Ross Sheil, Staff Reporter

A public energy-efficiency initiative, set to shave 30 per cent off hospital light and water bills, is soon to be extended to the National Water Commission (NWC) where even greater savings are expected at most energy-hungry public sector agency.

A joint Petroleum Corporation of Jamaica (PCJ)-United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) initiative had seen each partner contributing US$505,000 and $70 million respectively, towards the audits conducted in 23 public and private hospitals.

Government is developing an investment package to fund the purchase and installation of energy-saving equipment in these hospitals which the UNDP is committed to helping source these funds.

Four other hospitals from a previous government-UNDP audit - Bustamante Hospital for Children, Cornwall Regional, Princess Margaret and St. Ann's Bay hospitals - have now had energy-efficient equipment such as solar water heaters, new light fixtures as well as efficient boilers and air conditioners installed.

PUBLIC SECTOR CONSUMPTION

These hospitals recorded 30 per cent savings, and The Gleaner understands that similar levels were recorded in the other 23 audits, the results of which were submitted to the PCJ last week.

The work is part of a government objective to cut public sector energy consumption by 10 per cent of which hospitals accounted for nine per cent of the public sector light bill of US$64.8 million (J$4.2 billion) in 2003, up from US$52.2 million the year before.

More significant said Phillip Paulwell, Minister of Industry, Technology, Energy and Commerce are the potential savings for the NWC which last year accounted for 47 per cent of the public sector's $3.8 billion light bill last year.

Auditing of the NWC has now begun with installation of new equipment hopefully beginning at the start of next year, said Mr. Paulwell.

"We have to move to affect changes in the NWC because it will see significant returns and they have already been doing the work and we will be assisting that process," he said. "In one area they have told us that installation of US$10 million (J$198 million) worth of equipment will save US$3 million each year."

PLOUGHED BACK

As a conditionality of the UNDP funding, savings in the hospital sector are to be ploughed back into maternal and infant health care to help Jamaica achieve its UN Millennium Development goals in these areas.

The sale of carbon credits earned from the energy savings under the system established by the UN's Kyoto Protocol will help fund the purchase and installation of equipment as recommended by the audits (the PCJ's Wigton Wind Farm has a deal with the Dutch government to supply US$3.1 million of credits between 2004 and 2012).

Savings with energy project
Hospital	Savings	Implementation	Payback
	per year	cost		time
Bustamante Hospital for Children	US$35,543	US$83,790		2.4 years
Cornwall Regional	US$244,210	US$907,200		3.7 years