Call for Presentations

Call for Presentations Now Open

The Call for Presentations for IDEA2026 in Ottawa is now open, with a deadline of Friday, December 12, 2025 to submit your abstract for consideration.

We are thrilled to return to Canada for this year’s event—our first time back since IDEA2022 in Toronto. The district energy landscape has evolved significantly since then, and IDEA2026 will be the premier stage to highlight groundbreaking projects, innovative solutions, and best practices that reflect the remarkable growth and momentum of our industry.

Considering the outstanding projects consistently emerging from Canada, it’s only fitting that we convene global leaders in the nation’s capital to share ideas and advance the conversation about district energy as a global solution for so many communities.

Today, cities, communities, campuses, and innovation clusters are adopting district energy systems to address the impacts of climate change, reduce emissions, and foster stronger, more resilient local economies. IDEA2026 will bring together global leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities for cities and communities already utilizing or considering district energy solutions.

If you or your organization has projects making a meaningful impact in our industry, we strongly encourage you to share your expertise by submitting an abstract.

Download the Call for Presentations

Submit Abstract

Why Submit?

If you or your organization are advancing district energy through impactful projects, we encourage you to share your expertise by submitting an abstract.

Likewise, if your organization offers a technology positioned as a viable alternative for district energy applications, you must demonstrate its real-world effectiveness with proven examples within district energy systems or show that it is applicable.

We strongly encourage submissions that highlight public-private partnerships, showcasing the collaboration so prevalent in our industry.

Please note: submissions that are commercial in nature will not be considered. Case studies should be included with your submission, where applicable. In the simplest of terms - SHOW us what you do through real-world examples of what you do, do not TELL us what you do through explanation of a product or service.

Types of Sessions

You will be submitting an abstract for inclusion in the program as either:

Main Program presentation - 25 minute podium presentation (18-20 for presentation, 5-7 for Q&A)

Poster presentation - visual presentation of your submission on poster board, with dedicated times to meet one-on-one with attendees.

Workshop presentation - part of a section of similar themed presentation within a day-long program on a specific topic, likely delivered as an approximately 25-minute podium presentation.

Suggested Topics

IDEA welcomes submissions from across the broad spectrum of district energy projects. Suggested topics include:

• District Cooling & Thermal Energy Storage • Geothermal and Geo-Exchange • Thermal Energy Networks • De-Carbonizing with District Energy • Smart Cities & Resilient Energy Infrastructure • Energy Recovery/Waste Heat/Wastewater Systems • Integrating Renewables, Low-Carbon Solutions and Electrification • Combined Heat & Power, Microgrids & Distributed Generation • Public Private Partnerships & Financing • System Development, Expansion & Modernization • District Energy and CHP Case Studies in Cities, Communities and Campuses (corporate, health care, research, pharma campuses, airports & military bases) • Community Energy Planning and Sector-Coupling • Controls, Monitoring, Metering, Optimization & Energy Management • Workforce Development and Talent Management