6th International District Cooling Conference 2014: UAE ranks high in global district cooling infrastructure

6^th International District Cooling Conference 2014: UAE ranks high in global district cooling infrastructure

International District Energy Association commends Empower’s ‘open door’ approach, reflected in inviting peers to tour its plants

Dubai, UAE; November 17, 2014: The International District Energy Association’s (IDEA) 6^th International District Cooling Conference hosted by Empower, the world’s largest district cooling services provider, in Dubai from December 14-16, 2014, has hailed UAE’s world-class district cooling facilities, thanks to its energy efficient and environmentally sound infrastructure.

Recognizing Empower’s expertise in promoting the conservation of water resources in the delivery of district cooling services, Mr. Rob Thornton, President and CEO, IDEA said “The UAE is an ideal location to host the industry and to bring people together, especially from the growing cities across MENA seeking urban scale solutions for water conservation and energy efficiency. Specifically, the scale of district cooling in Dubai provides valuable best practice insights to help accelerate the pace of industry growth, informing new benchmarks and developing more advanced techniques.”

He praised Empower’s offer to “open their doors to the world” by including technical tours of the Business Bay and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) plants.  “By sharing their experience and know-how, Empower embodies the collegial and collaborative culture of IDEA and will help others learn highly valuable and practical information to apply in their cities and communities.”

He remarked: “It is obvious that Empower, true to Dubai culture, is proud to share its success with the world. This is an approach we commend and urge other district cooling companies in the world to emulate.”

To be held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Supreme Council of Energy and Chairman and Chief Executive Emirates Airline & Group, IDEA 6^th International District Cooling Conference has acknowledged that Empower is playing a key role globally in the promotion of DC technology.

“Themed on “Cleaner Energy, Greener Cities”, the IDEA global conference will shed light on latest trends in district cooling as well as share success stories of this rapidly growing industry,” added Mr. Thornton. “Global benchmarks in district cooling, including those set by Empower, will also come up for discussion, as part of efforts to widen the footprint of this technology on the global and regional map.”

“A global conference on this scale definitely offers a major platform for raising critical issues facing the world, including energy conservation, protection of water and natural resources, sustainable development and other topics,” said H.E Ahmad Bin Shafar, Chief Executive Officer, Empower. “By hosting this major conference, Empower focuses on technology transfer and exchange of best practices. One way of doing this is by inviting peers to our two plants in Business Bay II and Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC).”

IDEA 6^th International District Cooling Conference will bring together owners, operators, suppliers, consultants, government agencies and regulators. Part of the conference will be devoted to regional and global trends, such as integrating thermal energy storage (TES) and optimizing the systems.

The IDEA 6^th District Cooling Conference, which will include an exhibition featuring equipment suppliers, systems integrators and consultants from the district cooling industry, will share industry best practices, updates on technological innovations, and feature case studies related to utility-scale energy efficiency and water conservation techniques. A key focus of the conference sessions will be on how to best incorporate global benchmarks in district cooling for the climate of the Middle East and North Africa.

The conference will look at larger global trends that can bring more activity to the region. It will also include policy discussions pertaining to energy efficiency trends and practices. It will uncover opportunities for improvement, related to gas, electricity and TSE, so district cooling is properly positioned as infrastructure investment that can deliver economies of scale. Also, it will discuss how pricing can be structured for the service delivery.

Decision makers from district cooling industry as well as relevant sectors like real estate, urban planning, construction, utilities will be present at the IDEA’s 6^th International District Cooling conference that will be held at Dubai’s Jumeirah Beach Hotel by mid of December.