Untapped Energy Efficiciency Potential in Saint Lucia – A significant source of emission avoidance

Solar Water Heaters (SWH) offer a considerable energy saving potential compared to electrical water heaters. They can help in reducing electricity consumption and subsequently, electricity bills. While some hotels and public facilities (e. g. the Owen King Hospital and the new St. Jude Hospital) already use SWH, many commercial and industrial enterprises as well as residential buildings are using electrical and/or gas fired boilers.

In Saint Lucia, the import of complete SWH units or components for local production is exempted from import taxes which is an incentive granted by the Government to promote energy efficiency. Nevertheless, the penetration with SWH in Saint Lucia is still low in comparison to its neighbor country Barbados, where the production and usage of SWH are promoted since 1974 with a short interruption resulting in the use of SWH in approx. 70% of households that have any water heating at all. The bundling and extension of incentives for SWH in Saint Lucia including duty waivers, tax deductions, and of dis-incentives like higher taxation of electrical and gas water heaters could promote the increased use of SWH leading not only to reduced consumption of fossil fuel based electricity but also to the reduction of GHG emissions.

Another and easy-to-implement energy efficiency measure is the systematic replacement of linear fluorescence tubes by compatible LED kits. In most of Saint Lucia’s offices, schools, hospitals, warehouses and similar buildings, linear fluorescence tubes installed in luminaires in the ceilings are commonly used. With the advancement of LED technology worldwide, almost all of the well known light bulb manufacturers like Philipps, Osram, Noxion, Sylvania etc. have LED tubes (e. g. Osram: ‘subsitube’) in their production programmes that can replace conventional fluorescence tubes without the need of electrical modifications are required, the replacement by LED tubes can easily be done by the end consumer or caretaker of a building. With a grid emission factor of approx. 0.66 kgCO2/kWh for Saint Lucia, the potential for emissions reductions is significant. 

About 18 to 20% of electricity consumption in an office or similar building are usually caused by lighting fixtures. With the replacement of conventional fluorescence tubes by LED tubes about 50% of electricity consumption for lights can be saved resulting in an overall electricity saving of approximately 10% just by the replacement of conventional fluorescence tubes by LED tubes about 50% of electricity consumption for lights can be saved resulting in an overall electricity saving of approximately 10% just by the replacement of conventional fluorescence tubes with LED tubes. As no electrical modifications are required, the replacement by LED tubes can easily be done by the end consumer or caretaker of a building. With a grid emission factor of approx. 0.66 kgCO2/kWh for Saint Lucia, the potential for emissions reductions is significant. 

Thomas Scheutzlich

United Kingdom
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