CARICOM organisation releases new energy efficiency standards

Mar 23, 2019 News

Washington, D.C. –The International Code Council, ASHRAE, the CARICOM Secretariat Energy Unit and the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) announced yesterday the release of new standards for energy efficient buildings for its Member States. The 2018 CARICOM Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code (CREEBC), which will cover both commercial and residential construction, is a joint effort by the CROSQ, the Code Council and ASHRAE.

A press release yesterday indicated that these standards for energy efficient buildings reflect the unique energy requirements of tropical environments and will ultimately increase adoption rates of more effectual technologies for renewable energy and energy conservation,

CEO of CROSQ, Mr. Deryck Omar in the release stated that the adoption of these codes will go a long way toward allowing their members to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate. He noted that it also demonstrates the importance of bringing quality measures into the region’s energy sector and the potential benefits that can accrue when that happens.

As defined in the release, the CREEBC, which was developed through collaboration between the CROSQ and the Energy Unit of the CARICOM Secretariat, is meant to meet the specific needs of nations in the Caribbean and other countries with tropical climates. It establishes minimum energy efficiency requirements for buildings, including the building envelope, cooling system, ventilation, pumping, lighting and the service water-heating systems.

Head of the Energy Unit at the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr. Devon Gardner, noted that the CREEBC is envisioned to lead to an era of better quality building designs within the Caribbean Community, noting that the ability of buildings to minimize the energy requirements for the services for which they were intended would reduce the exposure to climate and disaster risks. He added that, as an example, energy efficient measures and systems, such as daytime lighting and improvements in ventilation, can facilitate the comfort of occupants in buildings even during periods of natural disaster related stress on the electricity grids.

He noted that they were pleased to have the opportunity to collaborate with their colleagues at the CROSQ to help adapt the Code Council’s latest energy standards to help their members improve the efficiency and sustainability of their buildings. Code Council CEO Dominic Sims, CBO indicated via the release that their codes are not one-size-fits-all, but are starting points for developing standards that meet the individual needs of regions around the world.

2018-2019 ASHRAE President Sheila J. Hayter, said improving energy efficiency is a global challenge, with buildings professionals serving as a crucial contributor toward the establishment of standards that affect building systems operations. She added that the CREEBC and ASHRAE’s collaboration with partnering organizations represent their long standing dedication to global sustainability and leadership in use of integrated building design resources.”

The development of the CREEBC is part of the ongoing implementation of the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERM), a CARICOM program aimed at increasing political will and private sector input for the adoption of more effective technologies for renewable energy, energy conservation and efficiency.

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