Boost to Jamaica's Energy Efficiency Possible

Dear Editor, 

In the September 23, 2005 edition of your Financial Gleaner, Raymond Forrest's article 'We need to boost our Energy Efficiency' concludes with the statement: "... we have a major problem that requires conservation measures and change in current behaviour".  I am in full agreement.  We need to appreciate that oil is a non-renewable resource and needs to be treated accordingly.

But, changes are not only limited to transportation.  In the article 'Jamaica on the wrong side of the Energy Spectrum: Directions for the Future, part I', published in the January 27, 2005 edition of the Gleaner, Dr. Cezley Sampson noted the 23.5 percent of Jamaica's oil imports is used for transportation, but 25 percent is used in the generation of electricity, as Jamaica's energy demand is almost totally supplied by imported fuel.

Change in the design and operation of our buildings can therefore make significant contributions toward boosting energy efficiency.  Over 10 years go, a study undertaken in Thialand revealed that annual consumption of energy in stores and hotels could be reduced by up to 56 and 51 percent respectively.

The implementation of the conservation measures would even pay for themselves within one or two years.  A comparable local study revealed that annual consumption in our typical offices could be reduced by 30 - 36 percent, if these buildings complied with the Energy Efficiency Building Code (EEBC-94), in which case, the payback period was between 1.2 and 2.6 years.

Towards this end, the Jamaican Institute of Engineers is to be commended for including energy-efficiency as one aspect of their effort to revise the National Building Code.  Policymakers, design professionals, real estate developers, building owners and operators therefore need to take stock, and effect changes for the good of the nation and to improve returns on their investments.

Paul Hay is a Jamaican national, founder of PAUL HAY Capital Projects: a consultancy, based in Kingston Jamaica, with a vision of providing strategic planning and implementation services to organizations for non-residential facilities in the Caribbean.