Ottawa: Brent Gilmour, Executive Director of QUEST (Quality Urban Energy Systems of Tomorrow), announced the establishment May 9 of a national District Energy Working Group, with the first official meeting set to take place June 1, 2017. The announcement was made at the District Energy Workshop on the Danish District Energy experience hosted by the Danish Consulate and the Government of Canada.
Designed to build awareness and education on the importance of District Energy, the Working Group will advocate for policies, programs, and resources that support District Energy at all levels of government.
“As we develop Smart Energy Communities, District Energy is a critical component of energy distribution infrastructure that enables many communities to improve energy efficiency, enhance reliability, cut costs, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions,” said Brent Gilmour, Executive Director of QUEST.
Successful implementation of District Energy requires multi-stakeholder collaboration of key industry leaders, the group says. “QUEST is working with the International District Energy Association, CanmetENERGY / Natural Resources Canada, Ramboll, Reshape Strategies, ENMAX, Markham District Energy, Heritage Gas, Vancouver, and Halifax Regional Municipality, to name a few,” said Gilmour.
The QUEST Smart Energy Atlas, www.questcanada.org/hub/atlas, allows filtering by energy type.