IDEA CAMPUS ENERGY CONFERENCE OPENING PLENARY PANEL.
CLEAN ENERGY FOR THE NEXT GENERATION: IDEA 28TH ANNUAL CAMPUS ENERGY CONFERENCE Written by Brad Bradford Communities across North America are recognizing that district energy is fundamental to achieving large scale energy savings and emissions reductions. From recovering industrial surplus heat, to tapping renewable sources of cooling, to harvesting indigenous fuel resources, utilities are joining forces with cities to bridge multiple pathways to successful district energy implementation. University and college campuses are already doing their part. Many college campuses have deployed district energy, 62 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE
CHP, and microgrid technologies for decades, some for even a century or more. As such, campuses are uniquely positioned to demonstrate the economic and environmental advantages of district energy and to deploy new technologies that stimulate economic activity and innovation, while acting as major stakeholders in decisions around land-use planning, energy supply and distribution, and transportation. All of these decisions help drive the green economy transformation.
IDEA’s 28th Annual Campus Energy Conference, with a theme of “Clean Energy for the Next Generation”, brought together more than 670 delegates from colleges and universities, government agencies, and leading manufacturers and service providers from 44 different states across the USA, as well as delegates from Canada, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The conference, held between the 10th and 13th of February 2015 in Denver, Colorado, included comprehensive workshops, engaging ple-