Energy efficient project to be implemented in Dominica

Johanna Carstens

Energy efficiency experts are currently in Dominica to help set standards that will help in reducing the island’s energy consumption through the use of energy efficient household appliances.

Johanna Carstens Technical Advisor with the Caribbean Renewable Energy Development Programme (CREDP) along with Communications Consultant Carlton James has been meeting with stakeholders here.

Carstens said the purpose of the visit to Dominica is to introduce all stakeholders to the concept of energy efficiency and to advise on to the importance of energy labeling.

“We want to look at introducing energy efficient standards and labels for electrical household appliances in all OECS  countries,” she said.

The team is working with the Dominica Bureau of Standards to implement the energy reduction model.“In Dominica at the moment we have meetings and discussions with different stakeholders. One of our colleagues has facilitated a training workshop at the Bureau of Standards. In addition we have met with various Media organisations and Government representatives including the energy focal point,” she said.

Carstens said the work involves stakeholder discussions and training sessions which are currently ongoing on the island.

She said the economic benefits of the project for Dominica are two- fold.

“At the micro economic level it should benefit low and middle income houses. People should be able to reduce their electricity consumption and thereby their electricity bill by having better information on the consumption of the appliances they buy and so make better informed purchasing decisions,” she stated.

Carstens added that the entire country stands to benefit from this energy efficient project.

“The country can benefit from the project on a macro- economic level because we know that electricity to a large degree is made possible by burning fossil fuels which has to be imported at a very high cost. We have a fuel surcharge here and the electricity tariff as we all know has increased over the last years. This project no doubt will be ideal for Dominica,” she noted.

Carstens is optimistic that energy efficiency is the way forward.

“Energy efficienty is rather a cheap measure to do something about these high electricity costs that we have. Of course you can look at how you use energy for example switching off certain appliances that you don’t need, or, by having more efficient equipment certainly is very important,” she said.

Carstens confirmed that people are already buying into the regional energy efficient project and plans are afoot to launch it in all countries of the OECS.

A Regional Media workshop on the Energy Efficiency project has been planned for November, 2012 in Dominica to sensitize the media about the initiative.

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20 Comments

  1. blizzard
    September 16, 2012

    My concepts of enforcement of import duties and such matters in Dominica may be thoroughly out-dated, but when ever these subjects come up , i can’t help but think, Hmmmmmnnn, another can of worms is about to be opened. Historically The nation has had more than enough difficulty with attempts to enforce these regulations, especially when they’re not dealt evenly accross the board.

    Have we progressed away from those inequities? Will there be proper enforcement and eod-of the- line vigilance to ensure that the end users are not the victims of unscrupulous ambitious business men and women after the importers, merchants and politically motivated business people will have gotten their duty-free exemptions?

  2. Shylock
    September 12, 2012

    If Courts, Astaphans, Raffoul, and the other merchants import energy efficient appliances instead of the cheap garbage they purchase on consignment, the energy consumption island-wide will definitely drop.

    Case in point: I was purchasing a fridge from courts and I just decided to check the model off the internet. Come to find out the model, manufactured in a South American country, was discontinued three years prior; one of the main reasons was that the energy consumption was too high, and so that model along with several others were “on sale” at Courts. As an alternative I decided to import an equivalent in size from Sears in Florida. The total cost of Purchase, import duty and shipping fees was considerably less, and the energy consumption rating was a fraction of the more expensive piece of trash offered at Courts. It is sad to say that the average buyer is held hostage by what is available in Dominica.

    Alas, Magway sa.

    • Anonymous
      September 12, 2012

      Do the energy efficient appliances cost the same? That may be part of the problem why the stores bring in discontinued models in that final price is affordable.

      What may have to happen if the energy efficient are in fact more expensive is that government should give duty free concessions or rebates so buying energy efficient is more affordable and the money we save in DOMLEC bills the govt gets right back in VAT through higher disposable income and therefore increased consumer buying.

      Such policies also strengthen the island’s branding as an eco island.

    • me
      September 12, 2012

      blah blah blah,we have gone through this before with cable and wireless who raped us for years and the only time things changed was when competition came so thank you but the only thing that will change anything is competition,,,,domlec is the new cable and wireless

    • Cerberus
      September 13, 2012

      Is “seconds” and discontinued lines they selling here for big money. Is a rip-off. Not a word from the Regulatory body on that!Do like Shylock and import your own.

  3. Oh really!
    September 12, 2012

    “The paper quotes the company as reporting a profit of $7.75 million for the financial year 2011, said to be up from the average $6 million profits of recent years.”

    For a population do 75,000 max in any country this is a disgusting profit of greed. Power should always be Nationalised for the benefit of all the people. Yes the share holders may think this years dividends paying out but it all goes straight back into monthly electricity bills.

    Time to have price control Dominica. Even the rich are suffering and having to close businesses at the expense of employment.

    Living in capitalism is showing failure throughout the world. We do not have to tread in these footsteps. We are our own people. Be leaders not followers.

    China is investing heavily in its alternative power industry. Why not work together to import tax free products that retail at affordable rates.

    Stand up government of Domininica for the people who you report to represent and ensure affordable power.

    • Malatete
      September 13, 2012

      It does go back to the people, or perhaps I should say “Government”. Remember we are charged 15% vat over the total electricity bill (of which the Domlec profit is only a proportion)and if you do your sums you may well find that the Govt. vat receipts on electricity bills exceeds Domlec’s profit. This doen not include the profit Govt. makes on the sale of diesel fuel to Domlec, which is the latter’s largest cost factor. looking at it this way our Govt. is the biggest beneficiary of high electricity prices.

  4. Sunny Boy
    September 12, 2012

    For more detailed info, just check their website at
    http://www.credp.org

  5. anonymous2
    September 12, 2012

    More of the SMART team network. They don’t want you to use electricity. Wouldn’t that be good. Everyone switches to solar and Domlec goes belly up. Beat them at their own game. Then watch them come up with a way to get money out of solar users.
    I turn off everything all the time because I don’t want the bills anyway.

  6. valor
    September 12, 2012

    Power Factor on Domlec Side can contribute to high cost in Electricity Bill for Consumers. educated them on this, they need to know because it not only the fuel surcharge. Domlec has poor efficinecy in there generator Set that requires a high level of Maintenance.

  7. bousselaire
    September 11, 2012

    The first ever thing to reduce electricity consumption is to stop importation of non controlled stuff, suply that are not in standard of consumtion in any part of Europa or US and whom packages and notices are not wroten in “understandable” English,

  8. Show me the money
    September 11, 2012

    Now a days 99.99 appliance comes energy efficient yes solar is the way to go . But at the same time DOMLEC need to lower their price per unit it is to high

  9. new york
    September 11, 2012

    yeah right CIA

  10. Malatete
    September 11, 2012

    Excellent initiative. I suggest we start by selling electrical aplliances that are geared to our 220 v. supply.Far too much 110 v. equipment is imported, which necessitates the purchase of transformers, reducing the efficiency of the electricity supply by at least 10%, apart from generating heat and causing fire risks. Try selling 220 v. equipmetn in the U.S.A. and see what happens!

  11. soitiswritten
    September 11, 2012

    Was solar cooking mentioned?

  12. September 11, 2012

    excellent move . Energy savings is by far the best way to go. Thousands of dollars are waisted each day simply because of unefficient electrical appliances, AND the use of poor quality transformers .
    When you combine efficient appliances, use of 240 volts only, turn off TV, DVD, or your sockets when not using them, use of low energy bulbs….. you can already save more than 20 % of your electrical bill.
    Now if you properly design your home or building, make sure all openings are closed when using AC or fans, and use a solar water heater instead of electrical heaters, you again save thousands of dollars every year.
    And finally , if you install efficient energy savings devices on your refrigeration, air conditioning and electrical motors , you can save again up to 40 % .
    This is simple electrical management and pays off by itself in a very short time.

  13. Show me the money
    September 11, 2012

    Pure crap. What need to be done is reduce unit price

    • Trueman
      September 11, 2012

      “SHOW ME THE MONEY” come on man!!

      Don’t you see that’s what she is getting at FOR EVERYONE TO SAVE THUS REDUCING OUR VERY OWN CONSUMPTION?????

    • Kubuli Kountry
      September 12, 2012

      I don’t know where they going with that nuh…Bureau of Standards probably have too money in their budget, so they wanted to spend a little bit of it…Because as far as i’m concerned anywhere you go these days, Courts, Astaphans, Moslem Store etc, all their appliances have energy saving labels on them. It’s DOMLEC that’s the problem. I bought $95.00 light at the beginning of this month and $20.00 of that went to VAT.

    • Anonymous
      September 12, 2012

      It’s not crap. Yes I agree that reduction in unit price is an absolute must IN ADDITION to energy efficient appliances. But I have reached a point where I truly believe that unless you are cmpletely off the DOMLEC grid no matter what you do on your end your bill is going to be high. It’s almost like DOMLEC has its monthly targets and if consumption does not in reality reach the targets they just pad the bills and hide under fuel consumption. Just my belief not saying that is what is happening but just what I feel because no matter what I do my bill does not get lower whereas surely if I live in darkness, do not use my fan half as much, get rid of one fridge, get rid of electric kettle I’m now back to gas kettle etc etc etc my bill should get lower? NOPE!

      BOTTOMLINE IS THAT ELECTRICITY COSTS ARE KILLING THIS COUNTRY AND SOMETHING TANGIBLE AND IMMEDIATE HAS TO BE DONE.

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