Caribbean Nations Go Green

Posted July 19, 2017

The fact that green building and energy solutions are better for the environment has been common knowledge for some time now, but many countries are still dragging their feet on making the switch. The Caribbean is one area of the world that is finally ready to get on board, however. Businesses and wealthy entrepreneurs are beginning to really embrace the idea of green building and they are ready to make it happen.

Green Building Projects in the Caribbean Nations

In years past, diesel has been the primary energy source for the islands. Diesel is available and it is used to power the boats that bring the fuel to the islands, so it was a logical choice. Now that new green building and energy technology is available, however, the Caribbean is ready for a change. Plus, the fact that the islands pay five times more for electricity than the United States does only helps to seal the deal as well.

The green building projects being done are impressive. A 1.5 MW solar array was installed in the Dominican Republic. The Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Action-Advanced Program (CHENACT-AP) was launched in the Bahamas, in order to improve energy efficiency among hotels on the islands. A 20 turbine wind farm already powers 20 percent of Aruba. Leaders from several Caribbean met to discuss how they could implement more green building and energy solutions. A renewable micro-grid with wind and solar energy is being built in Necker Island.

While it will take awhile before all of the various islands adopt more green building and energy solutions, the hope is that the nations that have adopted the green building and energy solutions will shine a lot on the green technology and show that it is beneficial, cost-effective and practical. Then, once other countries see the green building and energy solutions in action, hopefully they will want to adopt their own green building solutions.

The initial cost of the green building technology may be high, but Caribbean leaders are confident that their hard work will pay off, not only with a healthier planet, but also with millions of dollars of savings for the countries.