Jamaica Productivity Centre Pushing for ESCO Industry

The Jamaica Productivity Centre (JPC) is pushing for individual Energy Service Companies (ESCOs) to join forces to form an industry that will effectively cater to the needs of a growing clientele.

Executive Director of the JPC, Dr. Charles Douglas, told JIS News that while individual companies have been providing energy services across the country, more can be achieved if an industry is created.

“We want to combine renewable energy with energy conservation and energy efficiency to create an energy-saving package for people. We want the persons involved in the business to get together to form a bigger company to provide the services of an ESCO and create a new industry in the country,” he said.

He added that when an industry is created with certified practitioners and the necessary regulations, then the service provided will “guarantee sufficient savings” to clients.

“Right now, no guarantee is being offered. We want to take it to a level where the practitioners are going to guarantee a certain level of [energy] saving that can be converted to money,” Dr. Douglas said.

The Executive Director was speaking ahead of the ESCO Jamaica National Conference, to be held on Wednesday, January 27, at the Knutsford Court Hotel, in New Kingston.

The conference is targeted at business owners, contractors, masterbuilders, financiers, policymakers, regulators, providers of energy efficiency and energy renewable services.

Along with looking at the establishment of an ESCO industry in Jamaica, the conference will also focus on the new opportunities available, the importance of an ESCO services contract and the requirements for getting ESCOs up and running.

Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Energy Specialist, Dr. Malaika Masson, will present on energy efficiency and ESCOs in the Caribbean context, while Group General Manager of the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica, Winston Watson, will head PCJ’s Super ESCO business model presentation.

Dr. Douglas said he is hopeful that once an industry is created, some of the challenges that are now being experienced will be eliminated. Among the challenges he outlined are lack of financing from banks, verification skills among practitioners and quality control.

To register, persons may visit www.jpc.com.jm/esco, contact ESCO Jamaica National Conference Secretariat at 922-1598, 948-6168 or send an email to esco.jpc@gmail.com .

The conference is part of the ESCO Jamaica Project that seeks to create the supporting infrastructure for the development of an ESCO industry in the country.

The project is being funded by the Government of Jamaica and the European Union at an estimated cost of €576,546 and is being implemented by the JPC.

Partners for the project include PCJ, Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining; Development Bank of Jamaica, and Private Sector Organisation of Jamaica.