UTech, Jamaica 2015-16 Annual Report

Page 45 University of Technology, Jamaica ANNUAL REPORT 2015-2016 funds to complete a campus wide commercial scale energy audit that will form the basis of a future Energy Plan. Steps are being taken to implement cost and energy-saving devices and measures. Local and international linkages and collaborations Organization of American States (OAS) UTech, Ja. signed an MOU with the OAS in 2014 to provide technical expertise on Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment Projects (LCA) and the Legal Biofuels Framework. Under this agreement the CSEII offered ongoing advice and guidance on the work of the Partner Organizations implementing the local sugar industry. The Institute hosted two national workshops, one on Life Cycle Assessment in the Sugar Industry, and the other, in collaboration with the OAS, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and MSTEM on Bio-energy and Food Security (BEFS) Rapid Appraisal Tool Training. The project ended September 2015 with a capacity building training exercise including a number of lecturers from UTech, Jamaica. The LCA software Simapro (TM) was handed over to the CSEII for its Innovation Lab. MSc. in Sustainable Energy & Climate Change – Innovation and Entrepreneurship The CSEII initiated and developed a Master of Science programme in Sustainable Energy and Climate Change with the technical and financial support of the German Society for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) following two years of developmental work by the AVP. The concept for this specialist programme was premised on UTech, Jamaica’s thrust to advance Trend in energy usage over the past 5 years. Breakdown of energy consumption by month from April 2015 to March 2016. 67 The University monitors its energy usage by analyzing its electricity bills on a monthly basis. Focus is placed on savings per kilowatt hour. During calendar ye r 2015/2016 the energy consumption increased by 3.8 %, this is attributed to the expanded infrastructure on campus. This increase falls well within our 5% targeted increase. Despite the increase in energy consumption, falling global oil prices afforded cheaper rates per kilowatt hour than the past 5 years. This resulted in expenditures of approximately 22.1% less than the previous year. Trend in energy usage over the past 5 years. 68 Breakdown of energy consumption by mon h from April 2015 to March 2016. Energy Conservation The CSEII actively promotes energy conservation through outreach at events on campus, a through energy saving messages on the Intranet. Energy Monitoring and Auditing Team (EMAT) volunteers monitor the campus during the semester. Students are assigned zones to which they make visits with the objective of identifying and reporting improper uses of energy. The security staff also assists with energy monitoring. CSEII is currently in the process of securing funds to complete a campus wide commercial scale e ergy audit th t will form the basis of a future Energy Plan. Steps are being taken to implement cost and energy-saving devices and measures. Local and international linkages and collaborations Organization of American States (OAS) UTech, Ja. signed an MOU with the OAS in 2014 to provide tech ical expertise on Sustainability Life Cycle Assessment Projects (LCA) and the Legal Biofuels Framework. Under this agreement the CSEII offered ongoing advice and guidance on the work of the Partner Organizations implementing the local sugar industry. The Institute hosted two national workshops, one on Life Cycle Assessment in the Sugar Industry, and the other, in collaboration with the OAS, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and MSTEM on Bio-energy and Food Security (BEFS) Rapid Appraisal Tool Training. The project ended September 2015 with a capacity building training exercise including a number of lecturers from UTech, Jamaica. The LCA software Simapro (TM) was handed over to the CSEII for its Innovation Lab.