The Grantwriting Grind

When I work with clients who want me to develop project proposals for them, I often encounter an expectation that I will just fill in a form, make a budget and funding will follow. Thankfully Grenada’s Hotel and Tourism Association knows better - because the project planning process to reach a zero carbon and energy liberalization goal is pretty involved!

As it is I am splitting hairs over it already. It seems like such a simple goal, but it’s a logistical nightmare. We have to consider timing – there is a need to make changes now – not years from now. So this is something I have to factor into everything. Then, the harsh reality is that none of the funding pools are sufficient to make a dent in converting to renewable technology. Either the pots of money are too small, or the technology is too dear. Private sector funding and fast-track funding is an option, but the best place to get access to that would be at a conference like the Rio +20 but we don’t even know who Grenada’s delegation members are, let alone whether they’d be any good at attracting corporate or bilateral sponsors.

As I keep saying though – where there’s a will, there’s a way – and I will find it.
Looking at various scenarios to pursue is a start. Retrofitting properties is a nice idea, but it’s not possible to just develop an open ended proposal for a pot of money to buy products for retrofitting. Energy audits must be done, cost comparisons must be made and if the product orders are big enough, tender dossiers must be prepared.

For example, LED lighting can reduce carbon emissions and electricity costs significantly. Using a typical small grants scheme as an example; I can only raise enough money to get about 1500 bulbs to share among 20 properties (even with the properties putting in 30%) unless we are willing to wait years and years for them by going for larger long term grants. Small grants usually take 1.5 years to get, while larger ones usually take 2.5 years and longer. We don’t have that kind of time.

Solar panels are a great solution, but the funding out there would only convert about 3 properties, leaving everyone else out, and even if I could raise all the money needed there are issues with maintaining the stability of the grid. Commercial financing for solar panels are out because the local utility forces properties to sell 100% of their renewable energy to the utility and then the utility sells it back with an almost 200% mark up.

The national conversion seems to be the most logistically sound path to follow (and most results oriented) since the entire country’s peak energy draw is only about 30Mw. But this will not be a quick fix because national renewable energy conversion should not be done with a monopoly arrangement, which means the monopoly needs to be broken first. In the meantime, the hotels are being strangled by one of the highest electricity rates in the world. The hotels have been trying to get the utility to cut rates for a long time now and the utility won’t budge.
I’ve got to develop a more effective lobby on that front, for sure.

So, I sit at the ‘drawing board’ working out scenarios, phases, matching up funding sources to possible activities all the while knowing the clock is ticking........tomorrow I have meetings scheduled with what I will call high value “Assets” who may be able to help me see the forest for the trees!
At least I have been doing this long enough to know that I usually feel the most lost right before I come up with my brightest ideas.