GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) — The Guyana-based Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Secretariat Energy Unit along with the CARICOM Regional Organisation for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) and the International Code Council, ASHRAE, have announced the release of new standards for energy efficient buildings for member countries.

The Secretariat said that the CARICOM Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code (CREEBC), which will cover both commercial and residential construction, is a joint effort by the CROSQ, the Code Council and ASHRAE.

“These standards for energy efficient buildings reflect the unique energy requirements of tropical environments and will ultimately increase adoption rates of more effectual technologies for renewable energy and energy conservation,” said CROSQ’s chief executive officer, Deryck Omar.

“The adoption of these codes will go a long way toward allowing our members to mitigate the impacts of a changing climate. It also demonstrates the importance of bringing quality measures into the region’s energy sector and the potential benefits that can accrue when that happens.” he added.

The CREEBC, which was developed through collaboration between the CROSQ and the Energy Unit of the CARICOM Secretariat, is meant to meet the specific needs of nations in the Caribbean and other countries with tropical climates.

It establishes minimum energy efficiency requirements for buildings, including the building envelope, cooling system, ventilation, pumping, lighting and the service water-heating systems.

“The CREEBC is envisioned to lead to an era of better quality building designs within the Caribbean Community, noting that the ability of buildings to minimise the energy requirements for the services for which they were intended would reduce the exposure to climate and disaster risks, said the head

CARICOM Secretariat Energy Unit, Dr Devon Gardner.

He said as an example, that “energy efficient measures and systems, such as daytime lighting and improvements in ventilation, can facilitate the comfort of occupants in buildings even during periods of natural disaster related stress on the electricity grids”.

The chief executive officer of Code Council, Dominic Sims said that his organisation is pleased to have had the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues at the CROSQ to help adapt the Code Council’s latest energy standards to help their members improve the efficiency and sustainability of their buildings.

“Our codes are not one-size-fits-all. They are a starting point for developing standards that meet the individual needs of regions around the world.”

ASHRAE President Sheila J Hayter, said improving energy efficiency is a global challenge, with buildings professionals serving as a crucial contributor toward the establishment of standards that affect building systems operation.

“The CREEBC and ASHRAE’s collaboration with partnering organisations represent our long standing dedication to global sustainability and leadership in use of integrated building design resources.”

The Secretariat said that the development of the CREEBC is part of the ongoing implementation of the Caribbean Sustainable Energy Roadmap and Strategy (C-SERM), a CARICOM programme aimed at increasing political will and private sector input for the adoption of more effective technologies for renewable energy, energy conservation and efficiency.