Photo caption: Prof. Tannecia Stephenson, Deputy Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology at the entrance of the net-zero building at The UWI Mona. The net-zero building serves as a model of energy efficiency, demonstrating smart building technologies that can be replicated across Jamaica and other countries.
"In 2018, Jamaica set a target to reach 50 percent renewable energy in its energy mix by 2030. However, as of 2021, the share of renewables in total energy consumption was around
7 percent, representing 12 percent of the energy generated in the country (not imported, like fossil fuels).
The country has taken measures to increase renewables and reduce dependency on fossil fuels, including expanding wind farms, building solar farms and introducing electric buses for public transport.
As part of this transition, the Centre for Advance Research in Renewable Energy, on the University of West Indies (UWI) Mona campus in Kingston, Jamaica’s capital city, became the first net-zero building in the Caribbean in 2016. The building was established with funding from the Global Environment Facility and technical support from the UN Environment Programme.
This building, designed for energy efficiency, is powered by onsite renewable energy and is run by a smart energy management system. The building’s design and orientation are optimized for natural ventilation, reducing the energy demand. It also has a water management system that reuses gray water, derived from bathroom sinks and washing systems, for non-potable uses, such as irrigation.
The building serves as a model of energy efficiency, demonstrating smart building technologies that can be replicated across Jamaica and other countries. The data generated by the building is used by students in their own research and helps graduates gain more awareness about the possibilities of renewable energy.
UNDP helped
retrofit UWI’s net-zero building by upgrading its 20 kW solar photovoltaic systems, HVAC air conditioning units and inverter battery. These upgrades were critical to support the tracking of greenhouse gas emissions data, facilitate training and research, and improve the storage of energy, especially for cloudy days."
