News Headlines
12th October 2026
Call for action on incorrect heat pump insulation
UK: Industry groups are backing calls for a crackdown on incorrectly specified and installed thermal insulation on heat pumps.
12th October 2026
French supermarkets hit by massive cyberattack
FRANCE: Cyberattackers are reported to have taken control of the refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets in France, changing temperature settings and defrosting produce.
9th October 2026
Beijer Ref completes Refra purchase
SWEDEN/LITHUANIA: Beijer Ref has completed the acquisition of Lithuanian HVACR equipment manufacturer Refra.
13th October 2026
Security firm warns on refrigeration asset security
USA: Following Sunday night’s cyberattack on French supermarkets, security company Claroty has warned food retailers that they should not assume that their refrigeration controllers are isolated and secure.
12th October 2026
Danfoss moves to mitigate cyberattack
FRANCE: Danfoss has said it is in close contact with supermarket customers in France affected by a cyberattack on Sunday night on its refrigeration controllers.
12th October 2026
French supermarkets hit by massive cyberattack
FRANCE: Cyberattackers are reported to have taken control of the refrigeration systems in hundreds of supermarkets in France, changing temperature settings and defrosting produce.
13th October 2026
Cyber firm claims over 800 UK supermarkets vulnerable to attack
UK: An internet scan has revealed that more than 800 refrigeration and BMS controllers in the UK are vulnerable to a cyberattack similar to those experienced in France this week.
12th October 2026
Call for action on incorrect heat pump insulation
UK: Industry groups are backing calls for a crackdown on incorrectly specified and installed thermal insulation on heat pumps.
9th October 2026
Cattell to become VP of Beijer Ref UK and Ireland
UK: Hayley Cattell, MD of Beijer Ref UK and Ireland, is to take on the additional role of vice-president of the Swedish wholesaler’s UK and Ireland subsidiary from January 1.
13th October 2026
Hitachi launches Air365 Max (Pro) R32 VRF
GERMANY: Launched at this week’s Chillventa show, Air365 Max (Pro) is Hitachi’s latest VRF system for commercial projects and using R32 refrigerant.
13th October 2026
Panasonic adds compact R290 heat pumps
GERMANY: Panasonic has introduced new compact residential indoor and outdoor units to its Aquarea M Series of R290 air-to-water heat pumps.
12th October 2026
Bitzer debuts screw compressor for data centre cooling
GERMANY: Bitzer is to launch a new screw compressor specifically developed for data centre cooling at the Chillventa exhibition, which begins tomorrow.
11th October 2026
Carrier cooler protects building workers
JAPAN: Construction workers building Tokyo’s Torch Tower, Japan’s tallest building, are being kept cool thanks to a temporary cooling system jointly developed by Carrier Japan.
4th October 2026
Research looks to cut heat pump installation times
GERMANY: Researchers in Germany are looking at ways to make heat pump installations faster, more productive and more efficient despite the shortage of skilled workers.
25th September 2026
Carter Synergy CO2 system at Granarolo cold store
UK: Carter Synergy designed and installed the bespoke CO2 refrigeration system at the new Granarolo distribution centre in Willenhall.
3rd May 2026
Skills gap: the answer’s already on the van
Will Overton, director of Vectis Refrigeration and founder of the Wisdom Group FM, argues that the skills gap in refrigeration and HVAC is not a training problem: it is a knowledge capture problem.
14th December 2025
When glycol loops go bad
David McKune, corporate account manager of Ecolab EU, a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, discusses the hidden risks of ignoring coolant health in AI-era data centres.
2nd November 2025
Who really owns the S&M data?
Digital job systems and client portals have transformed service and maintenance efficiency, but they have also blurred the line between compliance reporting and intellectual property.
7th October 2026
Guide to good practice in HP pipework insulation
UK: The Heat Pump Association UK has published a new guide to insulating the external hydraulic pipework of domestic monobloc air-to-water heat pumps.
29th September 2026
Global Heat Forum will tackle extreme heat
THAILAND: An inaugural forum in Bangkok next month brings together over 400 leading scientists, city leaders, philanthropies and health experts to scale solutions and unlock finance for extreme heat action.
27th September 2026
ASHRAE seeks abstracts for New Orleans conference
USA: ASHRAE is accepting abstracts for conference papers for its annual conference in New Orleans in June.