Thirteen members of the public sector successfully completed an energy audit training course last month as part of a Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency programme to increase energy efficiency in the Cayman Islands.

In 2022, the Ministry was awarded more than 1.2 million Euros from the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID) in support of the programme. The Cayman Islands Government Energy Efficiency Programme has two main components: The first aims to improve energy efficiency and facilitate retrofits for existing public sector buildings while the second aims to improve energy efficiency, facilitate retrofits and install solar energy for National Housing Development Trust homes.

By reducing the amount of energy needed to power public buildings and Government-built affordable homes, the programme will provide cost savings for homeowners and the Cayman Islands Government.

Minister for Sustainability & Climate Resiliency Hon. Katherine Ebanks-Wilks, LLB, MP, congratulated the trainees on successfully completing the programme: “Training to build local capacity is an important component of the Cayman Islands Government Energy Efficiency Programme and I am pleased to congratulate the thirteen individuals who successfully completed this energy audit training course.”

The training cohort included members of the Ministry’s project team, and facilities managers from across the Civil Service and the University College of the Cayman Islands.

“After sixteen hours of virtual and in-person learning, the trainees are familiar with how energy audits are conducted on residential and commercial buildings, the equipment needed to conduct energy audits, and the utility data required,” Ebanks-Wilks said. “I want to thank everyone who participated for doing their part to save energy. Together, we can work towards a more sustainable future for our country that improves quality of life and lowers cost of living for our people while building the capacity needed to prepare our people for the green jobs of the future.”

The training programme included site visits to conduct energy audits on select public sector buildings and NHDT homes which are being prioritised for energy efficiency retrofits and solar energy.

Now that the training and site visits have been completed, baseline assessments, energy savings calculations, financial analysis and reporting are underway. Preliminary findings providing an overview the energy audit results have already been created and full reports analysing both the public and private sector results will follow.

In addition to the RESEMBID-funded programme, the Ministry has also produced Do-It-Yourself (DIY) Energy Audit guides that can be used by local residents and business owners to identify easy opportunities for saving energy in local properties.

The Ministry has also developed a Kids Energy Guide and Energy Saving Habits Guide to help the whole family get involved in saving energy. All of these resources and more are available at www.energy.gov.ky.