From the Jamaica Observer – May 16, 2016
Engineers, climate scientists and government representatives are agreed that the country and the region could save millions in electricity bills if the elements of a pioneering project by The University of the West Indies (UWI) to construct a prototype of the Caribbean’s first Net Zero Energy Building (NZEB) is adopted by the planning and construction industries.
The building design maximises the use of natural sunlight for lighting, minimises the sun’s heat effects, uses air currents for cooling, and uses energy-efficient technologies to reduce the need for air conditioning and artificial lighting. The 214-sq-metre (2,300 sq ft) building is expected to be completed by December 2016, and is expected to transform building policies and practices, influence the implementation of regulatory tools that will mainstream the lessons, and transform opportunities for promoting energy efficiency.