Technical Tours

Tour Schedule

IDEA is pleased to offer three exciting options for touring local district energy systems.
All Technical Tours will begin with a Breakfast & Technical Tour Orientation at 7:30am at the Town and Country San Diego Resort. Enjoy a hot breakfast while tour hosts provide a brief series of overview presentations highlighting the systems, facilities, and key learning objectives you’ll experience later in the day.
 
At approximately 9:00 am, participants will depart the Town and Country via chartered buses for their selected technical tours. Each tour will offer behind-the-scenes access, on-site discussions with local experts, and real-world examples of innovative district energy and decarbonization strategies in practice.
 
At the conclusion of the tours, buses will return participants to the San Diego International Airport before returning to the hotel.
*Closed-toe shoes and long pants are required on all tours.
Friday, February 19, 2027
Schedule

Pre-Tour Breakfast and short presentations 7:30 am - 8:50 am

Tour A - 9:00 am – 11:00 am - Visits Solar Turbines Manufacturing Plant

Tour B - 9:00am – 11:30 am – Visits Cordia’s Two District Cooling Plants

Tour C - 9:25 am – 1:00 pm - Visits Cordia’s Two District Cooling Plants and Solar Turbines Manufacturing Plant

All Tours will drop participants at the airport or the Town and Country Resort and the end of the tour. Drop off times are approximate and subject to change. 

Tour A - Solar Turbines Manufacturing Plant

This one-hour guided tour of the Solar Turbines Kearny Mesa manufacturing facility offers an inside look at the processes and technologies behind industry-leading turbine production. Guests will explore the Main Shop and Turbine Assembly areas to see how critical components are manufactured, assembled, and prepared for operation.
The tour also includes visits to the Controls area and Test Cells, where advanced systems are configured and validated to ensure performance and reliability. The experience concludes with a Turbine Test viewing, providing a firsthand look at the rigorous testing procedures that verify quality before equipment is delivered to customers worldwide.  Photography is not permitted, and attendees from competitor organizations are not allowed on the tour.

Tour B - Cordia San Diego

Cordia San Diego has delivered efficient, reliable, chilled water cooling to downtown customers for nearly 50 years. With the recent acquisition of the East Village District Plant, Cordia expands its network to serve one of San Diego’s most dynamic urban neighborhoods, including the East Village and the Ballpark District.

The original plant in the city’s commercial core continues to cool over 3.2 million square feet of space across a 1-square-mile area, supporting public and private institutions alike. Built in 1971 and modernized over the decades, it features 2,000 tons of turbine-driven chiller capacity and upgraded electric chillers that enhance sustainability and performance.

The tour will visit both the downtown and East Village facilities to showcase a new era of reliable, low-carbon energy—helping San Diego meet its ambitious climate goals while keeping vital city infrastructure cool and resilient.

Tour C - Cordia San Diego AND Solar Turbines

Tour C will visit both Cordia San Diego facilities as well as the Solar Turbines Kearny Mesa manufacturing facility. Please make note of the end time of this tour, as it is the longest of the three options and won't be arriving at the airport until around 1:00 pm.