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The Cayman Islands’ two-year Residential and Public Sector Buildings Energy Efficiency Programme celebrated the successful conclusion of its project on Thursday morning. The event, held at George Town Yacht Club, brought together project staff, homeowners, contractors and civil servants who have participated in the project. Led by the Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency and Wellness with support from the RESEMBID Programme, the European Union and Expertise France, the programme was initiated to address multiple challenges facing the community, including high energy costs and the need for sustainable environmental practices. The project tackled energy efficiency and consumption in both residential (National Housing Development Trust homes) and public sector buildings and recorded demonstrable success in both sectors. In 2022, the Ministry was awarded a grant of €1.2m for the Cayman Islands Government Energy Efficiency Programme. Both the residential and public sector building programmes were heralded as a successful example of public engagement delivering measurable results, supporting community and leaving a legacy of economic and community benefits. In the Residential Programme, 10 NHDT homes were selected to participate in the project. After the homes were audited by locally trained facilities managers, they were retrofitted with energy efficient appliances including energy-efficient insulation foam, solar panels, and efficient air conditioning units. The retrofits had a significant effect on the average household energy consumption. On average, across all 10 homes participating in the programme, consumption had fallen from 1,368kWh per household in August 2023, to an average of 714kWh per household in November 2024. Homeowners reported an average saving of KYD86 per month since the retrofit, with one participant reducing her bill from approximately KYD800 to KYD170.
programme after their homes were retrofitted with energy-efficient appliances in August 2024. Honourable Minister Dwayne Seymour, Minister for Sustainability & Climate Resiliency and Wellness, said: “I am proud of the work and results that the Energy Policy Unit through the RESEMBID programme have achieved. The project proves that collaboration, vision and community engagement are vital to delivering on our objectives. This programme has involved international funding and partnerships, local businesses and homeowners, as well as developed skills and educated the public. Earlier in the week, I had the opportunity to meet with one of the homeowners who had participated in the programme and heard first-hand what a positive impact this project had on her and her comfort. This programme is truly making the lives of those we serve better, and I believe that its positive legacy will continue well into the future.” The holistic programme included retrofits, analyses of existing buildings, developing standards for future buildings, gathering data and developing financing mechanisms to support future projects. The RESEMBID grants supported training components – including training local facilities managers and members of Ministry staff as energy auditors, establishing minimum energy efficiency standards for new builds, and an assessment of the best financing mechanisms to support the retrofit of additional public sector buildings and homes. The Public Sector Building programme delivered comprehensive energy audits across 13 public sector buildings on all three islands, including schools, libraries, post offices, Cayman Brac Fire Station, Little Cayman Airport and the House of Parliament. The audits provided a blueprint for future energy efficiency actions and retrofits. The findings from the public sector energy audits projected that some buildings could save as much as 25% of their current consumption. Speaking at the closing event, Kristen Smith, Senior Policy Advisor – Energy, from the Ministry of Sustainability & Climate Resiliency and Wellness, said: “This programme has been a real success and truly made a difference in the lives of all the people involved. The homeowners and entities that participated in the programme are enjoying lower bills, and importantly, we have also seen a shift in mindset and adoption of energy efficiency practices that will benefit them and the whole community now and in the future. I am incredibly proud of what this team and the programme has achieved, and I look forward to continuing to work with the public, industry partners and civil servants to further this work. I hope others will be inspired to make their homes more energy efficient too.” Public information and education have also been a core part of the project, and the team have developed accessible online resources to help the wider community understand how to conduct their own energy audits. The resources and guides continue to be available on the Energy website www.gov.ky/energy/resources/energy-audits. To learn more about the programme’s outcomes and recommendations please visit the Energy Unit website, https://www.gov.ky/energy/programmes/resembid