The Guyana Energy Agency (GEA) has commenced the demonstration of energy-efficient lights benefitting 500 vulnerable households. This initiative falls under the second phase of the Latin America and the Caribbean Energy Efficiency Programme (PALCEE) supported by the Austrian Development Cooperation and the Latin American Energy Organisation (OLADE).
According to Ms Shevon Wood, Head of the Energy and Energy Statistics Division of the GEA, “the project is in accordance with the objectives of the Green State Development Strategy and the National Energy Policy which generally aims to, among other things, increase end-use energy conservation and efficiency in the residential sector, curtail greenhouse gas emissions from the energy sector and minimise the foreign exchange cost of energy to the national economy.”
The activity, which commenced in May and will conclude in December, entails the distribution of a total of 2,000 energy-efficient LED lights in the residential sector, specifically targeting the distribution and installation at low-income areas and to beneficiaries from a vulnerable social group to demonstrate its derived socio-economic and environmental benefits.
Wood explained that the criterion that was established to identify the recipient households were that “…..the beneficiary must be a pensioner or disabled person who receives public assistance from the government.” She further explained, “The Ministry of Social Protection was consulted and a population list was provided from which a sample was drawn from each of the 10 administrative regions. From the data obtained, and based on the number of lights provided under the PALCEE project, a quota of four lights per household was set for distribution, which amounted to a total of 500 beneficiaries.”
To ensure a 100 percent installation of the lights and that they are used for their intended purpose, the GEA has undertaken to install the lights through house-to-house visits.
The general objective of this project is to enhance local capacity to improve energy efficiency in Guyana by strengthening the institutions responsible for guiding and directing the energy efficiency programmes nationwide, including laws and regulations. In addition, the project aims to achieve sustainable energy savings, prioritise investment needs in the energy sector, improve the country’s finances, and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The implementation of the energy-efficient light distribution demonstration project is the third and final activity of the programme.
