Session 2: Integration - Data Center & District Energy Technologies & Trends

A passionate advocate for large-scale decarbonization in urban environments, Chris’ role focuses on developing Enwave’s heating and cooling networks in Toronto’s downtown core. Beyond this, Chris specializes in expanding Enwave's reach by developing new opportunities in data centers, energy supply and heat recovery. With 4 years at Enwave and a total of 10 years in the building and energy sectors, Chris brings experience from deep energy retrofits at commercial and institutional buildings to the practice of decarbonizing new and existing customer sites.

Gerard is a Principal with Reshape Infrastructure Strategies, an development and advisory firm based in Vancouver, BC that operates across North America. He is a Professional Engineer (non-practising) with a Master’s degree in Clean Energy Engineering. Gerard has twenty years of experience in green buildings and district energy/thermal energy networks. He supports energy utilities, master plan developers, campuses, and municipalities to accelerate the energy transition. 125%

Ahmad Shams is the Director of Business Development at CenTrio, based in Chicago, where he plays a key role in advancing the company’s district energy solutions for the data center market. With a background in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Ahmad brings over eight years of experience in technical sales and energy-focused roles across industrial manufacturing sectors. His work has consistently emphasized sustainability and operational efficiency.

Since joining CenTrio, Ahmad has helped shape the company's go-to-market strategy for data centers and is actively engaged in the development of adaptive re-use and greenfield projects across the Chicago region. His insights are grounded in both engineering expertise and a strategic approach to clean energy infrastructure.

As Senior Director of Engineering, Geoff Bares is responsible for the many technical facets of CenTrio’s operations in Chicago: engineering design, construction project management, system performance improvement, and day-to-day technical oversight.  CenTrio provides sustainable district cooling service to nearly 53 million sq ft of building space in downtown.

Geoff’s previous work experiences include the International Space Station program, the liquefied natural gas industry and chilled water thermal storage systems.
Geoff holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Mechanics & Astronautics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.

Scott Emery is the Engineering Manager of FVB Energy's Washington DC office. He is a registered professional engineer with over 30 years of engineering and business experience related to geoexchange systems, net-zero energy building consulting, building performance standards, and comprehensive energy auditing. His expertise includes working with complex energy projects across the Mid-Atlantic and East Coast, focusing on guiding clients through technical, regulatory, environmental, and financial considerations. When not in the office, you will likely find him on a hike, exploring Virginia's wineries, or tending to his garden.

Michael Conte is the Engineering Manager of the FVB Energy Inc. Toronto office. He is a senior mechanical engineer with over 16 years of district energy experience related to Low Carbon District Energy planning, thermal energy production, power generation, and distribution piping systems. His experience includes working with a variety of low-carbon energy production technologies such as ORC turbines, sewer/wastewater energy recovery, geo-exchange, biomass, large scale heat pumps, thermal storage, centrifugal and absorption chillers. Michael works with energy utilities, municipalities, Universities, and home developers to help them navigate through their thermal energy needs and to leverage district energy to deliver positive project outcomes. When he’s not at the office, you will find him with his wife and two young children, or at the golf course / curling rink depending on the season.

Petri Tuominen has worked in district energy industry since 2013, specializing in valves and related solutions through his work at Vexve, the leading producer of valves specifically designed for district energy applications. He holds MSc degree in Economics from Lappeenranta University of Technology as well as an MBA from the Turku School of Economics. He is currently working as General Manager for Vexve's North American branch office in Montreal, Canada.