BRIDGETOWN– Stakeholders from the private and public sectors in Jamaica now have a better understanding of how sea water air conditioning (SWAC) technology can help reduce electricity costs. At the end of 2016, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) collaborated with New Leaf Power to host a study tour of Canada. During the trip, the group of 12 observed and learned about the operations of two alternative energy and eco-friendly air conditioning systems: the Toronto Deep Lake Water Cooling District and Emera Inc.’s cooling system in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Stakeholders from public sector organisations, including environmental agencies, collected information about the potential and challenges of the technology. Participants from private sector companies learned more about the system’s reliability of supply and the financial advantage of having a centralized district cooling network.

In the Caribbean, air conditioning accounts, on average, for 50 percent of the total energy consumption in commercial buildings, including hotels, offices and commercial shopping enterprises. SWAC is estimated to reduce electricity consumption for air conditioning by up to 90 percent.

Robert Wright, Managing Director of Jamaica-based New Leaf Power, noted that the study tour was another important step towards introducing this technology in the Caribbean.(CDB)…[+]