ABBS ’s Role in Energy – Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy
The Antigua and Barbuda Bureau of Standards was established to provide for the preparation, promotion, implementation and maintenance of standards in relation to goods, services, processes and practices. The Bureau is also responsible for declaring national standards and for initiating the development and declaration Technical Regulations, based on standards, where the health and safety of the consumer and the environment is at risk. The Bureau also champions the use of Quality Management Systems as a means of assuring the customer of the quality of goods and services being offered.
The National Energy Policy (2011) – currently being reviewed, and the Renewable Energy Act (2015) aim to reduce the total amount of energy and fossil fuel used nationally and to increase efficiencies in energy consumption and the use of renewable energy in an effort to reduce energy costs, reduce GHG emissions and protect the environment. Energy Efficiency plays a major role, as it is not enough to use less energy to achieve these goals. We must be more efficient in our energy use in all strata of society. This efficient use of energy and the use of renewable energy sources are concepts and will require much behavioural change. The Bureau appreciates that some of the best ways to concretize these concepts and encourage change are through public awareness programs and the use of Standards and Technical Regulations.
The Bureau with support from the Eastern Caribbean Energy Labelling Project facilitated a national train the trainer workshop on Energy Efficiency labelling. This very successful activity generated a lot of interest from the various stakeholders particularly with regards to the national survey of energy practices among a [limited] group of lower income households.
Antigua and Barbuda participated in the development of:
- the CARICOM Energy Efficiency Labelling Standards for refrigerators, air conditioners, CFL and LEDs and has already advanced the process of adopting these as national standards – expected to be completed by Nov 06, 2020; and
- led the development of the CARICOM Energy and Energy Efficiency Building Code which is expected to be appended to the Revised OECS Building Code.
Awareness-raising activities, as well as EE and RE standards development efforts, will continue to be done in collaboration with the National Energy Desk, the Development Control Authority, the Department of Environment, the Ministry of Works and other stakeholders as we work together to achieve the targets set out in Antigua and Barbuda’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) – the 2015 NDCs are currently under revision and expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2021. Public awareness efforts will continue and will include dissemination of information via the ABBS’s website and now also via this ABBS Energy Website.