9 Oct 2023
Taking place on 14 November in Birmingham, the event will look at how we need to change how we plan, design and maintain RACHP systems to adapt for challenges to system resilience caused by climate changes being experienced now in the UK. Technical difficulties of larger design envelopes, higher load demands, balancing environmental objectives and adapting existing stock of systems will be discussed at this one-day event.
A panel discussion will look at what practical steps those in the RACHP sector should adopt. This discussion will emphasise the significance of maintaining net-zero objectives when planning for more challenging design conditions.
Book your place here.
Programme
10:00 Welcome from Conference Chair Andy Pearson, Chair of the International Refrigeration Committee
Keynote presentations
10:10 Adapting industry to withstand rising temperatures and future heatwaves. Laura Kent, IMechE and Ruth Shilston, Mott MacDonald
10:40 The economic impact of extreme heat. Leyla Sayin, Centre for Sustainable Cooling, University of Birmingham
Lessons from hot places - What can the UK learn?
11:10 The development of Jordan's national cooling strategy. Sawan Baaresh, Royal Scientific Society
11:40 Designing refrigeration equipment for warmer climates. Yosr Allouche, International Institute of Refrigeration
12:10 Lunch
13:00 What practical measures can businesses take to mitigate extreme heat?
Discussion chaired by Andrew Bowden, Managing Director of J&E Hall.
Adapting to extreme heat - paving the way forward
14:00 New blend refrigerants for higher ambient temperatures. Koura Global
14:30 How refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pump equipment design will need to adapt to cope with climate change. Kashif Nawaz, Oak Ridge National Laboratory
15:00 The Heat Action Platform - reducing the human and economic impacts of extreme heat. Owen Gow, Arsht-Rockefeller Foundation Resilience Center.
15:30 Conference Close - Lessons from the Briefing. What happens next?
Optional post-conference site tour of the Mondelez-Cadbury UK factory at Bourneville. The tour will include a visit to the refrigeration plant and an explanation of the manufacturing process.
11 Nov 2025
Hear from DEFRA and industry experts about the impacts and opportunities for the RACHP industry following the launch of the UK Government’s consultation on reforming the HFC phasedown under the GB F Gas Regulation.
6 Nov 2025
Topics of the new bulletins include direct expansion water-to-refrigerant evaporators, electrical safe isolation and determining the wattage of electric heaters.
5 Nov 2025
The outcomes will be used to shape future legislation for our sector. Take part in this consultation to make the views of the RACHP industry heard. Industry groups will be coordinating a response through ACRIB (Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board).
5 Nov 2025
The talk by Prof. Ahmed Kovacevic, FREng on emerging technologies in compressors and their systems is now available from the IOR website.
3 Nov 2025
On 29 October, the IOR members met to share their reports on activity, plans and strategies for the future. Seven IOR committees met, including Membership, Education, Environment, Technical, Engineering Technician Group, Women in RACHP, and the Dinner Committee.