From The Gleaner – March 30, 2017
With buildings accounting for a third of growing energy use within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), the construction of the University of the West Indies’ (UWI’s) net-zero energy building is being watched for, among other things, its knowledge transfer value.
“The role of efficient energy use in buildings and transport, in particular, are considered to be cross-cutting and is important to all social and economic sectors,” said programme manager for Energy and head of the Energy Unit at the CARICOM Secretariat, Dr Devon Gardner.
“Work in these areas have been prioritised and, in relation to buildings, the development of CARICOM-wide Energy Performance Standards and Energy Efficiency Building Codes for non-residential buildings is in an advanced state,” he told The Gleaner.
“High-performance buildings, with respect to energy use, can serve as an exemplary building design in lieu of the emerging Energy Performance Standards. The information generated on cost versus performance will provide knowledge that can be transferred to support other building designs,” Gardner added.
The construction is being undertaken through the ‘Low Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Promoting Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy in Building in Jamaica’ project of the Institute for Sustainable Development.