Feature
Story
Campus Energy a
Hot Topic:
Hundreds attend annual conference
The University of New Mexico
(UNM) served as host for the 19th
Annual IDEA Campus Energy
Conference in Albuquerque, N.M., Feb. 21-
24, 2006. With the theme “Partnering for
Success,” the conference attracted more
than 300 people to participate in technical
sessions on topics ranging from fuel and
power procurement strategies and campus master planning to district cooling
development and operations and management techniques.
Photo Pat Berrett.
More than 300 district energy professionals from
the U.S. and five other countries attended the
recent 19th Annual IDEA Campus Energy
Conference in Albuquerque.
Additionally, the Campus Forum
featured a special pre-conference workshop, “Implementing Clean Campus
Energy Systems for Savings and Sustainability,” which featured case studies,
guidance on management and financing
strategies, master-planning approaches
and international campus energy development opportunities.
The main conference teamed IDEA
members from campus systems with
IDEA business partners to provide highly
relevant and timely presentations, including panel discussions that allowed audience interaction with industry leaders.
The open exchange of experience and
knowledge is the essence of IDEA, and
partnering between business partners
and end-users has been the hallmark of
IDEA conferences since 1909.
The opening plenary panel session,
“Volatility, Uncertainty and Anxiety –
Coping With Today’s Energy Market for
Campus Leaders,” featured the presentations “Paradigm Shift – Energy Procurement in a Deregulated Electric Market” by
Mary Smith, Harvard University; and ‘A
Shattered Crystal Ball – Where Are Energy
Prices Headed?’ by Lucinda Andreani,
Lucinda Andreani Associates. The panel
of campus energy leaders included
Gordon Apperley, University of British
Columbia; Cheryl Gomez, University of
Virginia; Jeffrey Zumwalt, University of
New Mexico; and Raymond DuBose,
University of North Carolina. Panelists
provided detailed accountings of their
fuel-purchasing strategies, the impact of
volatile fuel prices and their strategies for
hedging fuel and power supplies.
The conference technical sessions
featured presentations on campus combined heat and power, cooling system
Photo Pat Berrett.
Both the conference and pre-conference workshop featured educational sessions on a wide
range of topics, from combined heat and power
to metering and billing solutions.
development, environmental compliance
strategies, sustainable campus system
and LEED® strategies, metering and billing
solutions, and system control options. In
addition to the quality technical content
organized by Conference Technical Chair
Photo Pat Berrett.
In the exhibit hall, tabletop displays showcased
the products and services of various district energy
consultants, manufacturers and other vendors,
and provided a great opportunity for networking.
