STANDARDS IN FOCUS...‘SHEDDING LIGHT’ ON THE CARIBBEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT

STANDARDS IN FOCUS…‘SHEDDING LIGHT’ ON THE CARIBBEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECT

Oct 30, 2016 News

In recent years, energy costs, usage and efficiency have become watch words in the Caribbean Region. Several projects have been undertaken to examine how to use energy effectively, and moreover, how to utilise the renewables in the energy sector that have not been previously tapped into and exploited to their fullest.
The Quality in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (R3E) Project is now looking at “Expanding the available quality infrastructure (QI) services in the Caribbean for the use of energy-efficient electrical devices and renewable energies”.
From the standpoint of quality, the project is primarily based on the premise that the introduction of standards, testing and other quality related services into the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors could result in significant changes to the way energy efficiency is viewed, and the focus paid by policy makers, retailers, general public and other vital stakeholders in these areas.
The R3E Project, which is funded to the tune of one million Euros by the Government of Germany will also focus on improvement or development of standards and attempt to provide the kind of support services needed to ensure that these systems meet the guidelines established in the standard and are met by local manufacturers, importers and retailers.
As such, the required testing and measurement infrastructure within the Region will be strengthened as well, to better serve the increasing demand for solar power components on the Caribbean market.
Studies have found that “the use of energy-efficient devices and the application of technologies for using renewable energies in the Caribbean are impeded by the lack of important QI tools and services such as standards, testing, inspection, certification and labelling. Consumer protection is insufficient, as is the information on these instruments.”
One of the easiest-to-harness Renewable Energy resources in the Caribbean is solar power, be it a solar-thermal for water heating or photovoltaic for electricity generation. In addition, for the average Caribbean households, refrigerators, freezers, fans, and light bulbs are mainly the appliances that determine the electricity consumption and ultimately, the monthly electricity bill. In the public, commercial and industrial sectors, additional to the above mentioned appliances, A/C units and other systems also increase consumption.
Reducing electricity bills in all these sectors will not only benefit the Caribbean households but also Government budgets for public buildings like offices, schools, hospitals as well as the tourism and manufacturing industries. Ultimately, efficient use of energy will also serve the environment and reduce the carbon foot print of Caribbean countries.
The project will work through the National Standards Bodies (NSB) and Conformity Assessment Bodies (CAB) in participating Member States.

For further information, please contact the GNBS on telephone numbers: 219-0065, 219-0066 or visit the GNBS website: www.gnbsgy.org or facebook/gnbsgy

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