The Tip of the Iceberg podcast - Beyond Refrigeration

10 - Extreme heat - the challenges for the refrigeration industry

This episode explores the issues raised by the IMechE Report "Adapting Industry to withstand rising temperatures and future heatwaves" and how the refrigeration, air conditioning and heat pump industries need to address them.
I am joined by Rob Lamb, Chris Green and Brian Churchyard, IOR members active on the IOR Beyond Refrigeration Environment group. We discussed the need for the new ways of working to ensure resilience and availability of cooling in the future - the importance of collaboration, of good design and maintenance but also of getting the right resources in place to adapt to changing condition, including non refrigeration technologies - we conclude that the industry needs to change the way it does things and start designing for more capacity and less energy.  
You can read the IMechE Report here https://www.imeche.org/policy-and-press/reports/detail/adapting-industry-to-withstand-rising-temperatures-and-future-heatwaves
And explore the Environmental Audit Committee work on living with rising temperatures here  https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/62/environmental-audit-committee/news/196119/how-can-we-learn-to-live-with-rising-uk-temperatures-and-what-steps-should-we-take-to-adapt-to-their-effects/ 

9 - Heat pumps and the net zero agenda - with IOR President Graeme Fox

In this podcast IOR President Graeme Fox argues the case for heat pumps as a critical part of the net zero agenda. He looks at the challenges of greater integration not just of heating and cooling but also joined up thinking by engineers, designers and policy makers. 
 
The podcast is an extract of a talk given in December 2022 and includes a question and answer session chaired by Dermot Cotter on behalf of the Institute of Refrigeration. The full paper is available to download at https://ior.org.uk/presidentsaddress2022
Find out more about the IOR's Beyond Refrigeration net zero work at www.ior.org.uk/beyondrefrigeration 

8 - Expert advice for achieving best system performance

In this episode we talked about the issues around how to achieve the best system performance with Lisa-Jayne Cook of GEA and Ian Fisher of Mattair.   Our experts shared some ideas about what we can learn from the best and worst examples in industrial processing and building cooling.   Some of the topics we discussed:
- whether design or maintenance is more critical to achieving good performance
- how we need to get better at explaining how cooling technologies work
- getting smarter about how systems are managed. 
Find out more about these critical elements of our path to net zero in this podcast. 

7 - Careers in STEM

This episode was recorded on International Women in Engineering Day in June 2022 and I was joined by Steve Gill of World Refrigeration Day, Lisa-Jayne Cook, IOR Women in RACHP Group and Sam Buckell STEM Ambassador.
We discussed how careers in Science Technology Engineering and Maths fields are evolving and what can be done to bring more diversity into our sector in order to attract the best people and skills.
You can find out more about some of the initiatives mentioned in this episode at
https://ior.org.uk/women-in-rachp
https://ior.org.uk/careers
https://worldrefrigerationday.org/
Check out the new IOR podcast "States of Matter" for more from the IOR Women in RACHP Group https://ior.org.uk/launch-of-the-iors-women-in-rachp-podcast 

6 -Towards sustainable cold chains in developing countries

This podcast comes from a panel debate at the 2022 International conference on cold chain sustainability.  Experts from international collaborative projects discussed what the critical factors are for the successful implementation of climate-friendly cold chains in developing nations.  They seem to agree on the need to address wider multi-disciplinary issues and involve Government high-level objectives.  Who are the key players and how can, should and are they working together in practice?
The Debate is chaired by Lily Riahi of UNEP/the Cool Coalition and includes:
Olivier Dubois of the FAO
Brian Holuj of UNEP
Leo Blyth of The World Bank
Ayman Eltalouny of UNEP
They discussed the ACES pan African project sited in Rwanda and you can find out more about that work at https://coolingafrica.org/ 
The Cool Coalition projects can be explored at https://coolcoalition.org/ 

5 - Getting the best people into the industry

For this episode we talk about how much this industry has to offer the right people and get some tips from the experts on how to organise work placements and make best use of apprentices. I'm joined by  Jessica Long, Sam Jones and Millie Edwards. They have been working with their local school get pupils involved in work experience placements that contribute both to the business and to the young persons' career prospects.  As part of the Beyond Refrigeration theme of developing the best people and skills, we talk about how we can make young people more aware of all that the industry has to offer.
 
For a link to careers resources and the example work placement timetable we talk about in the episode see:
www.ior.org.uk/careers  :
Ideas for working with schools (IOR free Guidance note)
How to become recognised as a STEM Ambassador (IOR free Guidance note)
More about the STEM programme (IOR free Guidance note)
Using the IOR Fantastic Fridges website with schools (IOR free Guidance note)
Careers in Cooling with the IOR  youtube video
fantasticfridges.com with careers info and science explanations
STEM Ambassadors programme provides Training and registration with website to match you with local careers events  www.stem.org.uk/stem-ambassadors
The Enterprise Adviser Network can help link you with a local school to develop a careers strategy  www.careersandenterprise.co.uk
Local vocational colleges and schools are now offering T-Levels that include 45 days of industry placement for students https://www.tlevels.gov.uk  
 

4 - The Net Zero Cold Chain - why we need a more coherent approach

This podcast was recorded as part of the IIR International Cold Chain and Sustainability Conference held in April 2022 and organised by the Institute of Refrigeration.  
We invited a team of experts to discuss carbon reduction opportunities. Can the global cold chain do more with less, whilst at the same time meeting changing customer demands?  What will be the role of new business models, improved data sources and coherence across stakeholders in making more rapid gains towards net zero and more effective policy solutions?
Join our panel of speakers with guest chair Julie Hanson of the Global Cold Chain Alliance.

3 - Are we on track for the future with RACHP skills?

This podcast features John Skelton and Richard Parr talking about the future of skills and training in the RACHP sector.  They look at why  everyone is going to have to up their game, as far as skills go, to achieve net zero objectives.  From fundamentals to new technologies, integration to behaviours.  We ask what does the future hold for training and how can we as individuals make a difference.
And for those interested in following up on some of the STEM initiatives that John and Richard mention in the discussion there are some links at the IOR website here https://ior.org.uk/careers 

2 - A shopping list of opportunities: retail refrigeration and Net Zero

In this podcast, we talked to IOR Fellow Brian Churchyard about the complex balancing act that food retailers are facing as they work towards a net zero future.  We cover environmental topics such as the interplay between direct and indirect emissions, the need to look at whole life cycle costs, as well as energy use profiles – and discuss where refrigeration fits in. What are the challenges around finding simple, cost-effective engineering solutions and what does the future look like for low carbon retail refrigeration?  Brian is passionate about the opportunities for engineers to address these types of challenges, the contribution that service engineers are making and the positive impact of a successful refrigerant containment strategy.  Brian also shares some good advice for anyone who wants to make a difference in the journey to net zero in any sector or role.    

1 - Live from Las Vegas at the ASHRAE Winter Meeting

This week I talked to Graeme Maidment and Catarina Marques live from the largest gathering of refrigeration, air conditioning, heat pump experts in the world - the ASHRAE Winter meeting.  Graeme and Cat share what it's like to be back at international events, what they learned about motivation and collaboration, and why they think solving international problems like low carbon buildings, diversity and addressing covid safety, need better ways of working.