June 20-23rd | St. Paul, Minnesota | IDEA’s 107th Annual Conference and Trade Show
The IDEA Annual Conference and Trade Show, held each year since 1909, brings together global industry experts on resilient microgrids, combined heat & power and sustainable energy technologies for cities, campuses and communities. The three-day event includes compelling presentations, panel discussions on best practices, and guided tours of microgrids. The IDEA exhibit hall will showcase the newest technologies and equipment in the district energy industry.
The International District Energy Association is a trade association whose members provide reliable, economical, efficient, and environmentally sound district heating, district cooling, and cogeneration. Also known as CHP, cogeneration uses waste heat from conventional electricity generation, and it is particularly attractive in northern climates like Minnesota. Both Minneapolis and St. Paul have some of the most notable CHP systems in the country, and IDEA2016 has several technical tours to show the benefits first hand.
Microgrid Workshops at IDEA2016
Moving Microgrids Forward
All across North America, municipalities, institutions and corporate campuses are exploring adoption of microgrids to strengthen energy resiliency and ensure economic continuity. The proliferation of microgrids will involve better understanding of technology options, grid integration issues and regulatory policies.
This workshop will feature experienced industry experts in the design, operation and optimization of community-scale microgrids, while exploring combined heat & power and district energy systems as core foundations. Using In-depth discussion modules, the workshop will cover the flight-path of a microgrid from concept to designing, building, operating and optimizing. In addition, participants will discuss current regulatory and policy settings and shifting market opportunities.
Monday, June 20, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Building Capacity for Climate Adaptation and Community Energy Planning
Cities account for over 70 percent of global energy use and nearly 50 percent of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. Since heating and cooling buildings accounts for more than half of local energy consumption, any viable climate solution must address more sustainable use of thermal energy as well as electricity.
One of the more cost-efficient solutions in reducing emissions and primary energy demand is deployment of modern (climate-resilient and low-carbon) district energy as outlined in the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) District Energy in Cities Initiative. District energy/CHP microgrids are valuable energy infrastructure, boosting integration of renewable resources like biomass and surplus industrial heat and supporting local economic development.
This workshop will feature “deeper-dive” discussion modules led by known industry experts, moving from the big picture to energy mapping to options analysis and modelling, followed by relevant, case studies to enable focus on real-world deployment issues and discussion of best practices in capacity-building and project implementation. This full day workshop is designed to enable interaction and learning on current trends, tools and techniques that will accelerate deployment of district energy, combined heat & power and microgrids.
Monday, June 20, 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Microgrid Symposium
Moderator: Baird Brown, Drinker Biddle & Reath
- Microgrids: The Solution to Optimize the Power Generation Mix – Uwe Schmiemann, Solar Turbines
- Texas A&M Electrical System Microgrid – Automation, Load Shed, and Zero Voltage Start – Bradley Shuffield, Burns & McDonnell; Tyler Hjorth, Texas A&M Unversity
- Maximizing Microgrids: The Top 5 Issues Facing the Development of the Ideal Microgrid – John Carroll, IPERC
- Harnessing the Full Reliability and Economics of a College Microgrid Through Control Software – Max Majkowski, Siemens
IDEA2016 Trade Show
The trade show at IDEA2016 will draw over 120 companies, associations, and stakeholders from around the world. Major microgrid players to be represented include S&C Electric, Schneider Electric, Siemens, and Johnson Controls. See the full list here.
