The Annual Conference

CIEMADeS annual international conference promotes the exchange and discussion of initiatives or projects within social, political, economic, scientific and related academic environment among member organizations and other stakeholders. This conference also serves as a forum to strengthen partnerships among participants. The conference includes an annual assembly of CIEMADeS members.

CIEMADeS is an international organization created to promote cooperation in further advancing the sustainability agenda within the Caribbean Region. Born from a collaboration agreement between the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico, the goals of this organization are to contribute to the protection of sensitive ecosystems through sound environmental management and to promote sustainable development through educational and scientific activities related to environmental affairs. Areas of concern include: environmental education, pollution, biodiversity, climate change, natural resource management, air quality, soil, water and ecosystem restoration and conservation.

The International Center for Environmental Studies and Sustainable Development (CIEMADeS) is pleased to invite you to the 5th International Conference 2012 entitled Sustainable Development: Linking Industry and Environment. The School of Science and Technology at Universidad del Turabo, our main sponsor, will be our gracious host for this event, to be held from April 19 through 21, 2012.

http://ciemades.org/conf-2012/home.html

Program Office: The U.S. Embassy in San José, Costa Rica

Funding Opportunity Title: ECPA Central America and Caribbean Regional Clean Energy Program

Announcement Type: Grant or Cooperative Agreement

 Deadline for Applications: 12:00 PM on June 4, 2012

Read more>> Energy Climate Partnership of the Americas (6)

ECPA Central America and Caribbean Regional Clean Energy Program

In the Barbados Declaration – adopted ahead of next month’s UN Conference on Sustainable Development 20 years after the landmark Rio Earth Summit – 20 Small Island developing States (SIDS) committed themselves to provide universal access to energy, switching to renewable energy and reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

The meeting also came 18 years after an historic UN summit in Barbados  first prompted international attention that the world’s environmental challenges.

These include  water scarcity to rising sea levels, were felt first, and hardest, in small island and low-lying coastal developing states, from the Caribbean Sea to the Indian and Pacific Oceans.

http://rjrnewsonline.com/news/regional/caribbean-nations-move-reduce-fossil-fuels-use

“The high price of energy has negatively affected our economic performance over many years. The significant rise in oil prices has not been matched by similar increases in the value of our country’s exports and has had a devastating effect on our economy…as a consequence of this enormous challenge to our economic viability, the Government will lead the drive to solve our energy problem,” he said.

The Governor-General was delivering the Throne Speech at Gordon House on Thursday to mark the start of the new Parliamentary year.

He said the attack on the energy problem will be focused on there placement of fuel oil withnatural gas and or/coal for the bauxite/alumina and electricity-generating sectors;inculcating an ethic of conservation with the state leading by example; and ensuring greater efficiency in the distribution of electricity.

He further noted that support for the use of indigenous renewable resources such as water, wind and sunlight, as well as the conversion of waste to energy, will be pursued.

The government will also seek to rationalise the transportation system over the medium to longer-term, as a means of reducing the use of fuel.

http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-122/30539

Participants were: Brian Pengelley, JMA president; Metry Seaga, deputy president, JMA; Omar Azan, immediate past president, JMA; Gary ‘Butch’ Hendrickson, CEO, Continental Baking Company; Steven Whittingham, director, JMA and Michael Ranglin, CEO for GK Foods.

One of the issues affecting local manufacturers is the high cost of electricity. While policymakers still drag their feet on implementing strategies and initiatives to ease the burden on the sector, some manufacturers are taking small but tangible steps to decrease energy consumption in their plants. See how they are doing.

Steven Whittingham says that at Island Ice and Beverage Company Limited they have opted to do off-peak manufacturing late in the nights when the Jamaica Public Service rates are lower.

Metry Seaga of Jamaica Fibreglass Products (JFP), is now making plans to install a solar system in his entire factory.

Michael Ranglin of GK Foods is now in collaboration with the the University of the West IndiesDepartment of Physics to develop and install energy saving systems for all its buildings.

Butch Hendrickson of Continental Baking Company has carried out extensive replacement of oven burners, changed lighting systems, insulated buildings and bought more efficient vehicles

Omar Azan of Boss Furniture is now retooling the foam equipment and changing the lighting equipment throughout his factory.

http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20120511/social/social4.html

Click on the links below to obtain background and conference documents for the following sessions:

Monday 7 May 2012

Opening Ceremony

Welcome and Introductory Remarks by Michelle Gyles-McDonnough, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative

Feature Address by the Honourable Freundel Stuart, QC, MP, Prime Minister of Barbados

SIDS Energy Outlook

Presentation by Joseph Williams, Programme Manager, Energy, CARICOM Secretariat

Presentation by Solomone Fifita, Deputy Director (Energy), Secretariat of the Pacific Community

Session 1: Ensuring Affordable and Reliable Access to Modern Energy Services in SIDS by 2030

Presentation by Indra Haraksingh, Ph.d, President, Caribbean Solar Energy Society, Trinidad and Tobago

Lunch Event: Energy+ Presentation

Presentation by Hans Olav Ibrekk, Policy Director, International Energy and Climate Initative – Energy+, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Norway

Session 2: Doubling the Rate of Improvement in Energy Efficiency in SIDS by 2030

Presentation by David Barrett, Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica

Presentation by Roland Clarke, Ph.D, Clarke Energy Associates, Barbados

Session 3: Doubling the Share of Renewables in the Energy Mix in SIDS by 2030

Presentation by the Hon. Taito Faale Tumaalli Faamoetauloa, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Samoa

Presentation by Elliot F. Assimakapoulos, Global Sales Director, GE Digital Energy Grid Automation

Session 4: SIDS DOCK – The SIDS Sustainable Energy Partnership Mechanism

Presentation by Albert Binger, Ph.D, Caribbean Community Climate Change Centre

Tuesday, 8 May 2012

Session 5: Enabling Environment and Financing Sustainable Energy for All  in SIDS

Presentation by Hon. Nazim Burke, Minister of Finance, Planning, Economy, Energy and Cooperatives

Presentation by Vivien Foster, Sector Manager, Sustainable Energy Group, World Bank

Session 6: Taking SE4All Forward for SIDS

Sustainable Energy for All Country Profile Template

Sustainable Energy for All Country Action Process

Sustainable Energy for All Action Agenda

Presentation by Solomone Fifita, Deputy Director (Energy), Secretariat of the Pacific Community

Session 7: Presentation of Feasibility Studies on Renewable Energy for the Caribbean and its replicability for SIDS

Presentation by Werner Wendt, Pd.D,. CEO, Enprocon

Knowledge Fair

Presentation by SIDS on National Sustainable Energy Initiatives

Bahamas

Commonwealth of Dominica

Jamaica

Samoa

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Moderated Panel on Multi-national Private Sector Involvement in SIDS

Presentation by General Electric

Presentation by Toshiba Integrated Energy Technology

Presentation by CapGemini

Presentation by Aquaver

Presentation by The Hawaii Utility

Private Sector Presentations

Presentation by International Renewable Energy Agency

Presentation by Solar Dynamics Barbados

Presentation by the Organisation of American States

Preregistration is open to:

• NGOs and major groups that are currently in consultative status with ECOSOC as NGOs (including those on the roster through the list of the Commission on Sustainable Development). See ECOSOC list here.

·  NGOs and major groups that were accredited to the World Summit on Sustainable Development in 2002. See WSSD2002 list here.

Press “Registration – Click here” to start the preregistration process now for both the Conference and the third session of its Preparatory Committee.

Registration will close on 20 May 2012.
For questions, visit the the Rio+20 web site or contact the Rio +20 Secretariat by e-mail: uncsd2012@un.org.

Applications are invited for the CAS-TWAS Young Scientist Award for 2012. The Award is worth US$2,000. The following conditions apply:

1. The Award shall be given to the individual who has done the most to advance the progress of Scientific research as judged by the quality of his/ her publications and /or patents in one of the following fields: Chemistry, Mathematics, Life Sciences, Physics and Engineering.

2. The age of the Applicant must not exceed 40 years during the year of the award. He/She must be a resident of the Caribbean region and most of the work for the Award must also have been done in the Caribbean region. An individual can only receive one such award.

3. The recipient of the Award will be expected to make a Scientific Presentation at the 18th Meeting of the Academy to be held in Barbados in November 2012.

4. Nominations for the 2012 Award (on the required forms) should reach the Office of the CAS Secretariat by July 30th 2012. To submit, send a very brief covering letter stating that you are applying along with a detailed CV to Trevor Alleyne [trevor.alleyne@gmail.com]

The Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy & Mining (STEM) in Jamaica on May 2, 2012 officially launched the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Programme at the Jamaica Conference Centre in Kingston, Jamaica. The audience at the launch included representatives from various ministries of government, stakeholders in the energy sector, academia, private sector and the press.

Objectives of the Programme

The Government of Jamaica has received financing in the amount of a loan of  US$20 million from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and it intends to apply part of the proceeds for the  payments for goods, works, related services and consulting services to be procured under the project Energy Efficiency and Conservation Loan Programme.

The main objectives of this project are to:

(1)      enhance Jamaica’s Energy Efficiency (EE) and Energy Conservation (EC) potential through the design and implementation of cost  saving Energy Efficiency (EE) and Energy Conservation (EC) measures in the public sector.

(2)       strengthen the institutional capacities of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (formerly Ministry of Energy and Mining) for implementing EE and EC measures

(3)       invest in EE and EC measures in the public sector; and

(4)       increase awareness among key public and private sector stakeholders together with demand-side management support.

The programme was opened by Ms. Hillary Alexander, Permanent Secretary of STEM. This was followed by remarks from Mr. Ancile Brewster, IDB Country Representative. He spoke to the region continuing to have modest growth which consequently increases the demand for energy. Additionally with the volatility of oil prices since the 1970s- these reasons contribute to the current energy climate we are in. Mr. Brewster spoke to the IDB’s effort in the Caribbean and highlighted its latest initiative to support energy conservation via the recently closed IDEAS Innovation Contest. He noted that 59 applications had been received from Jamaica from individuals and companies.

Honourable Minister Phillip Paulwell of the Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy & Mining (STEM) then delivered his keynote address. He noted that the Government of Jamaica was “taking the first step in walking the walk” in addition to all the talk. He highlighted the urgent need for attention at the national level for issues such as energy efficiency and conservation and acknowledged that the country’s current energy situation is in “crisis” especially given the threat to the country’s earning and energy bill.  In detailing the programme Minister Paulwell indicated that it will include training in the public sector for certified energy management; an education/ awareness component; the replacement of nearly 100,000 lighting fixtures with LED lighting and over 5,000 air conditioning units island wide; while also seeking to create employment. The programme is to be a national campaign to reduce waste in energy- with the government leading by example. The Minister also pointed out that, STEM will be monitoring all electricity bills across all ministries, therefore increases in electricity usage/bills may result in a negative impact on the budget of such agencies. Under the programme, agencies are expected to set targets to reduce energy and stay within their current energy allocation or decrease it. “Energy wardens” as the Minister so dubbed them will be there to ensure standards are adhered to and they will also monitor the energy use. Minister Paulwell later closed his speech with a call for the entire support of the public sector in order for the positive results to be realized.

Mr. Richard Gordon, Project Manager, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programme, gave an overview of the genesis of the programme. He mentioned findings of assessments done including: (i) There has been an increasing trend in energy consumption in the public sector; (ii) There is a need to act in earnest to get energy consumption down in the public sector given its cost to the budget; (iii) The government’s target of 15% reduction in energy consumption has not yet been realized; and (iv) the National Water Commission needs to improve its energy efficiency given the amount of energy it consumes.

Mr. Gordon gave several positive examples of agencies retrofitting including the Bureau of Standards that retrofitted its air conditioning units; and the natural lighting utilized in the Tax Office on Constant Spring road given its new energy efficient design which has reduce the level of office lighting needed. Mr. Gordon mentioned that there will be software (such as the TG-2000) installed to manage and adjust air conditioning in various locations such as the building of the Ministry of Finance. Other measures will include automatic door closers, occupancy sensors to ensure light comes on only when needed, double panel windows, reflective window coating and energy efficient louvers to name a few.

Opportunities for private sector- competitive bids to come on stream shortly

In making his case for private sector to get ready to take up the opportunities to come, Mr. Gordon spoke to the number of retrofits to take place island wide under the programme, these included:

• Lighting                                                97,036 lamps
• Air Conditioning                5,026 units
• Cool Roof                            3,623,882 sq ft
• Window Film                      75,217 sq ft
• External Lighting               1,866 lamps

(The figures given may not be replaced on a one to one basis but represent the number of items to be retrofit.)

Audience at EEC Programme Launch

Therefore, to the private sector present strong encouragement was given to begin forging joint ventures with partners overseas, where applicable. He also highlighted that preferences would be given to local competitors with goods and services of local origin.

Adding up all of the ECE measures analyzed, Mr. Gordon noted that Jamaica has the potential for significant and attractive investment:

• Total estimated investment:   JMD 7.8 billion

• Total estimated savings:            JMD 3.2 billion/y

• Simple payback                             2.4 years

• Existing gov’t consumption saved: 29%

• National level consumption saved: 3.5%

• Electricity savings:                        115 million kWh/y

• Electrical demand reduction:   35-40 MW

• Barrels of oil saved:                     200,000 bbl

• Greenhouse gas emissions reduced: 75,000 tCO2/y

Full presentation by Richard Gordon,   EEC Programme Launch

In giving the closing remarks, Hillary Alexander called for all players to take up the mantle and play their part. The event later closed with a brief press conference with the Minister and a workshop session.

Report by the Caribbean Energy Information System (CEIS)

“Whilst there is still a reluctance in the Bahamas to adopt and promote feed in tariffs for solar energy, offset and self sufficiency is very well encouraged home owners can get help with Capital installation costs”. Says SOLIDEA’s Steve Walker “The Bahamas are very open to new technology despite our concern that the Waste To Energy programs we have reviewed [destined for Bahamas and elsewhere in the East Caribbean] were not of the most environmentally friendly; an environmentally friendly WTE system is closed Gassification there is no chimney because there is no smoke no impact on the environment everything becomes extinct”.

SOLIDEA completed a  preliminary study on Bahamas and recently attended a local workshop. “The findings are very positive for Bahamas compared to elsewhere in the region” says Walker “Bahamas have two competing utility energy providers supplying to the Commonwealth grid” Bahamas have one of the most reliable energy services in this part of the world and a credit to the local administration. “We think the low cost of renewable, the onset of demand for more energy and an appetite to invest in reliable safe havens could make Bahamas one of the best investment opportunities in the New World”

SOLIDEA is very interested in investment in the Bahamas, the bulk of electricity is generated in New Providence but there are more than 26 smaller fuel oil generated electric plants on the smaller islands. There is a terrific demand for more energy to meet future demand and the need to introduce more renewable technology saving money and CO2.

The remote power generation units are ripe for replacement or improvement providing PV+CHP installations as primary power source but keeping the existing facilities in reserve means they are operable in future and ready when needed. Running PV alongside fuel oil in remote locations means that power will always be there especially in emergency and it creates a matrix in the mix thus numerous development options including smart grid and more efficient micro grid infrastructure management can become a reality.

Some Big Ticket items are to be considered, firstly a lot of the energy generating equipment is in good condition or new, and the Commonwealth wants to get the best use full life cycle; this is offset by the common logistic problems of making way for coasters distributing fuel inland. The impact it has had to date of the natural reserve and the inevitable spillage angers local conservation groups; future supply and demand exasperate the effect and increase the risk of partial or major spillage. “There is adequate deep sea anchorage for New Providence but little all else for the remote distribution” Says Walker “and this increases the risk of frequent spillage inevitable during distribution” Without doubt low maintenance renewable is the answer with existing utility in reserve to reduce the frequency of risk.

The key issues SOLIDEA identified for future development and where SOLIDEA plan offering its services in Bahamas are primarily the energy needs of the more remote islands, “An ideal grid is one which has its supply and take off well distributed, there are several instant opportunities for small scale utilities for both PV and CHP” says Martin Mizera head of SOLIDEA CHP PARS development team. “Remote energy utility is an unmeasured extra over cost; by replacing it with renewable energy over all cost will go down there will be less risk to home owners and business from fuel spikes.

CHP PARS systems makes waste extinct and small scale units could be ideal for local water treatment; extracting and using solids as feedstocks. During the course of the workshops it was discussed that cruise ships have a practice demonstrating a tendency to dump solid wastes at sea “Being able to transfer solid wastes to land for process is a huge benefit in terms of energy however environmentally we see it as a future must, legislation is well over due both for the environment and in environmental principle for the cruise lines” says Martin

The study and workshop identified Bahamas WTE [waste to energy] potential and where existing as yet unexploited land fill sites can accommodate PV+CHP together; the ongoing activities would produce energy and clean up the environment. As landfill is already dedicated for the use of waste disposal PV and CHP permitting for activities is likely to be fast because installations are value added and far less obtrusive.

Bahamas Energy is dependent on over 500,000 barrels of fuel oils every year to generate and deliver practically all of the islands energy needs, the extra over cost of energy distribution in fuel oils to the 26 or so smaller electricity generating facilities is far less economical. The cost of remote energy production in plants of 4-6MW in size varies considerably, running renewable energy along side would increase capacity reducing cost short term. Long term the considerable cost reductions are very attractive and balances costs.

Energy demand to 2020 would mean more unmanageable distribution and cost variations with the existing mix “We could easily devise a future energy plan clearly demonstrating how the dependency on fuel oil is depleted and the real cost of energy is reduced; and by introducing low maintenance renewable there is a positive shift in the energy distribution in its self a big saving” says Walker

In initial review of the Abaco Wilson City project “the initial CAPEX for fuel oil installations vs Renewable was marginally higher than today’s Solar installations and significantly higher than CHP though we truly need to review the final accounts; initial cost savings are obvious and the environmental impact for Abaco could be far less even after its construction”.

“There are so many energy cost savings in Bahamas traditional shading measures have given way to shear architectural aesthetics, value added people spaces and vantage points in SOLIDEA opinion are compromised by unnecessary air-conditioning volumes. Buildings and peoples health can benefit from more shade more ventilation and less air conditioning” says Walker. Well published benchmarks need to be set for Hotels and other commercial buildings easily comparing yearly kWh/m2 energy use in like spaces better empowers the conscious individual to act and save energy it also makes those responsible for wasting energy more tolerant of energy price hikes.

When asked if SOLIDEA could comment on thermal opportunities “We are all in favour of heat pumps or geothermal applications “says Walker “I even have one at home. I just do not see the romantic necessity to go to all the trouble and expense for such complicated installations; we have turbo solar in Bahamas the sun shines almost everyday that’s one of the beauties of the Bahamas”

SOLIDEA look forward to more formal workshops and the opportunity to represent the Bahamas authorities in the near future to participate in value added infrastructure investments

Source :  www.solideagroup.eu