$31m energy efficiency upgrade for JCDC office
Published:Wednesday | November 21, 2018 | 12:00 AMNickoy Wilson/Gleaner Writer
Some $3.7 million annually will be shaved off the electricity bill of the Jamaica Cultural Development Commission (JCDC) when the Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ) completes an energy-efficiency upgrade at the commission's corporate office in St Andrew at a cost of $31 million.
The upgrade, which is being done through PCJ's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programme (EECP), will see the installation of 49 indoor air conditioning units with ventilation systems, roof cooling technology, and upgrade of the electrical infrastructure.
Speaking at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the sharing of post-installation data and the maintenance of the systems, Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment and Sport, Olivia Grange, said her administration was focused on making Jamaica energy efficient, acknowledging that Government's energy bill was great.
"This administration, this government of which I am a part, is moving aggressively to ensure that we set the example and bring our private sector along to make sure that as a nation, we can achieve energy security," Grange said.
Big energy consumer
"Outside of the industrial sector, Government is probably the biggest consumer of energy. While we have some promising explorations taking place, we have not yet struck oil, and so we have to rely on others to satisfy our energy needs."
Robert Clarke, acting group general manager at PCJ, said that emphasis has been placed
on energy efficiency and conservation in the public sector as one of their strategies for addressing the country's high energy bill.
He pointed out that the EECP plays a critical role in this approach and since its inception, has helped the government save millions.
"Since the programme's inception in 2011, the Government of Jamaica has invested close to $1.2 billion in energy projects at some 43 public sector facilities, which has resulted in savings of more than $200 million on the government's energy bills," Clarke said.
The upgrade of the building is scheduled to be completed by March 2019.