I am writing my last column as IDEA chair, and what a year it has been! It is hard to believe it has been nearly a year since we celebrated the association's 100th anniversary at the incredible National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. I will always remember that evening.
Seeing so many of you in the audience affirmed for me what a great association this is. Our business certainly is about systems, equipment, pipe and engineering - but it is nothing without people. I feel charged knowing that the talents, creativity, dedication and drive of our membership will take IDEA into the next 100 years and beyond. I also know that our members' projects and applications will continue advancing the cause of IDEA in a manner that benefits the environment.
We are starting to see traction among political decision makers and local leaders that energy efficiency is the low-hanging fruit when it comes to addressing climate change. Every day I see more and more media coverage indicating that energy efficiency has to be part of the solution. It parallels my career focus, which has always been increasing energy efficiency. It's what led me to my theme "Creating an Efficient Energy Future." We need to continue driving forward our message.
I have had the good fortune of working at one of the largest campus district energy systems in the U.S. We have been able to use technologies and strategies that have reduced our energy intensity, increased energy efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. We have shown that energy efficiency pays dividends in savings, independent of the actual fuel cost. Sure, the more you pay for fuel, the higher the savings, but efficiency is a core principle we have believed in and continue to practice.
CALLOUT Efficiency never goes out of style.
Efficiency never goes out of style. It may ebb and flow with the urgency of cost avoidance due to price variability, but efficiency is a constant. As a country, the U.S. needs to focus on efficiency. There is so much room for improvement, particularly on our campuses and in cities where the scale of systems provides return on investment.
My colleagues at institutions like Princeton, Mizzou, Cornell and The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have implemented effective strategies to reduce energy intensity. Sometimes economic realities hamper efforts to increase energy efficiency. Sometimes we need capital to make operational improvements or modernize systems to meet load growth or new energy requirements. But no matter what the situation, we need to maintain the highest-possible level of reliability. As owners and operators of district energy systems for research campuses or in an urban setting, we have an obligation to ensure high-quality, uninterrupted energy is delivered.
The key to success in all of this is sharing information among ourselves and beyond, information from equipment vendors who are continually improving their capabilities; from peers with valuable experience and insight to share; and from consultants who can help make technologies and strategies easier to adapt, more cost-effective and ultimately more valuable to end-users. This information is available at IDEA. It is a nexus for sharing experience and information.
My term as IDEA chair has opened a world of opportunity to me - to share information and my experience in running large chiller plants with colleagues in the United Arab Emirates and to visit world-class district energy systems in Denmark and see how our European colleagues are achieving ever-higher levels of energy efficiency, fuel flexibility and lower carbon solutions. We all face the common challenge of educating decision makers on the value of district energy and CHP.
The past year also has reinforced my belief that collaboration within our industry is important, including learning, sharing and working together to advance our systems' energy efficiency. IDEA has been a powerful professional resource for me. It also has helped our entire UT Austin team become better engineers, operators and stewards of our institution's assets.
As my term comes to a close, I extend my thanks to Monica Westerlund, who will be stepping down from her post as executive editor of District Energy magazine. She has served the organization for 20 years and been a constant creative voice for our industry. We wish her continued success.
I also am grateful to the dedicated and insightful board members who have served alongside me over the years. In particular we will sorely miss the experience and knowledge of outgoing board members Jim Adams, Cornell University; Gregg Coffin, University of Missouri in Columbia; Tim Merrill, NRG Energy Center Pittsburgh; Tom Pierson, TAS Packaged Central Plants; and Steve Tredinnick, Syska Hennessy Group.
I would be remiss if I failed to congratulate and thank Dennis Fotinos from Enwave for his enthusiastic leadership and commitment to IDEA for the past decade. Thank you! I will continue to serve as past chair and look forward to supporting Dave Toombs of Citizens Thermal as he takes the helm this June in Indianapolis.
My thanks to all of you for making the year a special one. Let us continue to work together to create an efficient energy future!
Juan Ontiveros
Chair, 2009-2010
Executive Director of Utilities and Energy Management
The University of Texas at Austin
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