THE government of Jamaica, in response to the steady increases in world oil prices, is pushing ahead with its energy conservation and efficiency programme targeted at public and private sector agencies and homeowners.

The move is designed to cut down on the country’s huge oil bill, which is expected to reach US$1 billion this year as oil flirts with a record US$50 per barrel price.

The Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ), implementor of the conservation programme, has allocated $70 million to the installation of energy efficiency units in hospitals to save on power used for water, light and heating, with the government contributing $3.5 million.

And the government has got financial support from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a US$45,000 ($2.8-m) grant to pay for two technical experts to set up the proposed Energy Efficiency Fund (EEF).

The fund is meant to act as incentive for investors and private householders to acquire and install energy conserving systems, by financing the purchases.

The funding, it is proposed, will flow through licenced financial institutions which will on-lend to end users.

Dr Cezley Sampson, head of the Energy Efficiency Unit in the Ministry of Commerce, Science and Technology, says Cabinet is expected to review a submission and decide soon on how the EEF should operate.

Other aspects of the national conservation programme, involve a multimillion-dollar conservation plan in effect at four of the country’s primary health care facilities – namely the Bustamante Children’s Hospital in Kingston, Cornwall Regional in Montego Bay, Princess Margaret in St. Thomas and the St Ann’s Bay Hospital.

Hospitals account for nine per cent of total energy use and initial estimates are that the hospitals should see about a 20 per cent savings in their electricity bills as a result of the programme.

The conservation efforts have also been extended to the rural electrification programme, where the PCJ has been introducing photovoltaic streetlights across the island, especially in remote communities.

There are about 17,000 homes that are not connected to the Jamaica Public Service Company (JPSCo) grid and the company has said that connection would prove too costly.

Sampson says 45 homes in the adjoining parishes of St Catherine and St Ann have been installed with photovoltaic or solar systems.

Streetlights were also erected in St Ann but those were vandalised and had to be removed.

The unit head says further research would be carried out, to determine the areas where it would be economical to do connections, and where it is not, for further studies to be done on the supply of photovoltaic lighting.

Talks are ongoing, says Sampson, with the Bureau of Standards regarding improvements to the existing building code to make energy efficient standards mandatory for all buildings, commercial or otherwise.

But even as the government seeks to put conservation measures in place, efforts are also being made to diversify the energy base and increase renewable capacity.

Renewables now account for 43 megawatts of generated power. The PCJ is itself a participant in the study and implementation of projects linked to the production of energy using hydropower, wind, solar technology and biomass.

In July, a 20 MW wind farm was opened in Manchester and it is expected that it will supply the JPSCo with enough energy to service more than 25,000 average households.

Wind speed studies continue at other locales across the island.

There has also been success with using solar technology to produce photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, but the country lacks the potential for large-scale hydroelectricity generation.

In terms of biomass, with research indicating that it may not be economically feasible to establish commercial fuel wood plantations, the PCJ is looking at the potential of the sugarcane industry to provide energy.

Studies indicate that 35 MW of electricity could be supplied in the out-of-crop season for the JPSCo grid and 15 megawatts during crop time. One other option, which is being explored, is the use of ‘gasification technology’, which is the production of energy from bagasse.

In the meantime, the Ministry’s public education campaign, which began in June under the theme ‘Energy Conservation Makes Cents’, will continue until December.

“We are hoping that the public will have a better understanding of government’s policy with respect to energy and energy efficiency and that people will be better informed as to what they can do to improve their energy efficiency,” says Sampson.

A market research firm has been contracted “to gauge the effectiveness of the programme.”