28-02-2022
News
It’s been a busy start to 2022 for AGA and its members in the renewable energy sector, in particular with the imminent hydrogen transition.
Since the establishment of the AGA Hydrogen Testing facility in 2018, the hydrogen appliance testing and development has increased exponentially. We are pleased to see our members and manufacturers embracing the exciting transition to hydrogen in line with our net zero targets.
In addition to the increase in testing, AGA has also been involved in a number of high level consultation committees and special projects nationwide regarding Hydrogen conversions and certification transitions. AGA representatives and many of its members are also well represented on the Standards Australia ME-093 Hydrogen Technologies Committee. ME-093 has already published a number of key Standards and is working on many more critical specifications and Standards to come.
AGA has also been in high level meetings with its international partners in the Asia Pacific Region, Europe and the United States regarding future collaboration and sharing of information.
Given this fast growing area, AGA has created a new dedicated department – Renewable Energy, and accordingly we are pleased to announce that our Mr Daniel Trevarthen and Tom Lord are AGA’s and our industry’s Renewable Energy Technical Advisors.
Both Daniel and Tom have strong technical foundations and tertiary qualifications, Daniel specialising in Physics and Tom in Chemistry. They have both received years of hands on training in the AGA testing laboratories and are committed to the betterment of our industry and sustainable future.
For any renewable energy questions or testing of your hydrogen appliances, please contact our Renewable Energy team at hydrogen@aga.asn.au
On the 15th February 2022, the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (DELWP) released a Regulatory Impact Statement (RIS) amending the Gas Safety (Gas Installation) Regulations 2018 to mandate AS 4575 for Type A appliance servicing.
AS 4575:2019 Gas appliances – “Servicing of Type A appliances” was first published in 2005 and more recently updated in 2019 as part of a review from Standards Australia’s committee AG-006. The objective of the Standard is to specify essential requirements and basic standards for the delivery of Type A gas appliance servicing, repair, testing and conversion from one gas type to another.
The opening of the RIS is as a result of the government moving to improve gas appliance safety by introducing minimum servicing standards for gas appliances such as cookers, heaters and hot water systems.
The RIS includes draft amendments to the Gas Safety (Gas Installation) Regulations 2018 to include the preferred approach as follows:
• The mandating of AS 4575 as the standard for servicing for all Type A appliances. This means gasfitters would be required to apply AS 4575 for every Type A appliance that they service.
• Gasfitters being required to provide a record of servicing (separate from the compliance certificate regime) to the VBA soon after the date of servicing (i.e. within five days of completion of the service). The gas service record would be in a form approved by the VBA and would be lodged electronically.
PricewaterhouseCoopers was engaged to develop the RIS which is available for public consultation on the Engage Victoria website at the following link: https://engage.vic.gov.au/regulatory-impact-statement-mandate-australian-standard-4575
Submissions will be open until 22 March, 5:00pm.
The Australian requirements for allowable lead content in association with plumbing products in contact with drinking water will change through an amendment to NCC 2022 Volume Three.
The new requirements are based on the United States definition for lead free which is set at 0.25% weighted average in recognition that it is not possible to source 100% lead-free raw material. Only products that conform to the new lead free requirements as set out in NSF/ANSI/CAN 372-2020 will be authorised for use in a plumbing system.
An implementation plan with a 3-year transition period has been agreed and starts upon the adoption of the NCC on 1 September 2022. More details about the transition and products within scope of this change is available at
https://abcb.gov.au/resource/lead-plumbing-products-implementation-plan
DR AS/NZS 5263.0 Gas Appliances; Part 0: General Requirements is open for public comment until the 29/03/2022.
If you would like to submit any comments, go to the Standards Australia website: Click Here