Awards & Scholarships

IDEA Awards: Recognizing Industry Growth, Leadership, and Innovation

It's time to recognize the best of the best in district energy - will your organization be among those we celebrate this year?

Join us at IDEA2026 in Ottawa as we announce the winners of three of the industry's most prestigious honors: IDEA System of the Year, the Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award, and District Energy Space awards. Each recognizes the people, projects, and systems advancing district energy around the world.

 

While we celebrate the achievements shaping district energy today, we'll also honor this year's  John Gray Scholarship program honoring students pursuing a degree in the energy industry. 

System of the Year Award

The Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award

The IDEA System of the Year Award (SOYA) is the highest honor IDEA can bestow on a district energy system. The award recognizes systems that demonstrate exceptional performance, reliability, and efficiency, along with a strong commitment to serving their communities. Honorees exemplify leadership in system design, operations, innovation, and long-term stewardship, setting a benchmark for excellence across the district energy industry.

At IDEA2026 in Ottawa, IDEA honored the City of Vancouver's False Creek Neighbourhood Energy Utility with this prestigious award. 

The Joseph M. Brillhart Innovation Award recognizes groundbreaking technological innovations in the district energy industry. Often highlighting collaborative projects between institutions and industry partners, the award celebrates initiatives that demonstrate clear value to the communities they serve and offer a replicable pathway for advancing the industry.

At IDEA2026 in Ottawa, IDEA recognized Johnson Controls and the University of Windsor for their submission, Pioneering Campus Decarbonization: Advancing Hybrid Steam-Electric Innovation at the University of Windsor. 

Learn About SOYA


District Energy Space

Learn About the Innovation Award

District Energy Space is a publication that reports the incremental calendar year annual growth of new and renewed customer building space served by district energy. 

Awards are given to the organizations that report the Greatest Number of Buildings Added in North America, Most Square Feet Added in North America, Greatest Number of Buildings Added Beyond North America, and Most Square Feet Added Beyond North America. We urge all IDEA Member Systems to participate each year.

Congratulations to all the 2025 District Energy Space Winners:

Cordia Minneapolis (bronze) CenTrio Seattle (silver), & Vicinity Boston/Cambridge (gold) in North America.

Emicool (silver) and Empower (gold) Beyond North America.

John Gray Scholarship

Established at IDEA's 100th Annual Conference in 2009, the John Gray Scholarship aims to attract and retain individuals wishing to pursue knowledge about energy in general and district energy specifically.
 
The scholarship is offered annually to IDEA member employees and their children, or to individuals pursuing an enhancement of knowledge of district energy either through the educational opportunities at IDEA meetings or through educational programs at four-year universities in management, engineering, finance, or energy, or at two-year community colleges that offer an Associate’s Degree in power engineering.
 

Students who are children of IDEA member employees, as well as candidates recommended by an IDEA member, are eligible to apply, with preference to those pursuing degrees related to careers in the energy industry through four-year universities, two-year community colleges, accredited technical training institutes, or certification programs. 

Learn More


Patti Wilson Leadership Program

The Patti Wilson Leadership Program was launched in 2024 to honor the legacy of former International District Energy Association (IDEA) Chair and longtime Board Member Patti Wilson. 
 
Patti embraced the essence of IDEA through her passion for connecting people, a commitment to lifelong learning, and her warm spirit of collegiality.  This program is underwritten in part through the generous support of Affiliated Engineers, Inc (AEI), her long term employer, and IDEA.  
 
The award is presented at the annual IDEA Campus Energy Conference, where Patti’s many years of professionalism and leadership helped to advance the industry. The primary intent of the program is to attract and foster participation of promising young women in the district energy industry and support emerging leadership potential to continue advancing the global mission of IDEA.
 

Additional Awards & Honors

The following awards are typically given out at our Annual Conference in June.

Norman R. Taylor Award

Awarded each year at IDEA's Annual Conference & Trade Show, the Norman R. Taylor Award is IDEA's tribute to its "Person of the Year." The award is the top honor IDEA can confer on an individual, recognizing that person's lifetime achievements and contributions to the district heating and cooling industry.

Congratulations to Bruce Ander for winning the 2026 Norm Taylor Award!

View Past Winners & More Information

Unsung Hero Award

The IDEA Unsung Hero Award recognizes an IDEA member who has performed above and beyond the call of duty on behalf of the industry and the association, without requiring or seeking recognition for his or her efforts.

Congratulations to Tomasz Smetny-Sowa for winning this year's Unsung Hero Award!

View Past Winners & More Information