Promoting Energy Resiliency in Jamaica
Overview
USAID is committed to supporting Jamaica in leveraging its advanced levels of commitment and capacity to address persistent development challenges that hinder further progress. The agency’s focus areas in Jamaica include Citizen Security, Disaster Risk Reduction, HIV/AIDS, and the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Through strategic partnerships and targeted interventions, USAID aims to help Jamaica overcome these challenges and accelerate its development trajectory.
Challenge
The Caribbean faces a perennial threat of hurricanes and storm surges. Disasters can disrupt electric grids, water distribution systems, and critical infrastructure such as hospitals, water services, and schools. The effects of climate change can already be felt in the Caribbean, with storms increasing in frequency and intensity. The USAID Strengthening Energy Sector Resilience in Jamaica (SESR-Jamaica) project addresses this threat, recognizing that access to electricity is central to disaster response and requires a forward-looking approach. Centralized power generation and electricity grids are often unable to rebound quickly from natural disasters. SESR-Jamaica promotes distributed solar (PV) and distributed solar plus battery storage (PV+) to provide flexible, grid-connected and back-up power solutions and mitigate climate change, bolstering Jamaica’s energy resiliency.
Cadmus serves as the main implementer of SESR-Jamaica and chairs the Jamaica Renewable Energy Alliance (JERA), an alliance of Jamaican and international private sector and non-profit organizations committed to promoting renewable energy. In consultation with USAID, Cadmus has developed a holistic approach to promoting PV/PV+. Namely, its approach involves the following key activities:
- PV/PV+ workforce development
- 500 kW/1200 kWh PV+ demonstration project at a large Jamaican retailer
- Resources and recommendations to reduce legal, regulatory, and administrative “soft costs”
- Demand aggregation/market development campaign
SESR-Jamaica’s approach builds upon its flagship activity, the demand aggregation campaign. Cadmus is working with businesses to assess their suitability for PV/PV+ and identify service providers, namely PV/PV+ installers and financial institutions. Cadmus has developed a network of installers and financial institutions to participate in the campaign. As a result of installer consultations, it is developing resources to reduce PV/PV+ soft costs. Cadmus is further supporting the sector through collaboration with the University of the West Indies to offer PV/PV+ trainings for installers and showcased value of combining onsite solar with energy storage at a large commercial facility.
Results
The following results demonstrate SESR-Jamaica’s positive impact.
- A network of over a dozen PV/PV+ installers and financial institutions developed.
- Four PV and 2 PV+ contracts signed, totaling 750 kW, with many more in the pipeline.
- Over 60 participants trained at two PV/PV+ workshops.
- Over 50 representatives of financial institutions in attendance of a workshop on PV/PV+ lending.
Learn more about SESR-Jamaica at https://cadmusgroup.com/cp/jamaicaenergy
