Illinois Wins 'System of the Year' Award

ORLANDO, FL, July 1, 2024 – The International District Energy Association (IDEA) is proud to announce that the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has been awarded the IDEA System of the Year Award (SOYA) at IDEA2024, the International District Energy Association’s annual conference and trade show, which was held in Orlando, Florida in June.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign won the SOYA for the university’s cogeneration system, which couples the generation and consumption of energy streams to help manage and decrease system demand, thereby reducing costs and emissions. At the heart of the Urbana campus’ system is Abbott Power Plant, which supplies approximately 85% of the campus’ energy needs. The system also includes the Energy Management Control Center to help the university manage and lower system demand, thermal energy storage, allowing for the continuous review and improvement of building performance through remote, computerized monitoring, and incorporating two large-scale on-site solar arrays, which have helped the campus exceed its sustainability goals.

Over the last 15 years, the university has reduced its energy use per square foot by approximately 40%, and we look forward to continuing to improve on efficiencies and decarbonization in the years to come.

“We are really excited about receiving this award,” said Robert Roman, Director of Utilities & Energy Services upon receiving the award. “This means a lot to us because it’s from you (our peers). We know we’re not just one person that does it all, it’s a big family, it’s a crew, from people in this room and people at our plant, people in our distribution system. Sometimes, we get so involved in what we do every day, that we forget to say sometimes those good things our people do.”

System of the Year is the highest honor IDEA can confer on a district energy system, recognizing high-level performance, reliability, efficiency and industry engagement, while furthering the goals of the district energy industry.

About the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

For over 150 years, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has delivered advanced scholarship, breakthrough discoveries, and meaningful public engagement that decisively changes the world. As the flagship campus for the state, the university provides world-class access to research, instruction, and other educational opportunities to nearly 57,000 students from 48 states and more than 130 countries each year. Over 11,000 full-time employees work on the 6,370-acre campus, encompassing 651 buildings where students, faculty, and staff learn, live, and collaborate.

Utilities & Energy Services (UES), a division within Facilities & Services (F&S), produces, distributes, and operates campus utilities, ensuring a careful balance between safety, reliability, sustainability, and cost-efficiency. The unit is state-supported and also receives specific project and initiative funding from various sources, including energy conservation grants and Student Sustainability Committee allocations, which allows the university to integrate new technologies and streamline the processes of this $100M per year utility enterprise.

About IDEA

The International District Energy Association (IDEA) is a 501(c)(6) nonprofit industry association founded in the United States in 1909. IDEA now has a membership of nearly 3,000 industry professionals representing more than 30 countries around the world. IDEA’s mission is to actively foster the success of its members as leaders in providing reliable, economical, efficient and environmentally sound district heating, district cooling and combined heat and power to optimize energy efficiency, emissions reductions and sustainable solutions for mission-critical and community-scale markets.