Northrop welcomes Peter Young as the newly appointed Group Manager of our Mechanical Division.
Peter has 25 years’ experience in the engineering industry with specialist knowledge in food and beverage refrigeration systems.
Peter’s expertise has led to his first-hand experience in developing countries such as China, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Yap (Micronesia) and Fiji. Refrigeration is critical for the storage of fresh food, particularly in third world countries and Peter has valued the opportunity to make a positive difference to the lives of people in these areas. He has worked with local engineers under different workplace health and safety regulations, passing on his knowledge while remaining respectful of cultural differences.
Early in his career, Peter designed a refrigeration system for use in ice cream factories, bakeries and food and beverage facilities. After the banning of R11 and R12 refrigerants (due to their production of greenhouse gas emissions), Peter turned his focus to natural refrigerants, like Co2, water, air, ammonia and hydrocarbons. He is presently a member of the Australian Institute of Refrigeration, Air Conditioning and Heating (AIRAH) special interest group for natural refrigerants, which seeks to promote their everyday use for all air conditioning and refrigeration requirements.
“The Mechanical Engineering industry has changed a lot, mostly because there’s more of a focus on global warming, which in turn has led to more efficient designs”, explains Peter. He is now looking forward to applying his skill and knowledge within Northrop to help promote more multidisciplinary opportunities, like involvement in warehouse developments alongside our structural team.
Right now Peter is working on a historic building refurbishment at 44 Martin Place, bringing it up to date with building code regulations. The installation of an atrium in the centre of the building presents several challenges for our mechanical team. Smoke and fire requirements must be handled subtly so as not to detract from the historic nature of the building. He is also working with Sydney Trains on ventilation and cooling requirements for Town Hall Station. It’s a simple design, made complex by space parameters.
Within the next five years, Peter would like to see two to three large teams within the mechanical section, with their focus set on primary commercial, industrial and health and community. He hopes to grow the division, expanding from nine people to at least 20, and to position Northrop as the leading mechanical services provider for air conditioning and related industries.
Peter is a hands-on supporter of Engineers without Borders, a non-profit organisation helping to improve the quality of life for disadvantaged communities through engineering skills and solutions both locally and abroad.