The IOR Annual Dinner, held in London on 27 February 2025, celebrated outstanding individual contributions to the advancement of the RACHP industry and recognised businesses for their dedication to sustainability with the Beyond Refrigeration Environmental Award.

Five awards were presented during the evening:

The J&E Hall Gold International Medal recognises the most noteworthy practical contribution to the field of innovation in refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump technology. This year’s winner is Professor Ahmed Kovacevic FREng from City St George’s, University of London. His work blends academic research with industrial collaboration to deliver transformative solutions for high-fidelity numerical modelling of rotary positive displacement compressors. The specialist software he has developed has revolutionised compressor design. It has enabled improved performance, efficiency, and reliability across refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pumps, and energy recovery systems. In partnership with industry, he has enhanced compressor technology and expanded its applications into areas such as high-temperature heat pumps, hydrogen compression, and sustainable lubrication. Professor Ahmed Kovacevic has an international reputation in the field of compressor technology and is renowned for encouraging knowledge exchange, training future engineers, and advancing the understanding of compressor technology on a global scale. This work will have a profound impact on the future of refrigeration and sustainable energy systems.

Eshagh Goudarzi of London South Bank University has been awarded the Ted Perry Memorial Award for Student Research for his work on “The integration of waste heat and mine water for heat recovery and storage in district heating and cooling.” This project which has led to the first scheme of its kind in the UK, uses the ground as a geobattery to store waste heat for seasonal heating and cooling on a significantly large scale. The judges were impressed by this researcher’s comprehensive approach, which integrates heat recovery, long-term storage, and the re-use of energy.

The IOR’s RACHP Engineering Technician Section makes a Lifetime Achievement award to an individual who has spent their whole career in a hands-on role, having displayed exceptional dedication to their customers, employers, and their sector. This year’s winner is Matthew Byfleet of Adcock, recognised for his expertise in a wide range of equipment and technologies, from VRV systems, to industrial and pharmaceutical applications. A strong advocate for low-carbon, low-GWP solutions, Matthew is dedicated to driving sustainable innovation in the industry. He is also passionate about mentoring apprentices and young technicians, sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm to inspire the next generation and propel the sector forward. His employer described him as “a superb engineer, dedicated to his role and constantly going above and beyond for the client”.

This year, the judges had an outstanding pool of nominees for the RACHP EngTech Lifetime Achievement Award to consider and have also recognised with a Highly Commended award Andy Clarke from Airconuk.

The Lightfoot Medal is awarded for the best IOR Talk and Paper of the previous year and is made to Dylan Betts for his paper “Heat Networks in Rural Areas”. The winner of this award is decided by vote of IOR members. You can read the paper and see the recording of the presentation on the IOR website.

The IOR Beyond Refrigeration Environmental Award is made to a project demonstrating the achievements of our sector in reducing environmental emissions from cooling in the UK. This year it was awarded to GEA Heating & Refrigeration Solutions for the Smart Parc Energy Centre in Derby.  The Smart Parc Energy Centre is a sustainable energy management centre, based on an integrated heating and cooling network that redistributes waste heat. It uses an industrial ammonia heat pump to provide cooling as well as zero-carbon heating. 

The system can deliver up to 11MW of cooling and 10MW of heating across a 1.8 million square foot food production facility. It is designed to achieve a minimal seasonal heating efficiency of 400% (COPh 4).  Between 2024 and 2030, the system is projected to yield an annual CO2 saving of 27,000 tons compared with an equivalent R404A system.

The judges described this project as “a technical and holistic makeover to the existing ‘district heating’ philosophy, focusing on food production and distribution hubs.”  They also agreed that it demonstrates potential for wider adoption on other sites.

Professor Ahmed Kovacevic, Eshagh Goudarzi and GEA Heating & Refrigeration Solutions will all be invited back to give talks to IOR members in the next papers programme, for members to find out more about their groundbreaking work.

To find out more about the awards that the IOR makes each year and how to enter for next year, see the awards page.