Newly-elected IDEA Chair Joan Kowal recently kicked off her term, and at IDEA2024, the International District Energy Association’s 115th Annual Conference and Trade Show, she provided a preview of the theme for her 12-month tenure – ‘Fostering Innovation Through Diversity.’
As Kowal herself remarked in her address to the assembled crowd, “one simple definition of diversity is being composed of different elements,” which she noted “is a perfect description of our industry and of IDEA.”
Kowal, a client growth manager for Jacobs, Energy and Power Americas, specializes in district energy for higher education, municipalities, airports and health care. And before Jacobs, Kowal oversaw business development for the distributed generation group at NextEra Energy Resources and spent 15 years managing energy and utilities at Emory University and the University of Maryland system.
In her speech, which you can view on the IDEA YouTube channel, Kowal highlighted the areas of strength, and need, across the district energy industry related to diversity. “The intent of this theme is to recognize and embrace the various journeys all of us in our companies have taken over the last few decades and will need to continue to take as our industry focuses to provide sustainable solutions on the path to decarbonization,” said Kowal.
A diversity of people, organizations and systems also reside under the umbrella of district energy. With that in mind, Kowal described her vision for IDEA and for the industry at large as one of growth “with an intentional focus on diversity” where the association casts a big tent to recognize and celebrate diversity among its people, but also diverse “schools of thought, geography and technical solutions.”
To kick off her term as Chair, Kowal will begin by focusing on the element of geographical diversity. Counting nearly 3,000 district energy system executives, managers, engineers, consultants, and equipment suppliers from around 30 countries as its members, IDEA represents the interests of a diverse cross section of industry professionals and the systems they own and operate. District energy systems are operational around the globe, in a wide range of geographical locations with a varied set of heating, cooling and power needs and very different climate conditions, from Mongolia to Dubai. As Kowal said, “all the various locations drive the need for applications of diverse technologies as well as diverse regulatory requirements and approaches, as well as schools of thought.”
Kowal has noted that being a part of IDEA allows its members to grow both personally and professionally. Through the association, she said she has had the opportunity to build a large professional network and develop friendships with colleagues, while also gaining the ability to see around corners and get a glimpse of what’s next. As she put it, a “lens into the future with [the association’s] demonstrations of new technologies by trailblazing members as well as updates from national labs and vendors on emerging technologies and how they may play out in the coming decades.”
A hallmark of IDEA is also the spirit of collaboration and collegiality it fosters for its members and throughout the district energy industry by embracing a culture where people across companies and institutions are able to share best practices, exchange insights, gain valuable technical knowledge and consider new approaches and innovations.
And in her address, Kowal told the audience at IDEA2024 that she would be leaning into this spirit. As such, she invited her colleagues to discuss with her how they have addressed and completed projects to advance their organization’s decarbonization goals or assist others in their progress during the energy transition. As she said, “one size does not fit all, and one of the real strengths of district energy is to adapt to the optimum solution.” It’s a strength that is built on diversity – of the people, technologies, approaches and schools of thought behind it all.
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