THEME: A need for transformational change in District Cooling for Saudi Arabia to raise the bar on decarbonising existing cities and to get things right from the get-go in new cities
It is widely agreed that geothermal and hydrogen should be part of any discussions on the most sustainable energy mix for running District Cooling schemes. And yet, what is the level of acceptance? Is there a clear will, intent and emerging roadmap to make the transition? If so, by when, considering that 2030, as a milestone year, is not too far away?
Shifting to geothermal and hydrogen is a technology-based discussion and a financial one, as well, when it comes to considering the modelling that would need to be in place. Another topic that is as much financial is when exploring the possibility of serving chilled water to the residential sector. And considering the mega residential projects being launched on the Saudi landscape, is there a strong potential for decarbonising entire residential clusters with a favourable slab rate for District Cooling?
Broad Context & Approach of the Conference
Chilled water systems are at the core of exciting mega developments in the region, and DC Dialogue is a gathering of stakeholders at the forefront of the developments, including government regulators, District Cooling utility providers, sectoral end users (healthcare, hospitality, education, aviation, malls, etc.), MEP consultants, MEP contractors, manufacturers and suppliers.
Based on a unique format, the conference has a central narrator, who invites different players at various points in time to elaborate on what they worked on/or are working on, who in turn would invite the manufacturers collaborating with them.
A brief history of DC Dialogue
The inaugural edition of DC Dialogue took place in May 2007.
The 9th Edition of DC Dialogue, true to tradition, carries the weight of a rich history of in-depth discussions in past editions that have yielded voluminous and actionable reports, suggesting progressive action. The objective of the conference is as much to discuss the latest technologies capable of raising the bar on energy efficiency, water-use optimisation and reliability as to review the progress made by the industry and to compare policies and approaches across multiple eco-systems with an ambitious drive towards zero-energy cities. The conference also has a self-given mandate of closely examining different forms of renewable energy, as applicable to district cooling schemes, and the buzz surrounding Green Hydrogen as a form of energy.
FORMAT
The conference includes a traditional mix of policy and regulation-related addresses, techno-commercial presentations, case study presentations, panel discussions, and focused and structured audience interactions to receive the maximum possible information from energy policymakers in the planning, energy, environment and Renewable Energy sectors; master developers; developers; Building Owner Associations; general & MEP consultants; general & MEP contractors; sectoral end-users (healthcare, hospitality, aviation, education, retail, etc.); manufacturers; suppliers; and O&M and other specialised District Cooling service providers.