SAMPLE CEIS Update 2012

| 1CEIS Update, VOLUME 27 NO. 1 MARCH 2012

In our Update on Energy Developments, we have

showcased the OLADE Energy Efficiency seminar and launch of the RED-LAC-EE network; as we shine

light on WELECTRICITY’s new strategic partnership.

Consumer and Energy reveals the award-winning LED L Prize

Lamp from Philips Lighting.With a wealth of experience in

energy and environment sectors, Mr. David Barrett is our Outstanding Caribbean

Energy Feature.In Energy & the

Environment“Vestas believes in the Caribbean”- find out more about

their track record in the Caribbean.In Energy For Young Minds,

we take on a past examination challenge and learn more about How

solar cells and panels work.

A Publication of the Caribbean Energy Information System

Image: Nutdanai Apikhomboonwaroot / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For these and

more, go inside and also enjoy our

Entertainment Page, Events Listing and

News on happenings from across the

CARIBBEAN!www.ceis-caribenergy.org

VOLUME 27 NO. 1 MARCH 2012

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2 | CEIS Update, March 2011

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2 | CEIS Update, June 2011

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| 3CEIS Update, June 2011

NETWORK NEWS

FUEL PRICE HIKE FOR ANTIGUA & BARBUDA

A ntigua and Barbuda have become the latest in a string of Caribbean countries to announce a hike in fuel prices.

BBC Caribbean reported that Antiguans will be paying 7% more for petrol and diesel at the pump.

Motorists across the Caribbean have seen a sharp increase in the price of fuel since the beginning of March 2011. The unrest in the Middle East is said to be the main factor helping to push up world oil prices.

Several countries, including Domi-nica, Jamaica, and St Maarten, have announced increases in fuel prices since the beginning of March.

The Bahamas Petroleum Company (BPC) is optimistic that it will begin drilling in 2012. BPC chief executive officer Dr Paul Crevello revealed that the company and the government are working on establishing the neces-sary regulations so BPC can further conduct its operations in the country, and Crevello is feeling positive about the progress being made. Crevello mentioned that over $14 million to date has been spent by BPC. The oil exploration company raised around $73 million in March. Crevello out-lined some of the costs associated with drilling, with seismic surveys ranging from $20-$35 million. Drill-ing a well can cost from $80-$150 mil-lion.

The BPC executive said these will re-quire the finding of a business part-

BAHAMAS OIL EXPLORATION COMPANY CONFIDENT IT WILL

START DRILLING IN 2012

ner, for which the company is active-ly searching.

BPC holds five petroleum explora-tion licenses covering 3.87 million acres in Bahamian territorial waters and its maritime exclusive econom-ic zone (EEZ). Four of the licenses, named Bain, Cooper, Donaldson and Eneas, are in the south-west Bahamas near the Cuban border. They vary in acreage from 775,468 acres to 780,316 acres. A fifth licence is held through a wholly-owned subsidiary of BPC, Island Offshore Petroleum Limited. The licenses expire on April 26, 2012, according to BPC’s web site.

CORAL REEF RESEARCH EXPEDITION TO BE LAUNCHED

IN THE BAHAMAS

The Living Oceans Foundation has chosen The Bahamas for the opening of its Global Reef Expedition, a five year, worldwide study of the health of the coral reef environments. In making the announcement, Captain Philip Renaud, USN (ret), the Foun-dation’s executive director, noted that up to 80 percent of all life on the earth is found in the oceans, and that the health of the coral reefs is critical to the health of many species that inhabit the oceans.

Under the banner of Science Without Borders, the ambitious Global Reef Expedition will be outfitted, equipped and financed by the Khaled bin Sultan Living Oceans Foundation, which is headquartered in the Washington DC suburb of Landover, Maryland.

The Global Reef Expedition will begin with six months of research in strategic parts of The Bahamas, beginning with the Cay Sal Bank April 26 to May 18. It will then travel to the southernmost district to study the Hogsty Reef and other areas off the Inagua Islands in August, and then on to Andros and Abaco in October.

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Chavez wants

Barbados to sign

PetroCaribe

Venezuela’s president Hugo Chavez would like

Barbados to sign on to the PetroCaribe Energy Coop-

eration Agreement, which allows Caribbean nations to

have oil and petroleum products from Venezuela on a

deferred payment scheme. This is one of two wishes

which new Venezuelan ambassador to Barbados Jose

Gomez says Chavez has for relations between the two

countries. The other is that Barbados be represented

when the proposed grouping of the Community of

Latin American and Caribbean Nations is formed. After

making a courtesy call on THE NATION’s Editor-In-

Chief Kaymar Jordan yesterday, Gomez said he had

conveyed the message in his meetings with Govern-

ment officials during the Barbados visit. He said Barba-

dos had initially expressed concerns about payments

to the PetroCaribe scheme, but he explained a new

scheme had been drawn up which eliminated those

concerns.

Late Prime Minister David Thompson had said

Barbados would not shift towards the oil agreement

with Venezuela and the agreement with neighbouring

Trinidad and Tobago would remain intact. .

Cuba, partners to drill 5 oil wells this summer

Source: bunkerville.wordpress.com

Cuba and partner com-panies will begin drilling five oil wells in the Gulf of Mexico this summer in hopes of lo-cating enough crude to justify the costly exploration. Cuba’s domestic production is exclu-sively heavy oil with a high sulphur content. Its off shore Gulf waters could contain large quantities of lighter, sweet crude, although a test well in 2004 turned up only modest deposits.

Studies since then have pointed to “oil traps” in the marine floor, persuading partner companies to take on the expensive task of exploration in deep water, Marrero said during an earth sciences convention.

The drilling is expected to run through 2013.

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DRILLING OF GEOTHERMAL WELLS IN DOMINICA TO COMMENCE

LATE JULY

The drilling of three exploratory geothermal wells in the Roseau Val-ley in Dominica is expected to com-mence at the end of July this year.

The Minister for Environment of Dominica, Kenneth Darroux, has been lobbying for funds to be made available to Dominica and the rest of the Organisation of Eastern Ca-ribbean States (OECS) by the global climate change agency to implement climate change related projects.

The minister, recently added a global change climate change agency meet-ing in Belize, and took the opportu-nity to voice Dominica’s needs as it pertains to climate change issues in-cluding adaptation and mitigation.

The minister said he was able to con-vince the meeting that the OECS sub region should be included in the bud-get of the climate change agency.

The minister said his ministry will seek to write appropriate projects that will be considered for funding by the Global Change Climate Agency.

MINISTER LOBBIES FOR FUNDS FOR DOMINICA TO IMPLEMENT

CLIMATE CHANGE

US$40M PLEDGED TO SAVE GUYANA’S RAINFOREST

Norway has pledged to deposit US$40 million into a World Bank fund as part of an ongoing agreement to help Guyana preserve its lush Am-azon rainforest.

The South American country is be-ing rewarded for maintaining very low rates of deforestation, lower than previously anticipated, Erik Solheim, Norway’s environment minister, said at a ceremony late Thursday.

Norway previously had deposited US$30 million into the account as part of a 2009 agreement under which Guyana could receive up to US$250 million by 2015 as an incentive to protect its forests through sustainable mining, timber harvesting and other projects.

Guyana has sought up to US$580 mil-lion a year from nations and institu-tions to protect its 37-million acres (15 million hectares) of jungle.

Norway’s initial deposit of US$30 million will not be released until both coun-tries agree on how the money will be used. One of the proposed projects includes providing elec-tricity to indigenous com-munities via solar and hy-droelectric power.

The contract for the over 4.5 million euros project was signed in Roseau last week.

The contract was awarded to the Ice-land Drilling Company and is being funded by the Agence Francaise de Development, the European Union and the government of Dominica.

Project Coordinator, Jason Timothy, explained that the long term objective is to confirm the nature and extent of the potential geothermal resource at various sites within the Wotten Waven area to determine the capac-ity of wells for sustainable commer-cial exploitation in generating electric power. The European Union is pro-viding 1.5 million euros grant funds towards the project.

Charge d’Affaires of the EU delega-tion to Barbados and the Eastern Ca-ribbean, Hubert Perr has voiced sup-port for the project.

Meantime, Minister for Energy Ray-burn Blackmoore said that the move towards this renewable source of en-ergy is a welcome one for the Govern-ment and people of Dominica. Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Roosevelt Skerrit, believes that the contract is being signed at a critical time in the global energy sector.

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JAMAICANS SEE THE LIGHT IN FINAL PHASE OF THE CUBA-

JAMAICA COMPACT FLUORESCENT LAMP (CFL) PROJECT

JAMAICA EXTENDS OIL EXPLO-RATION FOR ADDITIONAL NINE

The Petroleum Corporation of Ja-maica (PCJ) has approved a nine-month extension of the initial ex-ploration period of offshore blocks licensed to Sagres Energy Inc., an international oil and gas exploration company with interests in Guyana, Colombia and Jamaica.

The initial exploration period, Phase 1 will now end December 15, 2011, by which time Sagres must elect wheth-er to enter Phase 2. Phase 2 of the ini-tial exploration period for each block

Jamaicans are turning out in large numbers to exchange high energy consuming incandescent light bulbs for energy saving fluorescent bulbs, in the final phase of the Cuba-Jamai-ca Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) Project, commonly called the Cuban light bulb programme.

The project was restarted on March 26 in North West St Andrew, and has since covered over 30 communities.

In South St Andrew, at the People’s Church complex, Maxfield Avenue, for example, some 5,000 compact flu-orescent lamps have been exchanged. There are several other centres in the area where lamps are being distrib-uted. Jesus Diaz Camargo and Carlos Col-lado Martinez, representatives of the Ministry of Basic Industries in Cuba, who were at the People’s Church dis-tribution centre, both expressed satis-faction with the process.

EDITORIAL STAFF Managing Editor: Tricia Williamson Associate Editors: Andrew Woods, Carol Thompson & Curtis Deenah

Editorial Assistant: D. Maria CornwallCont’d on page 32

FULL SPEED AHEAD FOR ST KITTS WIND ENERGY PROJECT

Approximately 10 to 15 percent of the overall capacity of the St Kitts national grid will be supplied by wind energy upon the completion of Phase I of the North Star Project at Belle Vue, St Kitts.

This is according to Mark Tippit, founder and president of North Star, a US-based real estate and renewable

The distribution of the fluorescent lamps will have a significant impact on the national energy bill, as persons are swapping bulbs of up to 150 watts for 14-watt fluorescent lamps.

The distribution programme will continue in St Thomas Eastern and Western from April 15 to 20.

Observers examine solar panel on a roof

carries a one well commitment and now must be completed by Decem-ber 15, 2013.

Under Phase 1, Sagres has conducted bathymetric, geologic, seismic, and environmental surveys of blocks 9, 13, and 14, and regional geologic surveys of the adjacent Walton and Lower Walton basins, and the island of Jamaica. Sagres has met all the work commitment under Phase 1.

Chapman is a qualified reserves eval-uator and is independent of Sagres. Sagres holds a 100% interest in each block and is currently seeking a part-ner to proceed with exploration drill-ing.

The newly released blocks in the Lower Walton Basin lie immediately south and adjacent to Sagres’ blocks 13 and 14. The deep-water bid round is scheduled to close September 1, 2011.

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| 9CEIS Update, March 2011

A national two year project titled: “Jatropha Innovation Centre for Community-Adopted Technologies and Development in Belize” was approved for funding by the Organization of American States (OAS), with plans for execution by Central Farm Research and De-velopment Department (MAF).

MAF, is responsible for the establishment of a Jatropha curcas Oil Extraction and Utilization Centre that will provide processing and also demonstrate use of jatropha oil as an energy option.

UPDATE ON ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS

Jatropha (Jatropha curcas L.) (Eu-phorbiaceae) commonly known as physic nut is an oil plant that is found in sub-tropic and tropical regions of the world. It is known to have more than 200 common names and is found to grow wild or as a hedge specifically as live fencing by cattle farmers. Cur-rently it is cultivated for its oil and production of bio-fuel for use in diesel engines. Jatropha is be-lieved to have its origin in Central America. Its use also goes back to World War II, when the oil was utilized in motors by military teams.

Several development organiza-tions and international coopera-tion, such as the World Bank, OAS and some NGO’s are developing similar projects based on the culti-vation of the physic nut and uses of its fuel by small farmers in zones with unfavorable agro-ecological conditions. The economy of Be-lize has traditionally depended on agriculture, (bananas, sugar and citrus) which accounted for 12.7% of GDP and close to half of exports in 2005.

While significant progress has been achieved, the alleviation of poverty continues to be a major challenge for Belize. Poverty lev-els based on the 2002 Living Stan-dard Measurement Survey were unchanged at 33.5 percent com-pared to the 1996 survey. Many poor farmers can benefit from the production of bio-fuel, especially on lands not suitable for food pro-duction.

The general purpose of this project is to establish a Jatropha

JATROPHA DIESEL PROCESSING CENTER at Central Farm in BelizeSAMPLE


Innovation Centre to utilize Jat-ropha curcas and its oil for com-munity development. This will generate income, rehabilitate de-graded land and reduce Green House Emissions. Furthermore, the Centre plans to produce infor-mation and educational material on the management of commer-cial jatropha production.

The implementation of the pro-gram has three pillars: institu-tional, regulatory, and human ca-pacity building and pivots around the transfer of knowledge from the centre and its regional/local partners to Belizeans. Activities will include provision of hands-on workshops in grove cultivation, processing of diesel and using it in small machinery.

Targeted concerns for the project include but are not limited to the following:

• Identifying characteristics such as adaptability, pests & disease tolerance, homoge-neous flowering and high oil

production, which is neces-sary before establishment of groves and creation of a cost effective processing unit.

• Addressing farmers’ concerns that labor costs for manual harvesting may challenge profitability

• Watching the prices for fos-sil fuel, as a fall in the future could affect farmers with large scale investments

• Increasing local awareness on the benefits of renewable en-ergy

International advances in jatropha diesel have allowed for more effi-cient and mobile equipment to be available; however, these advanc-es are customized for conditions in various domestic and regional markets.

Previously, a lack of availability of seed, technical assistance and information about management and use of Jatropha curcas hindered

its adoption by small farmers. A promotional video and brochures were recently produced and dis-tributed to the six agricultural district offices. The Jatropha In-novation Centre will additionally function for the production, stor-age and processing of jatropha oil.

A five acre jatropha grove is being established at Central Farm and will serve as a training and data collection facility for interested farmers, researchers and scien-tists. Certain zones have had high production performances while other regions of the world includ-ing Belize have seen much varia-tion in production.

Although the subject of renewable energy isn’t new to Belize, bio-diesel and agro-fuel adaptability by small farmers is a fresh and growing concept. Central Farms’ collaborative efforts plan to iden-tify factors and make recommen-dations for promotion of bio-fuel production for small scale farmers which will assist in the alleviation of rural poverty.

Photo highlights of the SRC Annual Poster Competition 2011

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ENERGY FEATURE

Born Frank Eaton Haughton, this Energy Efficiency and Alternative Energy Specialist is an award winning Jamaican son and the Managing

Director of Econergy Engineering Services Ltd a relationship that has spanned 29 years.

His education includes a Diploma in Energy Resources and Energy Saving from the U.N.D.P/ I.L.O. International Centre for Advanced Technical and Vocational Training (1981) encompassing areas such as Solar Photovoltaic systems, (France);Waste to Energy Systems, (Italy); Biogas Generation and Use, (Ger-many); Cogeneration Systems, (Germany); and Wind Energy, (Netherlands). He also has earned a Full Technological Certificate in Plant Engineering from the City and Guilds of London Institute (1973).

Mr. Haughton has been the recipient of several awards including national accolades such as the

• Government of Jamaica, for Contribution to Apprenticeship Training in Jamaica (1981)

• NDB Energy Credit Fund, for Contribution to Energy Conservation in Jamaica (1985)

• National Award for Entrepreneurship, 3rd Place, (1997)

• St Ann Chamber of Commerce Corporate Award (2000)

• ENCON Award for Outstanding Contribution to National Energy Conservation (2001)

• Governor General’s Achievement Award (2002)

• Minister of Commerce Science and Technology’s, Innovations Award in Industry (2005).

His membership includes professional bodies such as a Professional En-gineer in the Jamaica Professional Engineer’s Registration ; member of the Association of Energy Engineers (AEE) and member of the American Society of Heating Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE).

Over the years he has acquired a wealth of professional experience, a few are detailed here:

Position: Managing Director/Energy Engineer (1980 - Present)Experience: HVAC Equipment Maintenance, and Energy Services Company. Provide Consultancy services in Energy Efficiency Improvements and alternative energy utilization. Implement energy efficiency and alternative energy projects.

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Position: Team Leader and Energy Specialist -PSOJ/CAIC (2010-2011)Location: Jamaica, Trinidad & TobagoExperience: Capacity Building of Caribbean Private Sector En-vironmental and Energy Manage-ment Capabilities FED/2010/239-660 Technical Energy and Environmental Audits in consortium with Egis Bceom International (France). An EU funded project; In progress.

--------------------------Position: Team Leader (2010-2011)Location:St. Vincent & the GrenadinesExperience: Energy efficiency study in the Public Sector of the Islands of St Vincent and the Grenadines under contract with Egis Bceom International (France). An EU funded project through the SFA 2006 fund. This was completed October 2010.

--------------------------Position: Energy Consultant (2009-2010)Location: Jamaica and the Bahamas Experience: Conducted detailed Energy Audits of Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SME) in Jamaica and the Bahamas Islands as a Caribbean Expert on behalf of ALLPLAN GmbH, on contract with the Inter-America Investment Corporation (IIC).

--------------------------Position: Energy Consultant (2009-2010)Location: Jamaica and BelizeExperience: Carried out walk through Energy Audits of Small and Medium Size Enterprises(SME) in Jamaica and Belize as a Caribbean Expert on behalf of ECONOLER on contract with the Inter-America Investment Corporation (IIC).

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Mr Eaton Haughton

Cont’d on page 28

An Outstandinding Caribbean Energy Private Sector Personality

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Position: Energy Consultant (2006)Location: JamaicaExperience: • Completed an energy audit of the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus and (1995 and 2006) University Hospital.Completed a Feasibility Study for the Installation and operation of a 1.5-MW Biogas Fueled Cogeneration Plant for the Mona Campus.

--------------------------Position: Energy Services Consultant/Contractor (2005)Location: JamaicaExperience: Completed a detailed Energy Audit at the National Commercial Bank Headquarters.Installed a 350-kVAr variable capacitor bank for a Power Factor Correction system

--------------------------Position: Energy Services Consultant/Contractor (2005)Location: JamaicaExperience: Designed and installed a high efficiency chilled water system with refrigerant-to-water heat exchanger, Thermal energy storage tank, and energy recovery ventilation system for the Bustamante Hospital for Children operating theatreSupplied and installed a variable capacitor bank for power factor correction.

--------------------------Position: Team Leader - Energy Services Consultant/Contractor (2003-2005)Location: JamaicaExperience: Completed detailed energy audit of Denoes and Geddes, Red Stripe Beer Brewery;Co-designed and installed air conditioning thermal energy storage system (TES) Designed and installed high efficiency water cooled air conditioning system.

--------------------------Position: Energy Consultant (2000-2004)

Location: JamaicaExperience: Completed detailed Energy Audits and training workshops on behalf the Jamaica Public Service Company (Utility Company) Demand Side Management Unit.

--------------------------Position: Team Leader - Energy Services Consultant/Contractor (2003-2004)Location: JamaicaExperience: Completed energy audit and installed hotel guest room energy management and high efficiency air conditioning systems at Shaw Park Beach Hotel, Jamaica

--------------------------Position: Team leader - Energy Consultant (2001)Location: BarbadosExperience: Investigated energy efficiency measures and cogeneration potentials for the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Barbados, under assignment from OLADE;Trained engineers and technicians in Barbados, in the fundamentals of cogeneration.

--------------------------Position: Team leader - Energy Consultant(2001-2006)Location: BarbadosExperience: Installed 32 Solar PV Street Lighting Systems for the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ). Engineered and installed over 400 solar water heating systems at Angels Housing Complex. Implemented Jamaica’s first complete energy services project at the PCJ Building, including: • Lighting retrofit, • Energy management system, • Thermal energy storage system, • High efficiency chiller, • Variable speed fans and pumps.

--------------------------Position: Energy Consultant (2000)Location: JamaicaExperience: Completed a detailed energy audit of the (460 beds) Cornwall Regional Hospital. Recommended the installation of a thermal energy storage system with

air conditioning heat exchangers, among other measures.

--------------------------Position: Team Leader - Energy Consultant (1998-2000)Location: JamaicaExperience: Carried out a detailed energy audit and investigate the 9-MW cogeneration potential for Kaiser Bauxite Company Processing Plant.

--------------------------Position: Team leader - Energy Consultant (1997-1998)Location: GrenadaExperience: Trained engineers and technicians on assignment from the Government of Grenada and OLADE/UNDP, in Design, manufacture and installation of solar water heating systems. Designed and installed (3) Public Hospitals solar water heating for Grenada and Carracou,

Mr. Haughton’s published works also include

• “Energy Conservation in the Jamaica Tourist Industry” paper presented to the international conference at the Organization of American States (OAS) Roundtable on Energy Efficiency in the Tourist Industry.

• “Applications of Solar Thermal Technology to Economically Dry Agro-Products”, the international conference on Sustainable Applications for Tropical Island States (SATIS 2001).

• “Energy Conservation Opportunities Relevant to Commercial Buildings” Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS) Update – 2003).

• “Thermal Energy Storage Systems” (CEIS) Update- 2008).

ENERGY FEATURE cont’d Mr Eaton HaughtonCont’d from page 14

Mr. Haughton can be contacted atCaribbean ESCo Ltd.Tel/Fax (876)974-5064Mobile (876)881-5045

Email: [email protected]

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ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT

By Lani Edghill for Green Business Barbados

City, [email protected]

Background

In May 2009 members of the Fu-ture Centre Trust (a local non-profit organization) at their vi-sioning retreat, identified green business as being an important programme focus for the orga-nization. This started the grass roots ‘bottom up’ inception of the Green Business Barbados programme. On the business side of things, leading local businesses have suggested The Future Centre Trust (FCT) be the leader of this initiative. To cre-ate such a programme, the FCT brought together a local envi-ronmental planning profession-al, members of the professional community (technical advisory committee) and government agencies (Ministry of the Envi-ronment) in the development of local green business standards.

Success Stories

In 2010 several businesses stepped out of the box to explore how they could improve their op-erations through the Green Busi-ness Barbados programme. The British High Commission (BHC) got things going with their 8,000 gallon capacity rain water har-vesting system to irrigate the grounds. The BHC also signed onto the 10:10 Carbon Initiative to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010 by putting energy reduction measures into place and measuring energy usage in order to benchmark use through

the use of a carbon calculator pro-gramme managed by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office.

The second green business for the year came from our offshore sector in an attempt to improve their social and environmen-tal corporate responsibility and identity. Shell Western Supply & Trading and its Green Team Coordinator Lyn-Marie Sealy successfully implemented an in-ternal recycling system that soon became so popular within the of-fice they had to upgrade to a larg-er system shortly thereafter. The Nation Publishing Co. was next up as the first large organisation with over 200 employees to in-vest in a new Go Green Initiative.

Green Business BarBados

Through the national newspaper and other media, The Nation has been able to reach out to the Bar-badian community through their green ‘Habitat’ section in the newspaper and internal publica-tion and to their employees dur-ing their green month. In addi-tion, the Nation will also be the first large scale commercial entity to upgrade to a full systems re-cycling programme to improve the recoverability of waste ma-terials such as paper, cardboard, SAMPLE


newspapers, plastics, glass, metals and e-waste.

Next up for the award was Verdun House a lo-cal non-profit organization focused on re-habil i ta t ing males within our commu-nity with sub-stance abuse a d d i c t i o n s . Verdun was very keen to have a green Strategy and Action Plan for their orga-nization that reflected their commitment to sustainable o p e r a t i o n s including in-vestment in r e n e w a b l e energy. Al-t e r n a t i v e l y , Studio Blue Architects was the first small business and architectural firm to invest in the programme. Their practice has been for many years, focused on green building options and their investment in the Green Busi-ness Barbados programme pro-vided them with an opportunity to fully transfer that interest to their operations and practice. With the help of the Green Busi-ness Barbados programme Harris Paints implemented a progres-sive initiative to reduce waste by

initiating a Troweltex pail return programme. This plan was part of a much larger call to reduce waste within their plant and to work with recycling companies to re-cycle and/or reuse much of their outputs. Finally, Rostrevor Hotel the first hotel to invest in the pro-gramme was able to implement a comprehensive recycling pro-gramme that has reduced their overall landfill impacts by 50%.Invest in the future of your is-land and your business in 2011

and upgrade to a cutting edge sustainability strategy and ac-tion plan that will help to propel your business into the future and focus on helping you improve all the facets of your business most important to your organisa-tion. Invest in the environment, culture and future of your coun-try today. For more information about the Green Business Barba-dos Programme visit our website at futurecentretrust.org or email us at [email protected].

(Above) Lani Edghill (left), Green Business Barbados Coordinator, pointing out features of a sustainable development project.

(Picture by Lennox Devonish)

Members of the Green Business Barbados programme at the British

High Commission. (Left)

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ENERGY & THE ENVIRONMENT

INTRODUCTION

Renewable energy has for many years been considered as part of the answer to the Caribbean’s sus-tainability problems. The poten-tial of these technologies to reduce overall carbon dioxide emissions and associated climate change impacts has been a significant driv-er. From an economic standpoint, use of in-digenous renewable energy sources can re-duce foreign exchange in many countries where petroleum prod-ucts make up a sizeable proportion of imports. In terms of energy se-curity, a more diverse energy supply will re-duce the overall vul-nerability of the sector. Of course, record high oil prices in 2008 reminded all that failure to develop renewable tech-nologies could one day mean that energy could be simply unafford-able to segments of populations. On the other side of the coin the Caribbean is endowed with an abundant supply of renewable en-ergy resources which include so-lar, wind, hydro and geothermal.

In recognition of the foregoing, there have been a number of ini-

tiatives in the Caribbean to pro-mote the use of renewable energy but progress in implementing re-newable energy projects has been limited. We consider the reasons for this in the paper.

RESEARCH METHOD

The data for this study was collect-ed via analysis of government and electricity utility documents, par-ticipant observation and explor-atory semi- structured interviews with electricity utility and govern-ment officials in three Caribbean states between June and July 2009.

More than Dollars and Cents: Why ReneWable eneRgy has been sloW to take-off in the CaRibbean [PaRt i]

ECONOMIC FACTORS

Economics is undoubtedly a bar-rier to renewable energy develop-ment. Technologies such as so-lar and wind require significant upfront investments to establish them. When compared to conven-

tional diesel or natural gas generation adopted in the islands it is often significantly more ex-pensive on a per kWh basis. This argument was made by a senior manager in one island utility. He emphasized in discussions that the issues related to renew-able energy develop-ment are “all about money,” and added that economic incentives are what is needed for the industry to flourish. He further stated that ; “The

utility would have to justify, for ex-ample, why it would put in renew-able energy generating plant at a cost of 40 cents per/kWh, when a conven-tional generation plant could produce energy for about 15 or 20 cents.”

This senior manager went on to reveal that in 2008 the price of electricity reached over 35 cents/ kWh when oil prices were at their highest. When questioned on whether there was any impe-

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tus to consider renewable energy sources at these prices, the manag-er responded with the following statement. “The issue at that point relates to the regulatory scheme, where the utility is expected to account only for known and mea-surable changes relying to a large extent on historical prices or test years. The utility therefore will ultimately not be penalized if con-ventional fuels suddenly increase to unexpected levels.”

This is an example where the insti-tution in the form of the regulatory framework constrains the decision making even when the economics favour change. We discuss these institutional factors in more detail in the following sections. ECONOMICS OR INSTITUTIONS- INSIGHTS FROM MANAGEMENT THEORY

It is apparent that economics is a barrier to development but as il-lustrated in the example above, many barriers appear to be caused by organizational and institu-tional structures. These more tacit variables tend to be ignored or dis-missed in designing energy pro-grams or formulating policy. Insti-tutions can be defined as the rules and norms that shape behavior (Hollingsworth, 2000); they may be formal or informal. Examples of formal institutions are legisla-tion, regulations, education sys-tem and written policies. Informal institutions refer to less tangible aspects such as traditions, culture, societal attitudes and beliefs and effects of individual champions or entrepreneurs (Espinoza & Vre-denburg, 2010).

Organizations become institutions through embracing organizational values which relate to the whole society (Selznick, 1957). Holling-sworth (2000) suggests that orga-nizations shape institutions at the same time that institutions shape organizations. Di Maggio (1998) has expressed the view that or-ganizations tend to have similar structures in similar environ-ments and refers to this as institu-tional isomorphism. We can apply this model to the energy sector as utilities are subject to institutions which include government poli-cies, structure of the sector, so-ciety perceptions and influential champions in different spheres. Di Maggio & Powell (1983) sug-gest that entities that conform to the constraints of institutional iso-morphism are rewarded by enjoy-ing increased legitimacy. It means that such agencies will garner greater support and acceptance from the society than the bodies that do not conform to surround-ing institutions. Entities that at-tempt to defy the isomorphism, and break away from existing structures and norms, are known as institutional entrepreneurs (Garud, Hardy, & Maguire, 2007). In breaking existing institutions, such entrepreneurs need to form new ones in the process.

Unfortunately as an institutional entrepreneur sets up the condi-tions for innovation and institu-tional change, it suffers from re-duced legitimacy in the existing institution. This sets up a conun-drum, greater innovation often means reduced industry legiti-macy. Elliott (2000) outlines the changes that are identified by this paradigm shift which is in itself a significant institutional change; upfront cost of installation takes on a greater importance than the running cost of production; de-centralized production replaces more centralized generation and there is more of an emphasis on cycles and systems and less on the conquer and plunder attitude that generally defines fossil fuel devel-opment.

A renewable energy proponent can be considered an institutional entrepreneur as he will need to confront many of the formal and informal institutions to imple-ment projects. In seeking to break through these institutional bar-riers a considerable degree of le-gitimacy is lost. This effect may be part of the reason why many alter-native fuels are generally not ex-plored in the Caribbean as much as they could be. Regulatory sys-

Author: David Ince, PhD Candidate in Renewable Energy (Interdisciplinary Graduate Program)

Haskayne School of Business, University of CalgaryTelephone: 403-809-3639 Fax: 403-282-0095

[email protected]

Author: Harrie Vredenburg, PhD Suncor Energy Chair in Competitive Strategy

& Sustainable DevelopmentHaskayne School of Business, University of Calgary,

Telephone: 403-220-7450 Fax: [email protected]

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ENERGY FOR YOUNG MINDS

Diagram showing the working principle of a combined cycle power plant. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:COGAS_diagram.svg

In the Caribbean Examinations Council’s Report on Candidate’s Work in the Advanced Proficiency Examination – May/ June 2010 for Environmental Science in the section of Module 2 that deals with Sustainable Energy, the examiners commented on the poor performance of candidates. It stated that, “In Part (b) (i), candidates were required to state what is meant by ‘combined cycle’ [and that] this part was poorly done as most candidates were unable to correctly define the term.” Additionally, “For Part (b) (ii), candidates were asked if they would recommend the use of combined cycles for energy

COMBINED CYCLEgeneration and to suggest reasons for their answers. Performance on this part was extremely poor as most candidates were unaware of the term ‘combined cycle’.”

In this issue of Energy for Young Minds, we will learn more about what is ‘Combined Cycle’?

What is Combined Cycle?

In electric power generation a combined cycle is an assembly of heat engines that work in tandem off the same source of heat, converting it into mechanical energy, which in turn usually drives electrical generators. The

principle is that the exhaust of one heat engine is used as the heat source for another, thus extracting more useful energy from the heat, increasing the system’s overall efficiency. This works because heat engines are only able to use a portion of the energy their fuel generates (usually less than 50%).Below is a diagram of the working principle of a combined cycle:

The diagram is an example of a turbo-electric COGAS power-plant. Such installations are used stationary and on some ships. The numbers represent the following areas:

1. Electric generators.2. Steam turbine. 3. Condenser. 4. Pump. 5. Boiler/heat exchanger. 6. Gas turbine

Reasons supporting the use of combined cycles for electricity generation include:

• Improved Fuel Efficiencyand Reduced Consumption: Through the combining of two or more thermodynamic cycles, these result in improved overall efficiency in fuel use.

• Lowered Capital Costs: The fuel cost is also reduced as remaining heat from combustion that is normally

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wasted is utilized in the generation of energy.

• Reduced Emissions: Reduc-tion in carbon footprint for some systems.

• Commercial Availability: Combined cycle units are commercially available from suppliers anywhere in the world.

• Abundant Fuel Source: The turbines used in combined cycle plants are commonly fuelled with natural gas, which can be found in abundant reserves on most continents.

• Reduced Distance for Electricity Transmission: Combined cycle plants can be installed near industry or other demand centres, thereby reducing the need for transmission of electricity over long distances.

• Decentralized and Flexible Electricity Supply: The average size of plants is declining shifting towards a

more decentralized, flexible generation.

Examples of combined cycles.• In stationary power plants,

a successful, common com-bination is the Brayton cycle (in the form of a turbine burning natural gas or synthesis gas from coal) and the Rankine cycle (in the form of a steam power plant).

• In a combined cycle power plant (CCPP), or combined cycle gas turbine (CCGT) plant, a gas turbine generator generates electricity and heat in the exhaust is used to make steam, which in turn drives a steam turbine to generate additional electricity. This last step enhances the efficiency of

Can you think of any disadvantages of using

combined cycles?

electricity generation. Many new gas power plants in North America and Europe are of this type.

• The turbines used in Combined Cycle Plants are commonly fuelled with natural gas.

DID YOU KNOWBMW has proposed that automobiles use exhaust heat to drive steam turbines. This can even be connected to the car or truck’s cooling system to save space and weight, but also to provide a condenser in the same location as the radiator and preheating of the water using

heat from the engine block.

New BMW 5 Series Touring offers two models of the 520d and 523i: BMW 520d is a fuel efficientcarwitha135kWfour-cylinder turbodiesel engine. The 520d is capable of consuming as little as 5.3 l/100km on thecombined cycle, emits 139g/km

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Abundant Fuel Source: The turbines used in combined cycle plants are commonly fuelled with natural gas, which

can be found in abundant reserves on most continents.SAMPLE

26 | CEIS Update, September 2011

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| 27CEIS Update, September 2011

State Minister in the Ministry of Energy and Mining, Hon. Lau-rence Broderick (left), interacting with Half-Way Tree Primary students, Shaquille Brown (centre), and Gavin Francis, at the awards ceremony for the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica’s Energy Conservation Incentive Programme for Schools, held at the Knutsford Court Hotel, in St. Andrew, on June 25. Source: www.jis.gov.jm

STUDENTS of Trinidad and Tobago with then Energy and Energy Affairs Minister, and MP for San Fernando West, Carolyn Seep-ersad-Bachanan. At the Awards and Prize Giving Ceremony for the National Essay Competition at Petrotrin Staff Club (this was facili-tated by the National Energy Sector Corporate Social Responsibility Taskforce). Source: mpsanfernandowest.blog.com

UN-REDD Programme POSTERSThe United Nations Collaborative Programme on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Developing Countries. GO TO LINK ON www.un-redd.org/MediaCentre

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gauge

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CARILEC Renewable Energy ForumSt. Thomas, U.S. Virgin IslandsSeptember 20-21, 2011

Energy Caribbean 2011 ConferenceIBCTrinidad & TobagoOctober 4-5, 2011

Green Growth Investment Forum 2011ECSBrussels, BelgiumOctober 6-7, 2011

Caribbean Renewable Energy ForumNew Energy EventsBarbadosOctober 12-14, 2011

Energy Week 2011CARICOMCaribbean-wide/RegionalNovember 6-12, 2011

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| 31CEIS Update, September 2011

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A quarterly publication of the Caribbean Energy Information System

CONTENTS

NETWORK NEWS..……………………….………....3

UPDATE ON ENERGY DEVELOPMENTSEnergy Efficiency Seminar.......................…............…8Climate Aid Grant.................……………………......10Launch of RED-LAC-EE.......……………………......11WELECTRICITY Partnership...………………….....11

ENERGY FEATURE…………….…………..….......13

THE CONSUMER AND ENERGYAward-winning LED Lamp...……………...............14

ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENTVestas Believes in the Caribbean..............…............17

ENERGY FOR YOUNG MINDSSolar Cells & Panels......................……….…............22Energy and you.............................……….…............27

ENTERTAINMENT PAGE……...……………......29

UPCOMING EVENTS……………………….........30

NETWORK NEWS cont’d

Cont’d from page 28

cluding a detailed description of all the stages of Clean De-velopment Mechanism (CDM) project development.

It will also allow users to con-nect to experts in the field and communicate through com-munities of practice. The plat-form’s main objective is to

strengthen knowledge and ca-pacity to participate in carbon markets by the private and public sectors in Latin America and the Caribbean.

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Documents

SAMPLE CEIS Update 2012