Public Sector Energy Competition Kicks Off December

The Ministry of Science, Technology, Energy and Mining (MSTEM) will next month kick off its Public Sector Energy Champion Competition, which will allow Government departments, ministries and agencies, to showcase outstanding methods of efficiency and conservation.

The competition is aimed at further boosting the culture of energy conservation in the public sector, which is leading by example, under the Inter-American Development Bank-funded Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programme (EECP).

The press launch for the competition, which is an activity under the EECP, was held at the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica auditorium in Kingston on November 12.

Addressing the launch, Portfolio Minister, Hon. Phillip Paulwell said the competition “provides an exciting opportunity for participants to demonstrate the efficacy and effectiveness of the conservation activities they have undertaken and the results that have been generated”.

He pointed out that the government is a major player in the demand for energy, spending $14 billion per year for electricity. However, he insisted, “We are not powerless, we can reduce our energy cost, reduce our dependence on imported oil, we can bring down the electricity rate to a level that allows businesses to maintain competitiveness,” he stated.

Mr. Paulwell stressed that by recognising the value of energy efficiency and conservation and the critical need to diversify our energy sources, the public sector is well positioned to address the situation, to lead by example, and to embrace new opportunities.

Mr. Paulwell said the EECP is a necessary vehicle to ramping up energy efficiency and conservation. This year, some US$20 million will be spent on the Programme.

The EECP, which commenced in November 2011 aims to enhance the country’s energy efficiency and conservation potential through the design and implementation of concrete energy efficiency and conservation cost-saving measures within the public sector.

To this end, the initiative bears three components: strengthening the institutional capacity of the ministry for the implementation of the EECP; supporting investments in energy efficiency and conservation measures in the public sector (retrofitting buildings and facilities); and increasing awareness and knowledge of the EE and EC methods among key public sector agencies as well as private sector stakeholders.

EECP Project Manager, Wayne Williams said the programme has seen a number of achievements such as:  reduction in electricity consumption of approximately 500kilowatt hours recorded at 12 locations over a monitoring period of 10-21 months. This is a $20 million reduction in electricity cost at these entities.

There has also been successful interventions at 42 buildings across the country; and significant attendance at workshops by 73 organisations.

Mr. Williams says there has been positive response to some of the programmes that have been implemented, with both private and public sector entities seeking guidelines to implement these measures at their locations.
“The programme intends to continue and to build on these successes by eventually working with a total of 300 facilities throughout the country,” he stated.

Just over 70 ministries, agencies and departments as well as individual public servants within these entities, will be participating in the inaugural energy champion competition, which will culminate in May, 2015. There will be monthly rewards, leading up to the finals.