Harvey Norman

In 1996, the internationally agreed Montreal Protocol established a schedule for the phase-out of CFCs and HCFCs, including the most prevalent HCFC widely used in air conditioning systems – Refrigerant R22.

In response to the phase-out, property owner Harvey Norman sought advice on how to best deal with the very large number of R22 air conditioning units within its national portfolio, which incorporates retail outlets for the Harvey Norman, Domayne and Joyce Mayne brands in Australia.

A.G. Coombs Advisory was engaged to prepare a detailed business case on the commercial and technical aspects for an air conditioning upgrade program for the portfolio to address the R22 phase-out. A.G. Coombs’ advice accounted for the differing geographical locations and climates, varying building types, and owned and leased buildings. Detailed site inspections and evaluations underpinned the report, which included qualitative analysis of asset condition, current operational and maintenance regimen, assessment of practical technical options and implementation, and equipment supply issues. Business cased recommendations were provided for the portfolio’s buildings together with an innovative implementation process to deliver the identified benefits to Harvey Norman.