The building energy efficiency sector is a vital driving force for the energy transition of Caribbean States, resulting in improvements in buildings (for example, by reducing the need for air conditioning through better insulation and ventilation), but also in the use of more efficient electrical appliances that consume less energy. For this reason, public policy actions include the definition of quality labels and standards across the Caribbean.
In this context, the Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code was created in 2018 by the CROSQ (CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality) for the benefit of CARICOM member countries of which the majority are also OECS member States. The cooperation programme, TAPSEC (Technical Assistance Programme for Sustainable Energy in the Caribbean, funded by the EU and implemented by GIZ), currently underway for a duration of four years, will particularly focus on the adaptation of this building code to each of the CARICOM countries.
A common building code for OECS region has also been drawn up. The current edition dates from 2016. A specific section of the code is devoted to healthcare, the environment, and energy security, with the latter section containing requirements relating to energy efficiency and renewable energy production.
The islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique have also launched vast Energy Management programmes with specific studies, completed in 2017, on building typology with detailed analyses of their energy performance. These studies showed that tertiary sector buildings (shops and offices) were the region’s biggest energy consumers, with significant potential for improvement. In Guadeloupe, for example, the tertiary sector’s highest energy consumer was air conditioning, followed by food-related cooling units.
Once the energy efficiency of tertiary buildings in OECS member countries has been studied, a typology can be drawn up and energy efficiency targets can be proposed for certain OECO member states.
More specifically, the study content will include:
- An inventory of existing energy regulations in the building sector for all OECS member States;
- A review of past and ongoing projects dealing with energy efficiency in existing buildings, for all OECS member States;
- A detailed analysis of the building market and common practices in 3 OECS countries;
- An analysis of the energy consumption of tertiary buildings (informal audit) in 3 OECS countries.
These studies will make it possible to identify opportunities to improve current regulations in terms of energy efficiency, and potentially make standards consistent across the Caribbean region.
The study covers 9 OECS member countries: Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, British Virgin Islands, Dominica, Grenada, Montserrat, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines. Guadeloupe and Martinique will serve as benchmarks, given their progress to date in terms of regulations for tertiary buildings in a tropical environment.
The work will be carried out in 6 phases:
Phase 1. An inventory of existing energy regulations in the building sector, in all OECS member States
- Qualitative interviews with the sector’s politicians and other players
- Compilation and analysis of existing benchmarks
Phase 2. A review of projects dealing with energy efficiency in buildings, in all OECS member States
- Identification of projects
- Interviews with building energy performance players
- Analysis and description of the projects
Phase 3. Selection of 3 countries for in-depth analysis
- Multi-criteria analyses of regions
- Selection of regions and validation by TEC partners
Phase 4. Building market analysis for the 3 selected countries
- Exhaustive review and qualitative interviews with the sector’s players
- Bibliographic and statistical market analysis, with a review of current practices
- Organisation of field visits (identification and selection of sites, determination of data to be collected)
- Inventory of training programmes in the sector
Phase 5. Energy performance of the 3 selected countries
- Analysis of the data on energy consumption of tertiary buildings
- Informal energy audits (about ten)
- Determination of tertiary buildings consuming the most energy and development of energy efficiency indicators
Phase 6. Recommendations
- Cross-sectional analysis per region
- Drafting of a guide intended for building sector professionals, with practical recommendations