Clare Parry in AIRAH 100 Faces
The Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH), which is celebrating 100 years of industry leadership in 2020, has profiled 100 people, places and things that have made significant contributions to both AIRAH and the industry.
Clare Parry, a director of Grün Consulting, an Inhabit company and a Passivhaus and sustainability consultancy, has been named no 19.
Here are Clare’s answers to AIRAH’s 100 Faces questionnaire:
What brought you to the HVAC&R industry?
Quite honestly, I fell into the industry after university without having much of an idea of exactly where to head next. I’ve been lucky enough to have some legendary bosses and mentors, and I was able to explore my passions within my roles. I also just said yes to a lot of things and followed my gut. HVAC&R wasn’t what I thought I’d have expertise in!
How long have you been a member of AIRAH?
I joined AIRAH as a graduate, about 10 years ago. While my memberships to other organisations have come and gone, AIRAH is one I’ve found valuable, for events, training and resources.
What’s your favourite HVAC&R-related memory?
Not so much a stand-alone memory, but watching the development of the Passive House (passivhaus) tech space has been fantastic. The availability of products, such as high-quality heat recovery ventilation units, has been great. Potentially the standout moment was turning on the unit in my own house! Visitors to my home now get to see the MVHR before anything else.
What’s something everyone should know about you, your work, or the HVAC&R industry?
Just how much it touches their lives without them realising. It’s pervasive, but people generally only know about HVAC&R when it breaks. My friends often ask me why I spend so much time staring at the ceiling when we are out and about – I have to explain that I’m looking at just how well (or badly!) the building services are integrated into beautiful spaces.
How do you see the HVAC&R industry developing over the next 100 years?
I’m looking forward to seeing low-carbon solutions advance substantially, particularly as they come to serve so many more billions of people across the globe. I keep an eye on the Global Cooling Prize for a bit of an indication of what’s possible. Ideally, our building quality in general will continue to advance simultaneously, and we’ll actually see far less kit in most buildings – with greater expertise from HVAC&R professionals.
View the AIRAH 100 Faces list: https://www.airah100.org.au/faces.html
