Ahmad Bin Shafar, CEO of Emirates Central Cooling Systems Corporation (EMPOWER), the world’s largest district cooling services provider, shared some of its latest best practices and innovations at the International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) 108th Annual Conference & Tradeshow held in Scottsdale, USA, from 26th to 29th June 2017.
"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 &Exhibition," Bin Shafar said.
He 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 focussed on a variety of areas and topics, such as the panellists’ industry experiences of district energy in Canada, China, Germany/European Union, Japan, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom & U.S., 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, environmental policies supporting district energy business and role of governments, policy-gaps, industry trends in countries – towards public or private engagements in DC business, optimisation towards operational efficiency, drives of capital investments, features that drive industry growth, challenges in expanding DC network in the Middle East region, critical success factors in starting new DC business, Microgrids – trends and possibilities, and educating and engaging local governments in advancing the deployment of district energy.
The panel discussion was also enlivened by audience interactions and live polls.
"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," Bin Shafar said.
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," he added.
The 108th IDEA Annual Conference & 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.
The IDEA Annual Conference & Tradeshow is organised by International District Energy Association (IDEA), the century-old and US-based association for district energy industry. Prominent companies from the industry participate in this event, as well as experts and scientists from all over the world. Many workshops, seminars and meeting are held during the conference, and many important topics on district cooling are discussed.
Empower’s participation at the Conference is in line with its efforts to enhance its presence globally, in an attempt to achieve better communication with global key players in the energy and cooling sectors.
Empower currently operates more than 1.250 Million RT, providing environmentally responsible district cooling services to large-scale real estate developments such as Jumeirah Group, Business Bay, Jumeirah Beach Residence, Dubai International Financial Centre, Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Ibn Battuta Mall, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Healthcare City, Dubai World trade Centre Residences, Dubai Design District, among others.

Source: WAM