Ten housing trust homes to get solar refit
(CNS): The Ministry of Sustainability and Climate Resiliency has started working with a socio-economic consultant to help select ten National Housing Development Trust homes for an energy efficiency retrofit and rooftop solar. This project and another to retrofit public buildings, which are both being funded by a European Union grant of more than €1.2 million (CI$1.09M), aim to help battle the climate crisis, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and cut costs for homeowners and the government.
Over the coming weeks, the consultant will work with the ministry’s project team to develop selection criteria, shortlist households and provide a final recommendation to the ministry, officials said in a press release. Application forms have already been given to NHDT owners and tenants for those who want to be considered for the programme.
The project is funded by the Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID), a sustainable human development aid project supporting efforts in a dozen Caribbean countries and territories.
The programme to retrofit public buildings is focused on increasing efficiency in three buildings selected from 13 that have been selected for an energy audit. The selected buildings will be fitted with new efficient air-conditioning systems and spray foam insulation. The project also includes energy audit training for local facility managers and college-level students, establishing minimum energy efficiency standards for new builds, and an assessment of the best financing mechanisms to support the retrofit of additional buildings.
Chief Officer Jennifer Ahearn said the project team had been working hard to move these programmes forward and meet the rigorous standards set by the RESEMBID grants. “Improving energy efficiency is an essential component of our efforts to reduce the amount of power needed to keep our homes and offices running while providing solar to those who need it most,” she said.
The ministry is also working with an energy code consultant to develop energy efficiency standards for the Cayman Islands. The consultant will undertake a feasibility study on the adoption of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) Regional Energy Efficiency Building Code for the Cayman Islands and develop energy efficiency standards for public sector buildings.
These projects are separate from the recently launched Cayman Home Energy Efficiency Retrofits (CHEER) Programme, which enables lower-income Caymanian homeowners struggling with high electricity bills to apply for free energy efficiency upgrades.
See here for more information on the Cayman Islands Energy Efficiency Programme.
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Category: Energy, Science & Nature
2 years and it’s all busted trash.
How much does each system cost on a per dwelling basis?
as much as the connected companies wish
The 9.5 acre NHDT housing lot in West Bay has 55 single tiny bungalow homes, 0.17 acres each, and costing $100,000 to build and finish in 2000 dollars. RESEMBID is proposing to stall the cost equivalent of 30,000w of PV solar on just 10 of these homes for >$100k each, invoicing all of this EU Grant money. Solar for an average 1500sqft home is in the USA is USD$7000-9000. So this is over 10x what it should actually cost, installed.
they are not on .17 lots that’s for sure, in fact the land maybe .10 on which they sit is owed by the trust (I believe). The figure you are quoting likely takes into account the roads, LPP land and misc. Wondering how they got approved under the minimum lot size in 2000. Place is too crammed up!
If solar products are duty free, and cost no more than US$3-4 per hard-installed watt, how could it cost >KYD$100,000 per rooftop home array for NHDT solar? Even if these 10 NHDT homes had a floorpan of 10,000 sq ft, and were grow-ops, it still wouldn’t add up to them needing >30,000kwh of solar. ACC should be all over this.
Wayne’s legacy…. Ten homes funded by the UK
*EU
As a European I am embarrassed that Europe gives a million dollars to a shithole like the cayman islands.
I am sorry, there no social security network here, corrupt women raping politicians, excessive wealth for a few, no healthcare system for the ordinary people, uncontrolled rents, highest cost of living, no safe and reliable public transportation, church controlled society etc etc.
But we give a million to a few houses to make a change to the climate. Its a joke. That money can be spent better.
Yet here you are escaping your excessive taxes, pathetic salaries, and trash weather.
Don’t worry, I’m sure some paper Caymanian will sign your PR papers when you apply, likely one of your buddies from the old country. Then you can all moan about the locals together indefinitely at your expat-only BBQs.
Or you could just go back home tomorrow, and we’ll replace you with some other random expat by the end of the week. Something tells me you won’t, however.
Lawlessness pervasive & getting worse. No traffic enforcement leads to thousands thinking anything goes, both on the road and off. Give an inch, take a mile.
Illegal parking on double yellow lines, illegal window tint, no front plates, tailgaiting, speeding, etc, etc
Maybe someone should tell the European Union that the British pulled out of the EU with BREXIT. The Cayman Islands are a British colony.
Why the hell are the EU funding projects here? Let the British taxpayers pay for this project not the good people of the European Union.
All that money to cool a house with little to no insulation, a black asphalt roof, and not a damned shade tree in sight. Sickening.
One rass storm and they gone!
If these homes can get rooftop solar, why can’t anyone else? Should be equal treatment across the community, ESPECIALLY if the homeowners are willing to invest the capital cost.
There’s still space left for regular CORE applications. So anyone else can get rooftop solar right now, ESPECIALLY those that are willing to invest the capital cost.
It is frankly extraordinary that an Island capable of providing most of its energy needs from renewables, with a well funded CUC is still casting around for ways of exploiting the sun and wind that are in abundance. There are poor Islands and communities around the world that have the abundant resources of nature, but not the financial means to solve the same problem but that does not describe our Islands! Shame upon the CUC, and our successive politicians for not addressing this sooner.
Imagine this, install wind and solar, reduce the enormous carbon powered generation facility and be one of the first communities to be self sufficient. Ah, but that sentence presumes imagination.
you guys think CUC IS rough.Check the the Brac. which all Dart Power & Light things are duty free. but consumers bills are higher than Grand.
The Compass article does not mention rooftop solar on the NHDT homes. Who is correct?
If the solar is installed by government (using grant funds) on a private house, then who will be responsible for any necessary maintenance over the lifetime of these systems?
CNS: Jennifer Ahearn is quoted as saying: “Improving energy efficiency is an essential component of our efforts to reduce the amount of power needed to keep our homes and offices running while providing solar to those who need it most.”