Refrigeration and air conditioning stakeholders to consult on draft legislation.

National Ozone Unit, Friday March 26th, 2021. Refrigeration and air-conditioning stakeholders in Grenada would have the opportunity to review, comment and make suggestions on a Draft Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Bill that is intended to be established in 2021.

The Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS) Bill which covers several aspects of the refrigeration and air-conditioning industry will be the primary piece of legislation that would govern this sector. Several stakeholders have been invited to participate in a Virtual National Stakeholder Consultation organised by the National Ozone Unit (NOU) in conjunction with Legal Consultant, Ms. Rosana John to review the Bill.

The Virtual Consultation is scheduled for Wednesday March 31st, 2021 from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon. The Consultation would feature remarks from from the Permanent Secretary with responsibility for the National Ozone Unit Ms.Patricia Clarke, the National Ozone Office, Mr.Leslie Smith and a representative from the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation. Ms. Rosana John would also outline the principal sections and sub-sections of the Bill.

Participants would have an opportunity to examine in detail the Sections of the Bill in working groups and provide feedback on the outcome of their group discussions. A second consultation would be held at a later date to validate the suggestions and proposals coming out of this consultation.

Some of the major Sections already identified in the Bill include:

• Management of controlled substances
• Restrictions on Imports and Exports of controlled substances
• Retrofitting of equipment
• Procedures for licensing of technicians and workshops
• Standards for the storage of controlled substances
• Standards for labelling
• Offences and penalties among others

The Draft Bill has been prepared by Legal Consultant, Ms. Rosana John in consultation wit the National Ozone Unit and legal advisor to the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Physical Development and Energy, Mr. Olinga Mitchell. This initiative is part of the Sustainable and Climate-friendly Phase-out Of Ozone Depleting Substances (SPODS) project that is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), with the National Ozone Unit being the executing partner.

ASHRAE training for Twelve (12) local RAC Technicians in HVAC Design (Level I and II)

National Ozone Unit, Monday March 15th, 2021: Twelve (12) local refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) technicians started an online training course in heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) Design, Level 1 and level II conducted by the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, Air-conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) on Monday March 15th, 2021. The Level I course runs from March 15-19 and provides intensive, practical training ideal for recent technical or engineering school graduates, engineers new to the HVAC field, those who need a refresher in new technologies, and facility managers, sales representatives and others who want to gain a better understanding of HVAC fundamentals, equipment and systems.

The level I Course covers key areas such as:

• Load calculation
• Codes and Standards
• Psychometrics
• System selction
• Commisioning
• Design Process
• Basic Design of Air Systems

The 12 participants were selected from private and public sector enterprises and includes HAVC technicians, engineers, instructors, building supervisors and facilities managers.

This training is an integral component of the Sustainable and climate-friendly Phase Out of Ozone Depleting Substances (SPODS) project. The SPODS project targets the needs of the countries for better access to technologies, finance, as well as technical support in building stronger in-country capacities. In summary, the project is geared towards assisting Grenada with its transformational processes in fulfilling its obligations under the Montreal Protocol related to the ozone depleting substances (ODS) phase-out and current hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) mitigation actions. 

ASHRAE is an American professional association seeking to advance heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration systems design and construction. ASHRAE has more than 57,000 members in more than 132 countries worldwide.

The training is financed under the SPODS project funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the United nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in co-operation with the National Ozone Unit (NOU) of Grenada.

Pilot Project Concepts for the Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) sector launched

National Ozone Unit, February 18th, 2021: The Sustainable and climate friendly Phaseout of Ozone Depleting Substances (SPODS) project is a regional project implemented in Latin America and the Caribbean and is co-funded by the European Commission and the Government of Germany.

The SPODS project targets the needs of the countries for better access to technologies, finance, as well as technical support in building stronger in-country capacities. In summary, the project is geared towards assisting Latin American and Caribbean countries with their transformational processes in fulfilling their obligation under the Montreal Protocol related to the ODS phase-out and current HFC mitigation at the same time.  The project activities include:

1. Country strategies for HFC mitigation actions;

2. Strategy for infrastructure to provide low Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants;

3. Strategy for end of life treatment;

4. Training;

5. Identification and promotion of large-scale pilot project and

6. Communication. 

Grenada adopted two lines of actions of the six proposed actions covered in the SPODS project that are implemented in Coordination with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). These are:
1) Development of Strategies and pilot projects concepts on low-GWP refrigerants;
2) Potentially expand this activity to the region taking in consideration lessons learned.

A “Kick Off” Meeting was held on Thursday February 18th, 2021 to officially launch the start of the this component of the project. The meeting participants included representatives from the implementing agency – UNIDO, the project consultants, Pricewaterhouse Coopers (PwC) India, the National Ozone Unit and from private and public sector entities participating in the project. The development of pilot project concepts and proposals focuses on commercial refrigeration and air-conditioning in supermarkets and buildings respectively and industrial refrigeration in the fisheries sector.

The companies and facilities identified for the project by sub-sectors are:

RAC sub-sector	Companies/Facilities
Industrial (fisheries) refrigeration	Gouyave Fish Market, Carriacou Fish Market
Commercial air-conditioning	Ministerial Complex, Financial Complex, Ministry of Education Building
Commercial (supermarkets) refrigeration	Foodland, Food-fair, SOG, Kalico and  Real Value

The Project Concepts are aimed at assessing the RAC technologies used at the facilities and at the same time proposing solutions to improving the energy efficiency of the RAC equipment. The ultimate goal is to reduce the direct and indirect emissions related to operating the cooling equipment at each of the facilities. Further the concepts can also be used to assist the facilities in attracting financing to implement the proposed measures for enhancing the technologies used and improving the energy efficiency of the equipment

HVAC icon passes on

Eric Pounder

The National Ozone Unit (NOU), Grenada joins the Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) Industry in Grenada in mourning the passing of one of the pioneers and senior statesman in the refrigeration and air-conditioning sector, Mr. Eric Pounder.

Mr. Pounder would be remembered for the introduction of cutting edge technologies and for being a major contributor to transforming the landscape of refrigeration and air conditioning in Grenada. He would be most remembered for his mentorship and for creating a platform and many opportunities and experiences for countless local technicians to learn and develop their professional skills through his company, CAN-LEC Engineering and in his latter years, at his HVAC training institution. When the history of the development of Grenada’s HVAC industry is written, the work of Mr. Eric Pounder MUST be duly recognised and appreciated.

May his soul rest in peace.

Refrigeration and Air conditioning technicians to receive Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) training and certification.

L-R: Genesta Charles, Ricardo Nicholas, Leslie Smith, Marlene Findlay

National Ozone Unit, February 02, 2021: Representatives of the Grenada National Training Agency (GNTA) met with the National Ozone Officer of Grenada, Mr. Leslie Smith to discuss and plan training and capacity development needs for refrigeration and air-conditioning (RAC) technicians in Grenada.

Center to the discussion was the provision of training and certification of RAC technicians to the Level II and Level III Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) certification. Training is assessed and planned to also include the training of a number of technicians as instructors, assessors and verifiers for the NTA’s CVQ program.

The training is expected to begin as early as March 2021 with the assessment of prior learning (APL) of technicians. A total of twenty (20) technicians are earmarked to benefit from this initiative.

The CVQ is a CARICOM approved initiative that represents achievement of a set of competencies which define core work practices of an occupational area, consistent with the levels articulated within the regional qualifications framework.

To earn an award, candidates must demonstrate competence in reaching CARICOM-approved occupational standards developed by practitioners and employers (i.e. the industry experts). These standards are organized in units. Candidates may earn unit awards towards achieving a complete CVQ. Some of the benefits the CVQ certification include:

• Opportunity to be certified
• Enhanced employability
• Alternate routes to further/higher education
• Parallel standing with academic qualifications
• Real world of work experience
• Higher earning potential
• Recognised and Portable Qualification throughout CARICOM

Present at the meeting were: Ms. Gennesta Charles, Mr. Ricardo Nicholas and Mrs. Marlene Findlay form the NTA and National Ozone Officer in the National Ozone Unit, Mr. Leslie Smith

Grenada’s SPODS activities highlighted by GIZ under the Green Cooling Initiatives of 2020.

Grenada, one of several Latin American and Caribbean countries participating in the Sustainable and climate friendly Phase Out of Ozone Depleting Substances (SPODS) Project successfully completed a number of implementation activities in 200, notwithstanding the challenges posed by the global pandemic. Some of these activities included a Virtual technology Road Show, the development of a Green Cooling Communication Strategy, the production a radio jingle, an infomercial and four brochures on green cooling. The Green Cooling Initiative program of GIZ highlighted the major achievements of the partner countries under the SPODS project. More details can be found here: https://www.green-cooling-initiative.org/news-media/news/news-detail/2020/12/10/lets-go-green-cool-vibes-for-the-new-year

The NOU Grenada congratulates Ms. Donnalyn Charles.

Ms. Donnalyn Charles, Regional Cordinator, UNEP-Caribbean

The National Ozone Unit, Grenada extends sincere congratulations to Ms. Donnalyn Charles on her most recent achievement and appointment to the post of Montreal Protocol Regional Coordinator for the Caribbean.

The announcement was made by acting head of UNEP OzonAction James Curlin in a communique sent to National Ozone Officers of the English Speaking Caribbean and Haiti on Monday December 14th, 2020. In his message he indicated, “Donna’s experience of more than 20 years with the Montreal Protocol compliance and implementation has been exceptional, and spans both the national and regional levels. It includes her tenure as Programme Officer within the Caribbean Network and most recently, Officer in Charge of the Caribbean CAP operations from March 2020. With Donna’s skills and intimate knowledge of the Region and needs of Caribbean countries vis-à-vis the Montreal Protocol, I am confident that she will take the Caribbean Regional Network to even greater heights in the years to come. With this change, our CAP team is in an even better position to help your countries successfully phase out HCFCs and meet the many new challenges under the Kigali Amendment”.

Ms. Charles was the UNEP CAP Programme Officer for Grenada. The NOU looks forward to strengthening the collaboration and co-operation with Ms. Charles and her team and extend best wishes to her for a successful tenure in office.

Green Cooling Infomercial

A new Green Cooling infomercial has been developed for Grenada under the Sustainable and Climate friendly Phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances (SPODS) project. The infomercial can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/BREl_d1i7Rw

Grenada’s Green Cooling Communication Strategy Launched.

Thursday December 10^th, 2020, St. George’s, Grenada: The National Ozone Unit (NOU)in its continued efforts to promote energy efficiency in the cooling sector and the use of low global warming potential refrigerants as a means of reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from the refrigeration and air conditioning sector has launched a Green Cooling Communication Strategy and Implementation Plan. The virtual media launch which took place on Thursday December 10^th, 2020 had a wide cross section of participants from the local media, importers of RAC equipment, training institutions, the association of technicians, GIZ , government and several national ozone officers from the English Speaking Caribbean.

This Green Cooling Strategy and Implementation Plan, the first of its kind in the region, is focused on increasing awareness and developing the most appropriate implementation strategies to communicate information on energy efficient cooling technologies using natural refrigerants.  The plan also seeks to facilitate behavioural changes from all stakeholders towards procurement, technology choices, maintenance and end of life treatment of cooling appliances and refrigerants.

Further, the plan will also facilitate the implementation of the National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP) and the linkages to Grenada’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).

The core elements of the strategy provide a comprehensive account of the target groups, key messages, communication tools and media and expected outcomes. The final component of the strategy is the monitoring, evaluation and implementation plan.

The development of Grenada’s Green Cooling Strategy is a product of the Sustainable and Climate friendly Phase out of Ozone Depleting Substances (SPODS) project that is funded by the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Co-operation and Development (BMZ)  and executed by GIZ Proklima nd the National Ozone Unit of the Ministry of Finance Economic Development, Physical Development, Public Utilities and Energy.

To view the full video of the launch, please go to: https://youtu.be/jyg93_7Nm1A

Vacancy Announcement for Legal Expert

The National Ozone Unit together with the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) is in search of a Legal Consultant to assist in undertaking legislative issues under the Sustainable and climate friendly Phase-out of Ozone Depleting Substances (SPODS) project in Grenada:

Main Functions

The national consultant will work closely with the National Ozone Unit (NOU) and will coordinate the activities with UNIDO. The consultant tasks will focus on two main functions required for the SPODs project in Grenada:

1. Conduct an assessment on current regulatory instruments in the country and to prepare a draft ODS Bill/ACT and to include HFCs and other emerging issues. Regulatory review related to ODS and specific control of HFC based on Kigali amendment obligations; based on existing draft, to prepare a draft ODS Bill/ACT (legislation establishing a comprehensive and nationally consistent approach to the management of ODS and HFCs).

2. Support the NOU in coordinating the consultation process to advance in the ODS Act and Regulations and promulgation through Cabinet and Parliament. Organization of at least two stakeholders’ meetings/consultations to discuss and finalize the draft agreed with the NOU; coordination with the relevant government Ministries for its approval and promulgation through Cabinet and Parliament.

Interested legal experts can visit the following site for more information and to apply for the consultancy.

https://www.unido.org/vacancies/national-legal-expert-grenada

Live Media Launch of Grenada’s Green Cooling Communication Strategy

Please join the National Ozone Unit and GIZ on Thursday December 10th, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. for the Media Launch of Grenada’s Green Cooling Communication Strategy. You can join he launch at the following link:https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_M2I5OTFhMWUtYjQ3Mi00Yjg2LThmOGQtNWUyNTgyYmMwZGYx%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%225bbab28c-def3-4604-8822-5e707da8dba8%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22d17aa922-e3f0-4c87-9c23-9bd682142459%22%7d

Grenada inches closer to establishing a National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP)

St George’s, Grenada, December 8^th, 2020: The Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Sector (RAC) in Grenada is now one step closer towards establishing a National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP).

Over thirty (30) participants from government, private sector, academia and industry participated in the second validation stakeholder workshop  organized by the NOU within the Energy Division of the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development, Physical Development, Public Utilities and Energy, with support from the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), as part of the global project “Cool Contributions fighting Climate Change” (C4).

During this validation workshop, New Climate Institute of Germany, presented the updated draft plan which included the feedback from the stakeholders during the first workshop on Novemeber 12^th, 2020. Participants were also given another opportunity to provide additional comments before the finalization and adoption of the plan.  

The NCAP provides a concrete roadmap of short, medium- and long- term strategies for the implementation of climate-smart and energy-efficient cooling systems along with a supportive regulatory framework. 

The NCAP focuses on three (3) principal areas: (1) Building performance standards (2) Increase energy efficiency of unitary air-conditioning equipment and (3) Refrigerants and new technologies (shifting towards low GWP refrigerants)

This strategic plan was developed with input from a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventory of the Refrigeration and Air Conditioning (RAC) Sector in Grenada and an in-depth analysis of the policies, standards and legislation that are currently in place for the industry.

National Ozone Officer within the National Ozone Unit (NOU), Mr. Leslie Smith, during his remarks, stated that the development of the NCAP will allow the State of Grenada to position itself as a leader in using smart and sustainable cooling strategies.  He said, “the development of the NCAP required a multi-stakeholder approach and involved participation and contributions from the Ministry of Climate Resilience; Grenada Bureau of Standards, the association of technicians, importers of RAC equipment, civil society and several government departments.”

Among the overall benefits of the NCAP to Grenada highlighted by Mr. Smith include: Reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced food waste; improved health and productivity among citizens and cost savings through energy efficiency.

The NCAP when finalized would be integrated into Grenada’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC’s) which would further strengthen the role that government would play in meeting its sustainable development goals by 2030.  Already included in the NDCs for Grenada are the fluorinated gases (F-gases), as the only new greenhouse gas added to the NDC update. Provision is also made to address energy efficiency in the cooling sector. 

Deputy Head of GIZ Grenada, Ms. Marion Geiss in addressing the virtual workshop indicated that the finalization of the NCAP is an important milestone for Grenada. She added, “The Green Cooling Action plan can and will make a significant contribution to Grenada’s climate target that commits to a reduction of greenhouse gas emission of 40% by 2030 on 2010 levels. I am proud to say that the -C4 – (Cool Contribution fighting Climate Change) project has played a crucial part in illustrating the need for greener cooling within the national climate agenda”.

Ms. Geiss urged the participants to continue the joint approach towards implementing the NCAP, even after the project is ended in 2020.

Having received the final inputs and updates from the stakeholders, the NCAP would be finalized and presented to the government for its approval by year end, 2020.

A Renewable Solution to Keep Cool in a Warming World

Source: Caribbean Energy Update – Sept/Oct 2020 issue.

Month-after-month, year-after-year, the world continues to experience record high temperatures. In response to this and exacerbated by a growing global popula- tion, it is expected that air-conditioning demands will continue to rise. A new IIASA-led study explored the pros and cons of seawater air-conditioning as an alternative cooling solution.

Conventional air-conditioning (AC) is the most common technology used for cooling and represents a considerable share of energy demand in warmer regions. An alternative that is not frequently considered, is seawater air-conditioning (SWAC) a renewable alternative for cooling that involves pumping seawater from ocean depths of around 700 to 1,200 meters and temperatures of 3°C to 5°C to the coast, where it exchanges heat with a district cooling system, and returns the warmer water to the ocean.

According to the study published in the journal Energy Efficiency, just 1 m3 of sea- water in a SWAC plant can provide the same cooling energy as that generated by 21 wind turbines or a solar power plant the size of 68 football fields. The researchers developed a computational model and methodology to estimate the cost of cooling with SWAC around the world, and also evaluated the possibility of using this system as an alternative for energy storage from variable renewable energy sources like wind and solar.

The results show that whereas conventional air-conditioning systems require a low initial investment cost but the energy costs to operate them are high, for SWAC systems the opposite is true, while it has a higher initial investment cost, energy costs to operate the system is low.

Second National Stakeholder Consultation on National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP)

As a follow up to the previous consultation on the National Cooling Action Plan (NCAP), please find below the meeting link for the validation workshop where the National Ozone Unit will present the finalized NCAP. This updated NCAP takes into account the feedback and recommendations from the national workshop held on the 12th November 2020. Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (RAC) Stakeholders in Grenada are invited to this live online consultation on Thursday, December 3rd, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. – 11:30am a.m. Please save the time and date on your calendar. You can join the consultation at the following link: http://shorturl.at/fkpEK

Hon. Alvin Dabreo, President of the Bureau to MOP 31 speaks during the opening ceremony of MOP 32

The replacement of HFCs will create an opportunity to increase energy efficiency of cooling equipment and significantly reducing energy costs to consumers and businesses