Within the past decade, energy has emerged as a global issue and a priority for governments and organizations around the world, particularly as unsustainable energy supplies and increasing demands will have serious implications for everything from household budgets to international relations. Here at home, economists have warned that the country should not expect any significant recovery of energy commodity prices for the foreseeable future. This has implications not only for our national income, but continued growth and development, policy decisions, energy generation, and public consumption.

As part of the ongoing global discourse, buildings in particular have been criticized for their high energy consumption and generation of greenhouse gas emissions. They account for almost 40% of total energy used in the Caribbean and about 38% of the carbon emissions generated, especially during their construction and operation phases. With a tacit understanding that green or sustainably designed buildings and appropriate land use offer excellent opportunities to save money whilst reducing greenhouse gas emissions, the Trinidad and Tobago Green Building Council (TTGBC) embarked upon a mission in 2010, to transform the way the country’s buildings and communities are designed, built, and operated.

Despite the Government’s stated commitments to a development strategy which fosters the promotion of energy efficiency and conservation, not enough is being done to implement the energy efficiency legislation, building codes, and national standards which promote and support the design and construction of greener, more energy efficient buildings. The lack of an enabling environment has however, not hindered the construction and certification of Trinidad and Tobago’s first two green buildings: Savannah East and the Corporate Headquarters of the National Insurance Board of Trinidad and Tobago (NIBTT). Both located around the Queen’s Park Savannah, Savannah East was certified Silver under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating system developed by the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in March of 2017. In May of that very year, the NIBTT building was certified Gold. LEED is an internationally recognized rating system for environmentally sensitive building design, construction, and operation.

Savannah East has achieved energy efficiencies or savings of 23% over that of conventional or comparable buildings. This was done through the design and implementation of various lighting strategies, building management system (BMS) controls, an energy efficient VRF Air conditioning system, insulated building envelope, and renewable energy generation systems. At present, more than 5% of the building’s overall energy needs are generated through rooftop solar systems. This photovoltaic (PV) system was designed to produce about 20 KW of power.

The 5-storey NIBTT Corporate Headquarters comprises two parking levels, a ground area of 17,000m², and retail spaces on its ground floor. It was able to achieve a 20% improvement over the baseline performance of comparable buildings and derive approximately 35% of its power from sustainable or renewable sources. About 20% of the materials used in construction came from recycled materials and the project achieved a 40% reduction in comparable or baseline indoor water use.

The Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago previously noted that a national drive toward energy efficiency would considerably reduce the drain on our natural gas resources, which are used to generate electricity. Whilst our citizens benefit from low cost energy today, the practice is unsustainable as the available resources are finite. The practice further forgoes our ability to generate additional revenues through increased gas sales from higher valued natural gas based derivatives from which the proceeds can be invested into other vital areas for our country’s development.

Numerous studies have shown that energy efficient buildings enjoy reduced operational costs over time, increase supply side efficiencies, and have less of an impact on the natural environment. For local building owners and operators seeking to achieve the same outcomes, we recommend the implementation of a few basic strategies;

• Improve building envelope performance through the use of appropriate insulation in the walls and roof and glazing systems which minimize unwanted heat gain or loss.
• Installation of high performing mechanical building systems and appliances. Appliances that meet or exceed ENERGY STAR requirements for example, will reduce plug load demands.
• Design and install high-efficiency infrastructure. Efficient lighting will reduce energy demands from neighborhood infrastructure.
• Capture efficiencies of scale. Design district heating and cooling systems, in which multiple buildings are part of a single loop.
• Use energy simulation. Computer modeling can identify and prioritize energy efficiency opportunities.
• Monitor and verify performance. Ensure that the building’s systems are functioning as designed through control systems, building automation, and commissioning and retro-commissioning.

Sustainable buildings create communities and environments that everyone can be proud of and actively involved in, and promote higher levels of productivity and occupant comfort. The TTGBC urges all key decision and policy makers, organizations, and business leaders to follow the lead set by Savannah East and the NIBTT Corporate Headquarters – so that all buildings in Trinidad and Tobago can be built, retrofitted, and operated in an environmentally sensitive manner. This will assuredly support Trinidad and Tobago’s diversification away from its fossil fuel dependence and promote the adoption and achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

For more information on the TTGBC and its mission, please visit us online at https://ttgbc.org. You can also find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.