Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (Empower), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, shared some of its latest best practices and innovations at a major district energy conference in the US.

International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) 108th Annual Conference and Tradeshow is being held in Scottsdale, US, from June 26 to 29.

“District cooling has emerged as one of the best solutions to meet energy efficiency needs in response to global warming. The UAE has made considerable progress in this field and it was a pleasure to share and exchange some of the best practices and innovations implemented by Empower with our peers at the prestigious IDEA Annual Conference and Exhibition,” said Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Empower.

Bin Shafar also presented his views and opinions on the pace of change in the district cooling during Global Leaders Plenary Panel Discussion which shed light on - ‘Sustaining Our Success’. He presented a ‘look ahead’ on the industry, sharing insights on policies, business models and emerging trends related to more resilient and sustainable energy for cities, communities and campuses.

The panel discussions were focused on a variety of areas and topics, such as the panellists’ industry experiences of district energy in Canada, China, Germany/European Union, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, the UK and the US, impact of renewable energy on district energy business models and the transition, business continuity and reliability – with the support of global case studies of real time crises and environmental policies supporting district energy business, among others.

“District cooling contributes to sustainable development through its efficiency and impact on carbon reduction. Over the years, several companies and organisations have worked together to capture a growing niche market, catering specifically for the transition to a low-carbon and green economy through the consolidation of knowledge and looking to district cooling as an enabler of efficiency and managing the energy-water nexus,” said Bin Shafar.

“With the technology witnessing advancement in the past few years, the industry has developed a sizeable footprint with several million tons of capacity in place to serve the varied cooling needs of customers. As the industry grows rapidly while dealing with the challenges of managing resources, meeting climate objectives and creating customer value, platforms as these help outline the intent, structure and current status of the technology.”

The 108th IDEA Annual Conference and Tradeshow brought together distinguished personnel from utilities sector, district cooling providers, developers, master planners, contractors, consultants and technology leaders to discuss and benchmark crucial challenges on how to seize new opportunities and make it effective for the surrounding communities. The conference presented in-depth real life case studies of ongoing and completed projects, keynote presentations, interactive panel discussions and more.

In addition, attendees at the conference also had an opportunity to interact with industry subject experts in an informal conversational setting aimed at promoting discussion, raising questions, sharing insights and continuing conversations on key topics. – TradeArabia News Service