260 EMPLOYEES FROM 30 PUBLIC SECTOR FACILITIES RECEIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT TRAINING UNDER EMEP
Kingston, Jamaica – August 29, 2019: The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) led Energy Management and Efficiency Programme (EMEP) is increasing technical awareness and expertise through ongoing training workshops aimed at transforming energy use in Jamaica’s public sector.
The training being provided to 260 facilities personnel, over 25% of whom are women, from 30 government entities, including schools and hospitals island-wide, is led by Canadian learning and development institution, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) with support from energy efficiency consultants, EfficiencyOne Services (E1S), also based in Canada. Prior to the commencement of the workshops, the training facilitators contracted by the PCJ visited the locations of EMEP beneficiaries and conducted Needs Assessment Surveys. This process provided an overview of energy usage, condition of equipment as well as maintenance and operations regimes at these facilities; and highlighted gaps in the monitoring of energy consumption.
Following the assessment, the curriculum for the workshops was designed to meet the needs identified, including modules on energy management fundamentals, strategic energy management, use of automated building systems and photovoltaic system maintenance. Another key feature of the training has been teaching participants how to use open source software for management of energy usage, thereby addressing the monitoring shortfall flagged as a major area of concern. Thanks to the ongoing training, facilities managers will be in a better position to monitor baseline consumption, review usage profiles and identify changes in energy usage.
“Monitoring and maintenance of the measures implemented through the EMEP is imperative for the Programme’s success. With the training and increased technical support that the beneficiaries have received, there should be sufficient information readily available for detailed investment grade audits should the need arise,” said the PCJ’s Acting Group General Manager, Robert Clarke.
“Improvement of energy efficiency and conservation is important to the development of the energy sector. By increasing capacity within government-operated entities and supporting sustainable energy use by introducing energy efficient technology alongside the required training, we are ensuring that we get maximum value from our investment,” he added.
“We are extremely pleased with the level of participation and enthusiasm among facilities personnel in the training workshops carried out thus far under the EMEP. We also congratulate the PCJ for making a point to include the monitoring of gender-related results whilst implementing this project.” commented Senior Regional Energy Specialist at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Dr Malaika Masson.
“The technical know-how gained in these training sessions is exactly what Jamaica needs to reduce energy costs and position itself as a regional leader in clean energy as the sector goes through substantial transformation driven by innovative technologies,” Masson added.
Launched in May 2018, the EMEP is a US$40 million initiative funded by the IDB, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the European Union Caribbean Investment Facility (EU-CIF). The programme is financing energy efficiency projects at 80 health facilities, schools and public agencies operated by the Government of Jamaica (GOJ), of which 30 facilities are slated to undergo extensive retrofits to reduce electricity usage and deliver savings for the GOJ. Beneficiaries include 11 hospitals, 10 schools and nine GOJ agencies.