Commercial buildings are under growing pressure to cut operating costs, strengthen energy performance, and align with tighter decarbonisation expectations. Yet across Australia, one of the biggest and least understood expenses is hiding in plain sight. HVAC systems that appear “off,” properly scheduled, or fully optimised often continue running in the background, cycling unnecessarily or even working against themselves. This silent behaviour burns electricity, inflates emissi

Our early refrigerant gas leak testing helped trigger a wider CSIRO study into HVAC performance. The results reshaped how refrigerant loss is understood, and what to do about it.