Leading district energy industry professionals from across the region will be in Dubai this month to discuss energy and environmental trends at the third 'International District Cooling Conference and Trade Show'. 

Organised by the International District Energy Association (Idea) Middle East Chapter and hosted by City Cool, the conference entitled 'Essential Infrastructure, Sustainable City' will run from October 19 to 21 at the InterContinental Dubai - Festival City.

The third instalment of the convention will cover energy and environmental trends such as global climate change, water and power conservation, sustainable system design and optimisation and the impact on large urban and mixed-use developments.

The highlight of the conference will be the release of the Idea District Cooling Best Practice Guide.

The Best Practice Guide was written and peer-reviewed by Idea members representing thousands of man-hours of collective industry contributions and decades of practical business operations experience, said an Idea official.

'The guide covers a full range of technical and business issues for participants in the district cooling industry including plant design and construction techniques, options for network piping systems, customer building interface approaches, controls and measurement schemes and many other practical solutions,' said Rita Chahoud, executive director, Idea Middle East Chapter.

This year’s conference will examine current market conditions and discuss future trends for the district cooling industry in the Middle East region, such as the growing importance of water conservation and electricity grid management and the integration of combined heat and power for desalination and district cooling systems.

The presenters will also discuss sea water technologies, water reclamation techniques and other infrastructure solutions that can maximise the energy efficiency and sustainability of larger community systems sprouting up all over the Middle East.

“Across the Middle East, massive real estate investment is causing a dramatic increase in the demand for water and power. The region’s real estate boom and the hot climate are the main drivers behind the massive growth of district cooling industry,” remarked Chahoud.

'District cooling systems have become the preferred infrastructure solution, especially now that most government leaders and developers are advocating more sustainable energy techniques to optimise energy efficiency and conserve natural resources,' he added.

'Through this conference, industry professionals will be able to learn valuable and practical information directly related to building, owning and operating highly reliable district cooling systems that set the stage for a more sustainable city,' she added.

A variety of innovative district cooling systems have been implemented around the globe, including direct lake and ocean water cooling systems in places like Hawaii, Toronto, Helsinki, and Cornell University.

The participants will also discuss the advantages of combined heat and power and thermal storage as electricity rates are updated to reflect real time pricing and time of day operations.

In the USA, district cooling providers have been adapting advanced dispatch and controls and are using web-based metering and customer management systems to maximise opportunities to reduce peak electricity demands. These innovations are likely to be implemented in the Middle East.

The line-up of speakers include Federal Environmental Agency director general Dr Salem Al Dhaheri; Idea president Robert Thornton; City Cool CEO Fouad Younan and Dany Safi, special advisor to Tabreed board of directors.-TradeArabia News Service