The Big Reveal: Zero Carbon Hotel Project

The project has been designed, Members have been consulted and have given their approval, and it is now ready to reveal! The project outline looks really simple, but it actually responds to many competing needs and a very complicated local environment. Ultimately after consulting with stakeholders and researching the issues, it became clear that the only way Zero Carbon Hotel project would get off the ground was if it was designed as a "win-win" for all stakeholders involved. It didnt make any sense to design something that would result in financial losses for the local utility (we're held in a monopoly law). It made sense to align the project with the governments renewable ambitions, and to ensure that whatever was designed provided the greatly needed financial relief required by the hotel sector at this time. Since Grenada would be remiss to stop its green development at the zero carbon goal, the project has also been designed to expand the scope of sustainability through education and further project development/grants.

One thing that is quite unique to this project is that it is not just a renewable energy project - is an economic recovery plan. Eliminating the electricity bill for hotels will mean the difference between open and closed for many of them - and that means jobs and local spending that supports a staggering economy.

Sustainability is not just about environmental survival - in our case, it is our economic survival too.

The outline of the project I've concieved is as follows:


Grenada's Zero Carbon Hotel Project

Component One:

- Conduct detailed energy audits on properties. These audits will provide detailed information on where energy is used, where core inefficiencies are, as well as recommending changes to be made and the time it would take for those changes to pay for themselves in cost savings.
- Implement Retrofits. This would involve making the recommended changes outlined in the energy audits. It is expected that this will reduce electricity consumption by as much as 50%. Retrofits can be implemented through purchasing and/or project agreements with bilaterial supporters/corporate sponsors.
- Environmental education for property owners/managers to prepare for sustainability upgrades and to ensure Grenada meets marketplace demands for a 'Green' destination.

Component Two:

- Procure high density solar PV panels (enough to generate significant surplus)
- Install on government land donated/leased by the Government.
- Arrange maintenance agreement with local utility
- first draw of renewable energy produced goes to Hotels

Component Three:

- Portion of surplus given to local utility to mitigate losses arising from net-metering arrangement
- portion of surplus sold to local utility and re-invested in further 'greening' activities as a tourist destination and marketing of the sector
- Case study development

This basic outline has been shared locally with the Members of the Hotel and Tourism Association, the Government and the Opposition (it's an election year in Grenada).

Now all we have to do is come to an agreement with the local utility to raise money for this project and to implement it - since component One is the only element of the project that can be implemented without permission from the local utility and possibly even some special amendments to the law.

The trisk is - is offering free surplus energy enough of an incentive for the local utility to support this project? So far, negotiations have been luke-warm, and the head of the company in Miami is meeting with us on Wednesday this week.


IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN SUPPORTING THIS PROJECT, PLEASE CONTACT US!