Australian Institute of Refrigeration Air Conditioning and Heating
Peter Brodribb is a professional engineer with extensive hands on experience. Peter has a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering Degree (Hons) and subsequently obtained an MBA, both from the University of Melbourne.
Peter has more than two decades experience in the Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning and the refrigerated cold chain (HVAC&R) industries, gained while working for blue chip corporations including Honeywell Australia & UK, Cadbury Schweppes, Lennox, Heatcraft, and Lovelocks, and with major contractors. Following his decades working hands on as a system designer and along the supply chains in this industry, in 2006 he established himself as an independent technical consultant via the consulting network he founded, the Expert Group, providing research and consulting services for Federal and State policy makers, industry associations and corporations in Australia and New Zealand. He is regularly engaged as an expert witness in legal commercial disputes regarding the delivery of complex commercial mechanical services contracts, and air conditioning and refrigeration issues.
His assignments for Federal government regulators include the development of energy efficiency and climate change policies (i.e. technical and strategic advice; regulatory impact statements assessing the economic impacts of proposed policies; technical standards to guide industry practice; and recommendations on industry compliance and enforcement programs) in the HVAC&R industries.
His unique mix of skills and experience has resulted in the Expert Group being the authors of several extensive analytical reports on the HVAC&R industry in Australia and New Zealand for Federal regulators, particularly the Cold Hard Facts series of reports that are the most comprehensive studies of this industry every undertaken.
Michael has worked as market researcher, policy and program consultant, project manager and publisher in the energy sector for more than 20 years. For many years he has focussed his efforts on promoting an approach to analysis of society and the economy through the lens of the energy economy. He is an experienced and entertaining public speaker who presents technical and detailed topics in a highly engaging manner.
His mantra of, "Energy efficiency is economic efficiency, most greenhouse emissions are avoidable waste," summarises his approach to finding economically productive solutions to environmental problems. While in the business of 'selling energy efficiency' for the past two decades, he has constantly been amazed at how often businesses of all sizes impose unnecessary and often very long term costs on themselves, by making decisions to apparently 'save' costs at the point of equipment purchases. Rates of return demonstrated on investments in so many classes of highly efficient equipment, often greater than 40% per annum, in terms of reduced long term operating costs, should make them a leading investment class. Energy Allstars is one approach to making business aware of the returns they so often miss out on, by adopting the policy of buying 'lowest cost energy inefficiency'.
