After considerable deliberation from the judging panel, the finalists of the 2019 AIRAH Awards have been selected.
The high standard of nominations presented the judges with the difficult task of selecting the best of the best – the finalists – for the AIRAH Awards 2019.
“The projects and individuals selected as finalists for the AIRAH Awards in 2019 continued the very high standard associated with HVAC&R’s most prestigious awards,” says AIRAH CEO Tony Gleeson, M.AIRAH. “They’ve set a high bar for excellence, leadership, and performance in our industry.”
Winners of the AIRAH Awards 2019 will be announced at a presentation dinner held at Doltone House in Sydney on Thursday, November 14.
The AIRAH Future Leader Award remains one of the Institute’s most hotly contested categories, with the industry’s brightest emerging leaders competing for the bauble. This year’s finalists are Abraham Corona, M.AIRAH, from TechIN (Vic); Chris Stamatis, Affil.AIRAH, from CopperTree Analytics (ACT); Jack Wardale, M.AIRAH; James Spears, M.AIRAH, from DeltaQ (ACT); Melanie Finch, Affil.AIRAH, from NDY (NSW).
The Student of the Year Award – Higher Education or Research recognises outstanding students at the tertiary level, in the HVAC&R industry. This year’s finalists are Brendan Banfield, Stud.AIRAH, from the University of Wollongong; Lachlan Collins, Stud.AIRAH, from Ellis Air; Matthew Keleher, Stud.AIRAH from Central Queensland University (Qld); and Prachi Garnawat, Stud.AIRAH, from RMIT University (Vic).
The Student of the Year Award – Trade recognises outstanding students at the trade level in the HVAC&R industry. This year’s finalists are Mat Patrick, Stud.AIRAH, from Cold Logic (SA); Michael Peers, Stud.AIRAH, from Veolia (NSW); and Toran Gautam, Stud.AIRAH, from Hirotec (WA).
AIRAH’s Award for Excellence in Innovation honours the outstanding improvements in Australian HVAC&R achieved through innovation. Finalists for 2019 are Arup for its work on Barrack Place (NSW); Scantec Refrigeration Technologies for its work on Bidfood, Mackay (Qld), Alinta Energy Geothermal for its Fairwater geothermal installation (NSW); Hoctor for the Big Freeze, Colac (Vic); and Bueno for its work with Woolworths stores nationally.
The Product of the Year Award sees three finalists competing for the coveted gong. The finalists are Seeley for its Climate Wizard CW3; Ecoduct for the Ecoduct 300 series, and Shepherd Filters for its eponymous product.
Finalists in the Best HVAC Retrofit or Upgrade category sees DMA Engineers named a finalist for its work on Mater Private Hospital in Brisbane; COVA for its work on the Repatriation Hospital Hobart; and Cundall for Terminal 1 (Pier B South and Pier C), Sydney Airport.
Recognising Australian initiatives that have improved the sustainability of HVAC&R systems or the industry, AIRAH’s Award for Excellence in Sustainability celebrates a crucial area of HVAC&R. Finalists for 2019 are Airmaster for its work on 833 Collins St (Melbourne); Scantec Refrigeration Technologies for Bidfood, Mackay (Qld); Ellis Air for its work on Tower 4 Collins Square (Vic),and AECOM for its work on Monash University’s Gillies Hall student accommodation at its Peninsula Campus (Vic).
Four finalists will compete for the Excellence in Refrigeration bauble: Scantec Refrigeration Technologies for Bidfood Mackay (Qld); Strathbrook for Lion Chullora Distribution Centre (NSW); Cold Logic for the Mainstream Aquaculture Facility (SA); and Woolworths for its Prestons store in NSW.
Now in its third year, the Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion award recognises organisations or individuals who have shown leadership in their efforts, initiatives, policies, programs and practices to embrace and foster truly inclusive levels of representation within their ranks. In 2019 the finalists are A-Gas; Ben Adamson, F.AIRAH, from Refrigeration Engineering International; and Cundall.
Two initiatives have been named as finalists in the Excellence in HVAC&R Research award. These are the Cool Earth project at The Vive, Craigie, from Landcorp(WA); and the development of an innovative HVAC system by the UoW Desert Rose Solar Decathlon House from the University of Wollongong (NSW).
The WR Ahern Award is awarded to the best technical paper by an AIRAH member published in Ecolibrium over the previous year. Four papers are in contention this year.