C’bean energy building codes to be discussed at Suriname meeting
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – A two-day meeting seeking to finalise the 2018 draft International Energy Efficiency Conservation Code (IECC) Caribbean Application Document (CAD) gets underway in Suriname on Thursday.
The Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat said that the documents will be discussed during the final meeting of the Regional Project Team (RPT) for the Development of the Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code (REEBC).
The regional project is being implemented by the CARICOM Secretariat in collaboration with the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, through the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Technical Assistance (REETA) Programme.
The Secretariat said that the meeting be preceded by Suriname’s national stakeholder consultation on the REEBC on Wednesday.
“The establishment of the REEBC is a very important step in creating a clear and generally-accepted framework for maximising the efficiency of energy services in buildings. This is a high priority given that approximately 40 per cent of final energy is consumed in buildings in the Region.
This represents a large proportion of the foreign exchange requirements for fuelling the energy economies in the region,” the CARICOM Secretariat said.
It said that following an RPT meeting in St Vincent in July this year, national consultations were hosted in each member state, and input provided to the 2018 draft IECC CAD document.
The Secretariat said that the meeting in Suriname will seek to finalise the 2018 draft IECC CAD before being presented to member states for their acceptance ahead of being presented to the Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED) on Energy for approval.
“That approval will pave the way for the adoption and implementation of the practices related to all aspects of energy use in buildings.
“This includes thermal performance requirements for walls, roofs and windows; day lighting, lamps and luminaire performance; energy performance of chillers and air distribution systems; the electrical wiring system; solar water heating; appliances; renewable energy; zoning of buildings; climate classification and building energy management system from the final 2018 IECC CAD on a national level,” the Secretariat added.
