News Headlines
14th July 2026
Japanese fridge firms face cartel allegations
JAPAN: The Japanese Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is reported to have raided the offices of three refrigeration companies over suspected bid-rigging and cartel practices.
13th July 2026
R290 heat pump recalled due to safety concerns
FRANCE: An R290 monobloc heat pump is the subject of a recall in France due to fire or explosion concerns in the event of a refrigerant leak.
11th July 2026
EC calls on Greece to comply with F-gas regs
EUROPE: The European Commission has opened an infringement procedure against Greece for failing to comply with the F-gas regulations requiring mutual recognition of…
15th July 2026
Testing AC in real world conditions
JAPAN: The General Group is to build a demonstration house to test air conditioning systems for high-performance homes, shifting from individual rooms to whole house air conditioning.
14th July 2026
Mitsubishi Electric buys Dutch contracting groups APAC and COMPAC
ITALY/NETHERLANDS: Mitsubishi Electric Hydronics & IT Cooling Systems (MEHITS) has acquired all shares of the Utrecht-based HVAC sales, installation and maintenance company APAC Group and its sister company COMPAC.
14th July 2026
Japanese fridge firms face cartel allegations
JAPAN: The Japanese Fair Trade Commission (FTC) is reported to have raided the offices of three refrigeration companies over suspected bid-rigging and cartel practices.
15th July 2026
Bookings open for IOR Dinner 2027
UK: Bookings are now open for the 127th Institute of Refrigeration Annual Dinner, taking place on 25 February 2027 at the Hilton London Bankside.
14th July 2026
Carrier integrates SLD rental brand
UK: SLD Pumps and Power, the industrial pump and generator rental equipment supplier, has been integrated into the Carrier Rental Systems brand.
10th July 2026
DEFRA’s F-gas decision is a delay, not a reprieve
UK: Manufacturers’ group FETA has implored companies to continue prioritising lower-GWP refrigerants despite the delayed revision of Britain’s F-gas regulations.
15th July 2026
Daikin X series combines HP cooling and heating
BELGIUM: Daikin Europe is to launch the X Series, a mixed heat pump system combining air-to-air heating and cooling, hydraulic heating such as underfloor heating, and domestic hot water production.
9th July 2026
Epsilon Zero R290 heat pump from Swegon
ITALY: Swegon has introduced Epsilon Zero, a new range of R290 air-to-water heat pumps designed for light commercial applications and multi-family housing.
7th July 2026
Haier adds R290 commercial heat pump
ITALY: Haier is expanding its range of professional climate solutions with the launch of an R290 commercial air-to-water monobloc heat pump.
3rd July 2026
Food charity receives free hot water
UK: London food distribution charity Felix is using Beijer Ref’s SEC200 heat recovery technology to help deliver hot water with almost zero energy consumption.
29th June 2026
Bringing ink-based technology to thermoelectrics
USA: A recent study by University of Notre Dame researchers claims to have developed an ink-based printing technology to create low-cost and high-performance thermoelectric materials and devices.
24th June 2026
Employing liquefied hydrogen as a cold energy source
JAPAN: A new heat exchange technology that employs liquefied hydrogen as a cold energy source for air conditioning and refrigeration equipment is being trialled in Japan.
3rd May 2026
Skills gap: the answer’s already on the van
Will Overton, director of Vectis Refrigeration and founder of the Wisdom Group FM, argues that the skills gap in refrigeration and HVAC is not a training problem: it is a knowledge capture problem.
14th December 2025
When glycol loops go bad
David McKune, corporate account manager of Ecolab EU, a global sustainability leader offering water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, discusses the hidden risks of ignoring coolant health in AI-era data centres.
2nd November 2025
Who really owns the S&M data?
Digital job systems and client portals have transformed service and maintenance efficiency, but they have also blurred the line between compliance reporting and intellectual property.
16th July 2026
Parts Town offers F-gas Category 1 training
UK: Spare parts distributor Parts Town UK is to offer F-gas Category 1 (FCAT1/Course 2079-11) courses at its training facility in Cannock.
16th July 2026
Bringing STEM to life for Birmingham pupils
UK: Daikin has welcomed pupils and teachers to its Birmingham Training Academy, giving the children a chance to explore science and engineering outside the classroom.
16th June 2026
Adaptation 2027 call for abstracts
UK: The organiser of Adaptation 2027, the 2nd IIR International Conference on Refrigeration Adapting to Rising Temperatures, has issued a call for papers.