World News

USA: Daikin has advanced to the final stage of the US Department of Energy’s (DOE) Residential Cold Climate Heat Pump Technology Challenge after the successful completion of multiple field tests.

USA: Daikin Applied has taken a majority stake in Varitec Solutions, a Phoenix-based contractor and long-standing partner specialising in designing, developing and installing large-scale HVAC systems for commercial buildings.

USA: Honeywell plans to spin off its Advanced Materials business, which includes its Solstice refrigerants, into an independent, US publicly traded company.

AUSTRALIA: Wholesaler Beijer Ref is to distribute Fujitsu air conditioners, one of Australia’s top brands, throughout the continent.

GERMANY/ITALY: German copper tube manufacturer Wieland has acquired Onda SpA, the Italian-based manufacturer of advanced heat exchangers.

GERMANY: A €3.3m European initiative is set to develop a multi-source heat pump combined with energy storage using phase change materials (PCM) for zero-emission buildings.

FINLAND/IRELAND: Purmo Group, the Finnish climate solutions company, has acquired air-to-water heat pump supplier Unitherm Heating Systems.

GERMANY: Chillventa 2024 looks set to return the leading European refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump show to its pre-covid highs when it opens its doors tomorrow.

INDIA: The Indian government has opened an anti-dumping investigation into allegations that Chinese R134a refrigerant is being dumped on the Indian market at cheap prices. 

ITALY: Lu-Ve Group has acquired the remaining 25% of Refrion Srl, the Italian producer of air-cooled condensers, dry coolers and coils, having acquired a majority interest in 2022.

FRANCE: Didier Coulomb has stepped down as director general of the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) after 20 years in the role. 

BELGIUM: AREA, the European air conditioning, refrigeration and heat pump contractors group, has published a guide to the new F-gas regulation.

NETHERLANDS: The TripleAqua three-pipe hydraulic heat recovery system will launch a range of  cassettes, high walls, suspended, cased, slimline and ducted series at next week’s Chillventa exhibition in Nuremberg.

NETHERLANDS: The 40 tonnes of illegal refrigerant seized by Dutch customs earlier this year has been auctioned online for the knockdown price of €166,000.

USA/CHINA: Carrier has completed the $775m sale of its commercial refrigeration business to its Chinese joint venture partner Haier.

USA: Daikin has created Daikin Comfort Technologies Northeast Inc by bringing together three of its north east distributors.

USA: Copeland has announced a unified brand identity across its product portfolio.

SINGAPORE: Global asset management company Keppel has been awarded the contract to design, build, own and operate centralised cooling systems to 3,500 households at three planned projects in Singapore.

JAPAN: Daikin Industries has partnered with the National University Corporation Tokyo Institute of Technology to establish a research centre to advance core technologies in air conditioners.

GERMANY: Joachim Ley (above) has been appointed CEO of electric motor and fan manufacturer Ziehl-Abegg.

USA: A new report aims to help investors and providers of cooling solutions, as well as private, public and international financiers, identify the commercial potential in sustainable cooling.

USA: Michael Hart, the man who was arrested and charged in March with smuggling HFC refrigerants into the US from Mexico, has pleaded guilty before a federal court on Tuesday.

BELGIUM: The 24 million heat pumps currently installed in Europe avoid 5.5 billion m3 of gas per year or 1.6% of the EU’s total annual gas consumption.

USA: Daikin Comfort Technologies North America has signed a new US distribution deal with M&A Supply, one of the country’s largest independent HVACR wholesalers.

UK: Koura has announced the UK and European launch of its R444A refrigerant, as a direct replacement for R1234yf in automotive aftermarket applications.

USA: Compressor manufacturer Copeland has appointed Jagadish Keswani, as president of its newly formed India, Middle East, and Africa business unit.

USA: The US Environmental Protection Agency has announced a final rule to establish a new programme to better manage, recycle and reuse HFC refrigerants.