Standards for solar water heaters and a number of energy-related appliances are coming to the Caribbean.
And key to this development will be policymakers, standards and energy experts who will meet in Barbados from May 17th to 19th, 2017, for a major workshop on energy standards and policy analysis, at the Divi Southwinds Resort, St. Lawrence Main Road, Christ Church.
The experts and policymakers will be exposed to a Policy Analysis Modelling System (PAMS), designed by the Collaborative Labelling and Appliance Standards Program (CLASP) and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) which was developed “to help local policymakers assess the benefit of standards and labelling programmes”.
The one-day policy analysis workshop, which falls on the first day of the three-day training, discussion and planning forum on energy efficiency standards and labelling standards, is being held as part of CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ)-implemented Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (R3E) Project.
The R3E Project focuses on developing standards for the energy sector in the region, namely energy efficiency and renewable energy standards, with supporting infrastructure for energy efficiency testing of appliances – namely, room air-conditioners, refrigerators and freezers, and lights – along with the development of standards for solar PVC panels and solar water heaters in the region. It is funded by a 1 Million Euro investment from the German Government, and is partnered by the German National Metrology Institute (PTB) and the Dominican Republic’s National Standards Body, INDOCAL.
CROSQ’s Technical Officer – Standards, Mr. Fulgence St. Prix explained that at the PAMS workshop, CLASP officials would explain how to estimate potential savings from implementing energy efficiency policies in the region.
“We talk a lot in the Caribbean about energy efficiency and introduction of renewable energies, but there isn’t that understanding at the national levels sometimes about how this actually benefits the countries in terms of dollars and cents. This is what this workshop is aimed at helping policymakers more effectively do.
“We are in the process of developing Energy Efficiency Building Codes for the region and this factor of savings will be a crucial one to getting Member States in the Caribbean to understand how it benefits their economies at the end of the day. So that’s what we aim to do through this workshop, and using actual case studies to further solidify our position,” said St. Prix.
He noted that this was but one day of what would be happening this week when energy, policy and standards experts from across the Region and Germany, gathered in Barbados.
“On the second day of the workshop, energy experts will sit together and plan a Road Map to determine the steps to the development and implementation of a labelling scheme for refrigerators, lighting and room air conditioners. And the following day we will sit as a group to determine which standard will be used from the several examples we’ve been studying over recent months, and plan our next steps in the development of the standards for labelling of energy efficient appliances,” he further explained.
Deciding on the approach and right standards to use as the basis for the regional approach which will then be adopted by CARICOM Member States, is a crucial part of the process for the development of the energy efficiency and renewable energy standards.
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About The R3E Project
The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (R3E) Project is primarily based on the premise that the introduction of standards, testing and other quality-related services into the RE and EE subsectors, could result in significant changes to the way energy is viewed and the focus paid by policymakers, retailers, general public and other vital stakeholders in these areas.
Its main components are the development of standards for RE appliances – namely solar water heaters; development of standards for photovoltaic systems; regional energy performance standards for EE appliances – namely refrigerators, air conditioners and lighting; as well as an efficiency labelling scheme for the stated appliances. It also aims to establish centres for testing of these appliances in the region, and other supporting quality systems.
The aims of this project are:
· Support of regional standardisation activities for this sector, and use of these activities for the creation of binding directives and technical regulations.
· Establishment of technical expertise for testing and measurement services in individual countries.
· Awareness-raising, informational and public relations activities, as well as dialogue with persons in decision-making and other key positions.
IIt is funded to the tune of 1 million Euros from the German Government; managed by the German Metrology Institute (PTB) and implemented by the CARICOM Regional Organisaiton for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the Dominican Institute for Quality (INDOCAL) in the Dominican Republic.
