in the industry in 2015 working as an engineer with A.G. Coombs major projects' team in both NSW and ACT. After joining the Special Contracts Division in 2019, Daniel took on the roles of lead engineer, project manager and site supervisor for the ACT Government Legislative Assembly HVAC upgrade as the head contractor, delivering a complete turnkey project. In 2021, Daniel joined the A.G. Coombs Advisory team, applying engineering experience to multi-disciplinary jobs including the role of Independent Commissioning Agent for the Australian War Memorial development.
Mr Lasath Lecamwasam
Director
Engineered Solutions for Building Sustainability Pty Ltd
Electrification of the Built Environment AIRAH working group
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Lasath is the owner- director at Engineered Solutions for Building Sustainability. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer with more than 35 years' experience working in England, Scotland, New Zealand. He has a good working knowledge on HVAC, Electrical Power and Distribution, Refrigeration and Heat Pumps including manufacture. Three of Lasaths projects in Canberra have won national awards for sustainability. Recent projects with conversion of existing gas fired assets at sites having restricted power supplies has provided firsthand insights to some of the challenges and lessons learnt during electrification.
Adam McIntosh
AIRAH Engineer
Benmax
Panellist - Electrification of the Built Environment AIRAH working group
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Adam McIntosh (CPEng, NER, M.AIRAH, CEM) has 10 years professional engineering experience across government procurement, building services consulting, project and design management, maintenance, energy management and building tuning. As a part of the Benmax team he has been involved in the maintenance and tuning of Canberra’s first all-electric heat pump commercial office building (480 Northbourne, ACT Govt Offices) and, through this experience, has been able to provide engineering advice for other clients looking to retrofit existing or designing brand new commercial buildings with all-electric HVAC systems.
Guy Walpole
Australian National University
Panellist - Electrification of the Built Environment AIRAH working group
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Guy is a Senior Mechanical Engineer at with 15 years’ of experience in the engineering and commercial buildings sector. Working at the Australian National University, his role currently focuses of the electrification of gas-powered heating systems on a campus scale.
Guy has extensive experience through the design, delivery, commissioning and optimisation phases of electric heat pump installations. He has designed heat pump systems to replace gas boilers across a broad range of buildings, from teaching and offices spaces, to critical research facilities, concert venues and accommodation. These designs include both air-cooled and water-cooled systems across a range of supply temperatures.
