R+T Australia 2014, the specialist building systems exhibition will be held in Melbourne in August. A major focus area of the exhibition will be the latest developments in automated sun and climate protection systems.
To be held at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre from August 21 to 23, R+T Australia 2014 will be the country’s first-ever exhibition specialising in external building systems, such as roller shutters, doors/gates, windows, and sun protection systems.
R+T Australia 2014 will be an ideal venue for Australian builders, designers, specifiers and owners to see the latest trends in the field of sun and climate protection systems.
According to Thurain Aye, exhibition manager for R+T Australia 2014, there is a major international trend towards automation in sun protection systems for residential, commercial and industrial buildings with increasing focus on automated climate protection systems that can be networked and operated at the touch of a button.
Aye observes that the intelligent technology now available for these systems makes climate control far more convenient for end users, as well as much more efficient and cost-effective. Currently, automated sun protection systems have yet to achieve a high level of acceptance in Australia but this sector is expected to grow considerably as the country’s climate grows hotter.
His comments were backed by two R+T Australia 2014 exhibitors, Kevin O’Mahoney, Ozroll Industries’ Senior Account Executive – Shutters, and Anthony Cassar, Business Development Manager with Smartech Door Systems.
Ozroll’s Mahoney confirms automation is the future for sun protection systems, having observed a consistent shift away from the use of manual controls towards 12v and 240v automation, with remote control operation. There is also a strong trend towards energy savings and energy ratings, which have become a high consideration for consumers when purchasing shutters.
Smartech’s Cassar spoke of design trends moving towards combining sun and heat protection with optimising the views for building occupants using glass facades and double glazing, with architects looking for a simple clean look.
Exhibition organiser Aye said that modern sun and climate protection systems allowed significant reductions in energy consumption – another driver for Australian building owners and operators as energy prices continue to rise. The latest systems allow the degree of light and heat penetrating a room to be accurately metered to minimise overheating, enabling considerable savings in air conditioning costs. Likewise, in winter, by optimising the amount of heat and light entering a building, heating energy costs can be reduced.
Aye says the potential energy savings from modern automated sun and climate protection systems could account for hundreds of millions of tonnes of CO2 a year.
Major sun and climate protection suppliers exhibiting at R+T Australia 2014 include Australian companies Luxuz Design, OzRoll and BFT Automation, along with Gerhard Geiger, a global German supplier. Nearly 60 exhibitors have signed up for the show, representing over 70% of the available floor space.
Currently under development is R+T Australia’s seminar and educational program, the ‘ExpeR+T Area’, which covers two days of presentations and discussions with industry experts across a wide range of industry subjects, including increasing energy efficiency through the latest systems for sun and climate protection, new codes and regulations for cyclone and bushfire protection, and sessions on sustainable building trends.
