Sustainable Business Magazine 02/16 by Sustainable Business Magazine

SUSTAINABLE ISSUE 02/16

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

BARBADOS

PORT INC BARBADOS NATIONAL OIL COMPANY

TRINIDAD GENERATION UNLIMITED

SKELEC

BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

ALSO FEATURED THIS ISSUE

AASHE • CanSIA • CARILEC

S U S TA I N I N G T O M O R R O W. T O D AY

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B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

SUSTAINING TOMORROW. TODAY www.sustainablebusinessmagazine.net

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Editor:

Fiona FitzGerald

Assistant Editors:

George Newell

Senior Writer:

Marcus Bonnano

Contributors:

John A. Gorman

Thomas Hodge

Meghan Fay Zahniser

Commercial Manager: Kaye Kalu Web Administrator: Steve Phipps

CONTENTS ISSUE 02/16

Welcome to the latest issue of Sustainable Business Magazine Sustainable Business Magazine aims to spread awareness of the values of sustainability, as well as the brilliant ways in which organizations continue to meet challenges and champion corporate social responsibility. Our latest issue focuses on a number of Caribbean regions including Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica, before featuring the latest installments of two of our long-running Canadian series. We spoke to David Jean-Marie, CEO of Barbados Port, about their fifty-year history of bringing prosperity and visitors to Barbados, as well as Richard Goddard, Renewable Energy Officer at the Barbados National Oil Company, about the opportunities they see for renewable energy. Focusing on the push for more sustainable and efficient industry in Trinidad and Tobago we spoke to Namdeo Boodram, CEO of Trinidad Generation Unlimited, Russell Boodoo, Business Development Manager at TOSL Engineering, and Phillip Pollonais, Chairman and CEO of Inland and Offshore Contractors. Our featured article on the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) looks at how they are creating a new vision for the future of Jamaica, while our interview with Leonid Stavitskiy, Managing Director of WINDALCO, looks at current efforts to modernize, educate, and protect the environment. This issue also includes the fourth installment of our ‘Caribbean Energy’ series in partnership with CARILEC. The series showcases how CARILEC members are contributing to a more successful and sustainable Caribbean energy industry, and is prefaced by a foreword from CARILEC’s Interim Executive Director Thomas Hodge. For this installment we spoke to Cartwright Farrell, General Manager of St. Kitts Electricity Company (SKELEC). The fourth installment of our ‘Solar Leadership’ series in partnership with CanSIA features RESCo Energy Inc. The series celebrates how CanSIA members are producing and delivering clean, reliable renewable energy and is prefaced by a foreword from CanSIA President and CEO John Gorman. Our ‘Sustainable Campuses’ series in partnership with AASHE celebrates how universities continue to develop and operate sustainably, as well as the role they’re taking in educating students and the wider public about sustainability. The series is prefaced by a foreword from AASHE’s Executive Director Meghan Fay Zahniser. For the latest installment we spoke to Dr. Jennie Moore, Associate Dean of Building, Design, and Construction Technology at the British Columbia Institute of Technology. As always details of upcoming sustainability events can be found on our events calendar. We hope that you find this issue both interesting and inspiring. Thank you for reading. The Sustainable Business Magazine Team

Barbados Port Inc.

Barbados National Oil Company Ltd.

Caribbean Electric Utility Services Corporation (CARILEC)

St. Kitts Electricity Company Limited (SKELEC)

Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU)

TOSL Engineering Ltd.

Inland and Offshore Contractors Limited (IOCL)

Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO)

West Indies Alumina Company (WINDALCO)

Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA)

RESCo Energy Inc.

The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE)

British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT)

Global Events

Advertisers Index

FRONT COVER IMAGE THE BRIDGETOWN PORT, BARBADOS.

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BARBADOS PORT INC

BEST-IN-CLASS Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to David Jean-Marie, CEO of Barbados Port Inc., about a fifty-year history of bringing prosperity and visitors to Barbados.

TODAY, EMPLOYEES OF BARBADOS PORT INC. HANDLE A MILLION TONS OF GOODS AND EXTEND THEIR HOSPITALITY TO MORE THAN 700,000 CRUISE SHIP PASSENGERS EVERY YEAR.

The global economic downturn of 2008 wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t good for the Caribbean. If high energy and food prices werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t enough, trade and tourism also took big hits. The Port of Bridgetown, main port of entry for 90% of the goods coming into Barbados and the only berth on the island for cruise vessels, was on the front line of the global decline. Business slowed, with fewer cruise ships arriving and less cargo to haul. Where another company might have seen only challenges, Barbados Port Inc., 2 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

the managers of the fifty-year old port, saw an opportunity to modernize and expand. In 2011, they took advantage of the downtime to install a new electronic trade logistics system for cargo, and in 2015 another pier was built, as well as ancillary facilities for the cruise ships. Next came an equipment upgrade, and special training for employees. Now, business is surging again, and Bridgetown Port is more prosperous and efficient than ever. Barbados welcomed more visitors in January 2016 than any Jan-

uary in the previous fifteen years. Today, employees of Barbados Port Inc. handle a million tons of goods and extend their hospitality to more than 700,000 cruise ship passengers every year. TOURIST DESTINATION Bridgetown Port has the capacity to accommodate five mega cruise ships at a time, and the air-conditioned terminal has a duty-free shopping mall with local and international goods for sale, performances

from local musicians and dancers, and even a popular rum-sampling kiosk. “This is a country with warm, friendly people who are highly educated,” says David Jean-Marie, CEO of Barbados Port Inc. “Barbados is one of the safest countries in the world, and we also have one of the world’s highest literacy rates. We want to have a port that remains in your memory, and leaves a lasting, positive impact.” During the season, which typically runs from November to April, cruises bring in

hundreds of thousands of tourists who inject money into the Barbados economy. As the only cruise port on the island, Bridgetown Port has an integral role in this arm of the tourist industry. The port has developed strategies to further boost cruise business. “We have a plan to develop home porting,” says Mr. Jean-Marie. “That’s where passengers, particularly from Europe, fly to Barbados to take a cruise, and then debark in Barbados again. Currently we have seventeen vessels that do

partial or full home porting operations in Bridgetown. Our vision is to encourage a portion of those passengers to stay on the island a few days before or after their cruise.” Then there’s the prospective new cruise facility. “We give cruise vessels priority over cargo vessels, but that can create problems for us,” explains Mr. Jean-Marie. “We’re therefore planning to build a $250 million cruise facility just to the south of the port. The facility is all SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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BARBADOS PORT INC

designed. It’s now just a matter of having the right financing structure.” EFFICIENT CARGO OPERATIONS Bridgetown Port has two hundred cargo employees, and is equipped to handle over 100,000 containers per year. Cargo berths are equipped with a 40-ton gantry crane and a 104-ton capacity mobile crane. The terminal itself has fifty forklifts, nine straddle carriers, and two reach stackers, and the

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newly-develop KleinPort computer system allows customers to track their cargo from their offices. Barbados Mills also has its own dock at the port. “We have a $100 million project for the reorganization of the port facility, which we’ve already commenced,” says Mr. Jean-Marie. “We have begun to acquire new, modern equipment, including five straddle carriers and a new Panamax gantry crane. We have made deeper draughts

and we have dredged and reclaimed acres of land, so we’re building capacity as well as modernizing the equipment to be able to accommodate bigger cargo vessels.” The port is anticipating a rise in exports as a result of the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation’s Going Global program. “The best way we can participate in that transformation and growth is by ensuring that our port is compliant with all types of international standards in terms

of security and quality,” says Mr. Jean-Marie. “Our workforce is being certified to international levels. We have also removed the tariff on exports, to facilitate trade out of Barbados.” GOING GREEN “We’re also going green,” says Mr. Jean-Marie. “We want to move more towards electrical power rather than diesel being burned while the ships are

in port.” What’s more, Barbados Port Inc. has committed to working with RightShip, using Carbon War Room’s GHG Emissions Ratings to develop an incentive program to encourage more efficient vessels to their port. The incentive program will reward vessels with better energy efficiency ratings, with rewards like reduced port fees to more efficient vessels. “The Organization of American States has played a key role in facilitating our partnership with RightShip,”

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Crane and Equipment Ltd. Crane and Equipment Ltd started in 1969 with an initial investment of a 12 tonne hydraulic crane. Almost 50 years later and 30 employees, the business has grown to become a leader in Transport and Crane rental in Barbados and the Caribbean with engineers that are equipped to solve any challenge. We’ve expanded into Vehicle Recovery services and recently, MOCO Container rental and sales. Equipment: Hydraulic and Mini Cranes, Knuckleboom Tractor Units, Tower Cranes, Boom Trucks, Forklifts, Step Frame Extendable Trailer, Folding Goose-neck Trailers and Flatbed Container Trailers.

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SUPPLIERS OF QUALITY EQUIPMENT RENTALS & SALES TO THE BRIDGETOWN PORT

Mahy.Ridley.Hazzard Engineers Ltd. salutes the Barbados Port Inc. for developing such a safe, modern and sustainable hub which facilitates tourism and trade in Barbados and across the region Mahy.Ridley.Hazzard Engineers Ltd. Suite 5, 42 Clerview Heights, Clermont, St. James BB23031, Barbados. • Tel. (246) 438 4000 • Fax. (246) 438 4213 • Email admin@mahyridleyhazzard.com

Marenco Marine Ltd. Our relationship with the Barbados Port Inc. (BPI) extends as far back as 1996. During the last 20 years Marenco Ltd., Esso Standard Oil S A Ltd. (Now Sol Petroleum (Barbados) SRL) and the BPI have worked in conjunction with each other to demolish, install and maintain pipework that currently handles the petroleum products that enters and leaves the Bridgetown port. During that period, our servicing contracts have included repairs and installation of a variety of berthing hardware and in 2015, Marenco Marine Ltd. were responsible for coordinating and constructing the newly completed Berth 5 Expansion. This new build project included a 1785 sq.m., piled, concrete berthing structure which was installed within an approximate 5100 sq.m. footprint of a new fill retention berm.

Our role in the industry is the provision of safe and reliable towage at the ports in the Caribbean and Americas to help shippers and shipping lines meet their schedules. We know how vital an undisrupted supply chain is to the economy and our clients. Our focus is to provide tailor-made towage services, based on win-win contracts. Talk to us and be convinced. For further information please contact: Svitzer Caribbean Dominicana S.A.S Regional Office Caribbean: +1 809 567 3611 • E-mail: agustin.diaz@svitzer.com A Part of A.P. Moller-Maersk Group

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Rodney Bay Marina, 2008

Port Ferdinand, Bridge Piling, 2010

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BARBADOS PORT INC

BRIDGETOWN PORT HAS TWO HUNDRED CARGO EMPLOYEES, AND IS EQUIPPED TO HANDLE OVER 100,000 CONTAINERS PER YEAR.

says Mr. Jean-Marie. “We are one part of a coordinated effort across the industry to promote efficient shipping. By ‘acting local’ and protecting our port environment, we are part of a larger global movement intent on reducing the carbon footprint of the shipping industry.”

HEALTHY EMPLOYEES Barbados Port Inc.’s workers are organized into task forces charged with looking after specific areas of health and safety. As a result of concurrent training in health and safety standards, plus mandated annual visits to the onsite health clinic, the

THE CERTIFIED DOCKERS, BPI MANAGEMENT, EMERSON ALLEYNE (SHIPPING ASSOCIATION OF BARBADOS), SIR ROY TROTMAN, AND KEITH WILSON, AFTER THE CERTIFICATE PRESENTATION (MISSING DOCKERS: GEORGE KING AND CORDIA WARD) (IMAGE CREDIT: WILLIE ALLEYNE).

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employee accident rate and sick days at Bridgetown Port have recently undergone a rapid decline. “For employees to work efficiently, and for them to be authentically friendly with our cruise visitors, they must be healthy and in good spirits,” says Mr. Jean-Marie.

CONSTRUCTION OF BERTH 5 STARTED IN MAY 2015.

Barbados Port’s influence on the rest of the island is substantial, and this extends to its health and safety emphasis. Recently, the United Nations added Barbados to its list of maritime nations with high human development. The Bridgetown Port has also received several awards in the field, from organizations ranging from the Caribbean Shipping Association to cruise lines like Dream World and World Cruise Destinations. WORKING TOWARDS THE FUTURE “This is a modern facility that is completely different to what it was,” says Mr. Jean-Marie. “It has been structured to

make sure that it is competitive and there is maximum operational efficiency. I have just been elected President of the Caribbean Shipping Association, and I therefore want to have more collaboration between regional ports, so we have signed a number of MoUs. We want to see more being done in terms of training and collaboration so that we can maximize the services provided by the region. We are striving to become and expect to be the best-inclass port in the region, both from a cargo perspective as well as a cruise perspective. This is a safe, friendly destination with lots to see and do!” c

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BARBADOS NATIONAL OIL COMPANY GENERAL MANAGER WINTON GIBBS (LEFT) AND RENEWABLE ENERGY OFFICER RICHARD GODDARD (RIGHT) DISCUSSING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ALTERNATIVE FUELS PILOT STATION.

BARBADIAN ENERGY VISION Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Richard Goddard, Renewable Energy Officer at Barbados National Oil Company Ltd, about an oil company which sees opportunities in renewables. The Barbados National Oil Company (BNOC) has sole responsibility for exploiting Barbados’ onshore petroleum reserves. Founded in 1983 and wholly owned by the state, the average production was around 1,200 barrels of crude a day until the turn of the millennium, progressively declining since then to around 1,000 b/d. On top of this, BNOC also extracts around 2,000 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. In the aftermath of the world financial crisis in 2008, BNOC has been moving towards diversifying their operations. In 12 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

2010, the company’s Renewable Energy Department was created, with a mandate to invest in renewable energy projects and programs. “Principally, our interest has been in solar,” explains Richard Goddard, Renewable Energy Officer at BNOC. “But we’re interested in renewable energy any way we can get it. We have some on-stream projects related to wind. We’re looking at switching out some of our older pumping units to use those to generate renewable energy, either through wind or solar. We’ve

also been investigating the use of biogas to augment our natural gas production.” ROOFTOP SOLAR Currently, BNOC has 150kW of solar PV installed at their main Woodbourne facility, spread over the rooftops of two buildings. “We did 150kW as that was the maximum allowed at the time, based on the relationship between our utility and our regulator,” says Mr. Goddard. “We also have another 150kW at our sister company, the National Petroleum Corporation, which

we’re going through the registry process to get licensed.” Further down the line, BNOC is investigating opportunities to develop more solar alongside the Barbados Investment and Development Corporation. “They own a number of industrial estates on the island which facilitate small businesses,” says Mr. Goddard. “We’re having discussions with them regarding utilizing their roof space. We want to put down 1MW of PV on their buildings over the next ten months. That’s the next big project.” COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS BNOC has combined renewable energy and community development with a project in the village of Oistins, in southern Christ Church. “It’s a fishing village,” explains Mr. Goddard. “They land the fish, they gut it, they prepare it, and then there’s a retail site where they fry and grill the fish. It’s a very popular location for vending and events with a covered stage.” The Oistins Fish Fry is the second highest-rated tourist attraction in Barbados. BNOC installed solar panels at Oistins to power all their security lights and their stage. “That’s a grid-tied battery backup system,” explains Mr. Goddard. “So it’s very

reliable. They can always have lighting for the area and continue to have their events.” BNOC also participated in collecting waste vegetable oil from Oistins, to facilitate it being converted to biofuel. “We were looking into how feasible it would be for us on the island to move to a B20 blend of 20% biodiesel and 80% petroleum,” says Mr. Goddard. “Part of that project involved collecting the waste vegetable oil from Oistins, cleaning it and converting it to biodiesel.” Though the biodiesel trials

have finished, BNOC still helps collect oil from Oistins and continues to convert it to biofuel where possible. BNOC also has a portable solar generator, which they lend out to the local community. “In the past, we’ve used that with a church so they can power their building,” says Mr. Goddard. “We’ve also used it to power the lighting for a local agricultural festival called AgroFest. It’s one of the tools we put to use in the community where possible.”

“BNOC IS NOT ONLY AN OIL COMPANY, BUT WE’RE ALSO INCREASINGLY INVOLVED IN RENEWABLE ENERGY.” RENEWABLE ENERGY OFFICER RICHARD GODDARD (RIGHT) EXPLAINING HOW THE FUEL DISPENSER WILL WORK.

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BARBADOS NATIONAL OIL COMPANY CONTAINERS OF E10, BIODIESEL, AND DIESEL (FOR B20) FOR THE ALTERNATIVE FUELS PILOT PROJECT.

LONG-TERM, BNOC WILL BE AN INTERNATIONAL PROVIDER OF RENEWABLES KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE.

HARNESSING THE WIND Two further projects BNOC has in the pipeline involve converting former pumping units into renewables facilities. “They’re pretty good sites for wind,” says Mr. Goddard. “We’re having discussions about 5MW of wind, either through horizontal-axis or vertical-axis wind turbines. So we’re currently in-

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stalling equipment to get more information on those locations, to assess the potential. Within the next year or so, at least one of those sites should be generating.” It’s unusual for an oil and gas company to invest so heavily in developing renewables. For Mr. Goddard, this commitment speaks to how BNOC is adapting to a

changing energy landscape. “At the end of the day, renewables are going to play a major role, and that’s where BNOC is going. Oil and gas will pay the bills in the interim, but we’re moving towards being an energy company with in-house expertise for the design, installation, and management of renewable energy.”

INSTALLATION OF PHOTOVOLTAIC PANELS AT OISTINS BAY GARDENS.

Long-term, BNOC will be an international provider of renewables knowledge and experience. “We’re not only looking at our national contribution on-island, but having the expertise and capability that we can also use regionally and internationally when and where it’s needed,” says Mr. Goddard. “Barbados is relatively small, so our systems do not need that much maintenance once they’re installed correctly. This means we can look for investment opportunities in other places.” ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY FACILITIES BNOC’s growing commitment to the environment doesn’t stop with renewables. Their new mechanics workshop is designed with energy savings in mind. “We decided to use a natural gas air conditioning systems, for one thing,” says Mr. Goddard. “It’s cleaner, easier to maintain, and it’s a product we can already source on-site. We put 30kW of solar on the roof of that building.

It has low-flow water systems as well, and sensors which allow the lights and the AC to turn off when a room is unoccupied.” Then in their drilling operations, BNOC do everything possible to mitigate impacts to the environment. “We’re very proactive in ensuring compliance to be more environmentally friendly,” says Mr. Goddard. “Water samples are taken regularly downstream of the pumping units, and we’re very involved with our regulators from the government’s Environmental Protection Department.” In fact, BNOC collaborates closely with the Barbadian government to contribute

to the development of renewables. “We’re a key stakeholder in terms of progressive energy policy and sustainable energy development for our country,” says Mr. Goddard. FORWARD-LOOKING COMPANY For Mr. Goddard, one of the main points of pride in his work with BNOC is the company’s involvement with sustainable energy and the community. “There was a time a couple of years ago when Oistins Bay Gardens facility was having issues with their electricity, but because they had the solar system, they were still able to keep going. I’m very happy we were able to do that. People know now that BNOC is not only an oil company, but we’re also increasingly involved in renewable energy. We’re growing this arm of the company, and building more in-house capacity. Within three to five years, I’d expect the Renewable Energy Department to be comparable to our oil and gas operations, because that capacity is needed regionally.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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CARIBBEAN ELECTRIC UTILITY SERVICES CORPORATION

CARILEC TEAM, CHAIRMAN AND EDF CEO.

THE CARIBBEAN ELECTRIC UTILITY SERVICES

CORPORATION (CARILEC) SUPPORTS THE CARIBBEAN

IN ITS THRUST TOWARD SUSTAINABLE ENERGY CARILEC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR MR. THOMAS HODGE.

A foreword to the ‘Caribbean Energy’ series by Thomas Hodge, Interim Executive Director of CARILEC. The Caribbean power sector is witnessing important changes in the energy landscape: Changes to the regulatory framework, high-penetration of renewable energy technologies, increased use of electric vehicles, and greater customer demands. Electric utilities are at varying stages of readiness, and have their own unique challenges for renewable energy adaptation, and future demands. CARILEC recognizes the benefits of the changes in the power sector and welcomes them.

CARILEC TECHNICAL TOUR AT BAHAMAS ELECTRICITY CORPORATION.

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BACKGROUND CARILEC was formed in 1989 (as part of an electric utilities modernization project funded by USAID) nearly 16 years after the oil crisis of 1973. The corporation’s main focus was on “modernization of electric utilities” – which at the time, was not particularly

focused on generation diversification or renewable energy production. By 2008, oil prices skyrocketed, and the levelized cost of electricity for wind power and solar PV continued to decline. Almost overnight, renewable energy had firmly asserted its position in the region’s energy landscape and things began to change rapidly. CARILEC’s role in the region’s thrust towards sustainable energy is to facilitate capacity building, communication, and cooperation among its electric utility members, associates, and other stakeholders. In the context of this task, CARILEC’s role is particularly important. CARILEC’S SERVICES CARILEC understands the importance of collaboration, shared learning, and networking in improving utility operations.

quakes, flooding, and volcanic eruptions. This service is especially important to strengthen energy security for all member utilities. Some of the activities undertaken by the secretariat under this programme include the deployment of engineers to undertake damage assessments and line crews to carry out transmission and distribution line restoration work.

With the introduction of IPPs, regulatory bodies, and consumer groups, forums are necessary to promote effective communication between stakeholders. In this regard, CARILEC organizes several utility symposiums and conferences for utility industry professionals and stakeholders. CARILEC understands the need to promote engagement and effective communication between utilities, governments, regulators, and other stakeholders. Since 2010 CARILEC has brought over 550 utility personnel and Caribbean regulators together in renewable energy and regulatory forums. Technological advances in the industry (such as AMI and Internet of Things)

have brought changes to the way power is served to consumers. Today’s customer also demands a higher quality of service, is digitally connected, and sensitive to the environment. In preparing Caribbean utilities for the new environment, CARILEC trains approximately seven hundred utility employees in about 35 courses each year. The courses cover diverse disciplines ranging from utility-specific technical courses to management training. CARILEC also offers technical certifications and web-based training. CARILEC’s Disaster Assistance Programme (CDAP) is one of the many benefits afforded to members of CARILEC and is a service which is opportune during times of major disasters such as hurricanes, earth-

THE PURSUIT OF PARTNERSHIPS CARILEC is aware of the importance of partnerships and the potential to influence change on a larger scale. As part of its strategic objectives, CARILEC fosters relationships with organizations that have mutual interests or shared visions including CARICOM, CDB, IDB, OAS, the Clinton Foundation, Carbon War Room, and Rocky Mountain Institute, among others. With varying perspectives and a diverse pool of strengths, CARILEC’s collaborative projects bring the best in experience, research, and financing to the region. THE FUTURE CARILEC will continue to play a constructive role in the transformation of the region’s electrical sector to a more robust, modern, and sustainable model. Although oil prices are low, the utilities know that history is capable of repeating itself. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden recently quipped, “There’s an old saying: The best time to fix a roof is when the sun is shining.” The sun is shining now, figuratively speaking. The time is now. c

BOUILLANTE GEOTHERMAL PLANT, GUADELOUPE.

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SKELEC

500KW SOLAR FARM OWNED BY SKELEC.

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RELIABLY Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Cartwright Farrell, General Manager of St. Kitts Electricity Company Ltd. (SKELEC), about the importance of integrating customer understanding and renewable technology.

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SKELEC

THE HEART OF SKELEC’S MOVE TOWARDS RENEWABLE RESOURCES IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME INCREASINGLY INDEPENDENT FROM THE UNRELIABLE OIL MARKET.

CASHIERS INTERACTING WITH CUSTOMERS IN THE NEW IMPROVED CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA.

The island of Saint Kitts is sandwiched between the Caribbean Sea to the west and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. It forms one half of the two-island nation Saint Kitts and Nevis. The island’s 45,000 inhabitants receive electricity from the island’s sole electricity provider and distributor: St. Kitts Electricity Company Ltd. (SKELEC). Formerly a government department, SKELEC was privatized in August 2011 to provide the organization with better opportunities to meet its motto: “Reliability with responsibility”. At present the St. Kitts and Nevis government is the only shareholder in SKELEC but the electricity company manages and runs themselves as a private sector entity answerable to a board of shareholder-appointed directors. The benefits of this change have been significant. 20 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

MIXED SOURCES SKELEC generate the bulk of their electricity at the Needs Must power station, a diesel generator which meets the island’s peak demand of 24 megawatts (MW). Located on the Canada Industrial Estate, the plant has been part of the organization since before their privatization and remains SKELEC’s primary source of electricity generation. It is not the only source of power, though, as they have a mix of other assets too. Three years ago the Saint Christopher Sea and Air Port Authority (SCASPA), which runs the island’s sea and air connection hubs, commissioned a 750 kilowatt (KW) solar array at the Robert L. Bradshaw Airport. In addition to using it themselves, SCASPA have also been feeding energy back into SKELEC’s grid since the solar

farm came online. SKELEC also benefit from integration by four local businesses that have 600KW of rooftop solar panels installed. This came about following a government initiative several years ago to encourage private businesses and individuals towards renewables. The various solar sources contribute at present a total of 2MW, almost 10% of peak demand. In October 2015 SKELEC commissioned their own solar farm in order to bring some of this renewable generation in-house. To be located at Frigate Bay, it amounts to an output of 500KW. RENEWABLY CHALLENGED One of the biggest challenges that SKELEC have faced is the relationship between their push for renewables and customer under-

NEEDSMUST POWER STATION, POWERED BY DIESEL GENERATORS.

from within, to have more consciousness about energy and renewables among our staff. The staff are given as much information as possible. We are also revamping the website which, when finished, will likely start pushing renewable energies more.” Renewables have become part of staff training, as well as daily language within the company in order to emphasize the importance they will play over the coming years. The public, meanwhile, receive education through publicity campaigns as well as the aforementioned website. However, one of the most important means of education comes from an indirect source. RAISING CONSCIOUSNESS Late in 2015, SKELEC were proud to announce they had completed the roll-out of a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system across their plant and operations in collaboration with UK-based company Lucy Electric. Seen as a key component of modernizing their operations, standing of these technologies. “We are trying to let customers know step-by-step what we are doing,” explains Cartwright Farrell, General Manager of SKELEC. “There are quite a few misconceptions about renewable technologies among the public so we work with developers to try and let people know exactly what solar, wind, geothermal, and other forms of generation really mean.” “Customers often come and ask questions about solar so we are trying to educate them as best as we possibly can. One of the most common questions is about how much it costs. We are honest with them that it is not necessarily cheap but that it does something important. On small islands like St. Kitts we have to be mindful of climate change and our education focuses on that as much as possible. We also want to start

the SCADA project, part of the End to End project provides a wealth of data and information that SKELEC previously never had access to. The other part of the End to End project has been the installation of smart meters into households throughout the island. Smart meters allow household residents to monitor, in real time, the energy usage of their building. It also allows SKELEC to receive this data over a GPRS system. With this additional information to hand, both the home owner and the electricity company can better manage their power usage in order to achieve optimal efficiency. At present between 80% and 90% of households on the island have adopted these meters provided by Canadian manufacturer Corinex. Raising awareness has helped people moderate their own use, reducing total input required and therefore paving the way towards the possibility of sustainable energy sources.

SECTION OF THE NEWLY INSTALLED SCADA CONTROL.

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SKELEC SKELEC HEADQUARTERS IN BASSETERRE.

PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS Smart meters have played an important role in what SKELEC considers their biggest achievement since 2011: The huge stride forwards in customer confidence. “Our practices, our operations, and our mind-sets have become more focused on being more open and more efficient,” explains Mr. Farrell. “The public see this because we talk more with the public about our performance and are more open about what we do, for example we can now handle blackouts and brownouts in a much better way through the SCADA system. Customers are more confident that we are 22 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

a reliable, stable, and decent source of electricity. SKELEC are doing much better in that area today than before we became privatized a few years ago. This has been one of our greatest achievements.” The change from government utility to private entity brought with it the opportunity to gear SKELEC towards performance-based rewards which have seen the company surge upwards in their performance. Apart from making themselves more open to the public through methods such as smart meters and awareness campaigns, the company have also improved the overall quality of staff by providing even better training with a strong

focus on sustainable resources. Not only has in-house training been revamped, but programs are now carried out in partnership with CARILEC. COMMUNITY OWNED SKELEC are keen supporters of community and community initiatives. “There are many groups we support for less fortunate people in the community,” explains Mr. Farrell. “We show appreciation at Christmas and during Customer Appreciation Week. We also visit our customers. To some of them, especially the less fortunate, we take gifts.”

THE ENGINE PEOPLE

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THE ROOFTOP OF ONE OF SKELEC’S COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS (S L HORSFORD) WHO HAS INSTALLED SOLAR PANELS.

“Sometimes we give free electricity for functions and assist the police with electricity when they need it to combat crime. There are churches and service groups that we lend support and even encourage our employees to join. Part of our mission statement is to be supportive of the community around us. SKELEC want to be seen as a very community-oriented company because, as we see it, we are owned by the community of St. Kitts anyway.” THE FUTURE When looking to the future, SKELEC see more than just 2MW of solar generation.

At the time of writing, negotiations with wind turbine manufacturer Northstar Wind for a 5.4MW wind farm have reached advanced stages. Along with the turbines, SKELEC are keen to obtain battery storage for the farm following studies that revealed huge efficiency gains resulting from storage technology implementation. Geothermal generation, something already explored on neighbouring island Nevis, is also a possibility with surface tests currently being carried out. At the heart of SKELEC’s move towards renewable resources is the opportunity to become increasingly independent from the

unreliable oil market, where massive fluctuations in price not only make it difficult for the company but for their customers as well. The unreliability of renewable resources comes from their intermittent nature but the addition of battery storage goes a long way to mitigating this issue. With an additional 5.4MW added to the grid, SKELEC will be reaching towards an impressive 30% sustainable generation. Mr. Farrell closes with a short but sharp resolution about the future of his company and colleagues: “We intend to serve our customers better and intend to continue being more active in renewables.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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TRINIDAD GENERATION UNLIMITED

STEAMING AHEAD Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Namdeo Boodram, CEO of Trinidad Generation Unlimited, about their impressive combined-cycle natural gas fired electrical power plant in Trinidad and Tobago.

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After a ten year battle among the highs of large investment and the lows of a global financial crisis, Trinidad Generation Unlimited (TGU) switched on their ultra-modern combined-cycle electricity generation plant in August 2011. Originally intended to supply two customers â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the Trinidad and Tobago Electricity Commission (T&TEC), the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sole distributor of electrical power, and an aluminium smelter - the facility today supplies its

turbines provide an additional 270MW from steam generated by heat recovery steam generators. The plant was commissioned in three phases. The first phase was completed in August of 2011 and provided 225 megawatt capacity to the national grid. The second phase expanded that capacity to 450 megawatts in December 2011. By December 2012 construction of the plant was completed and the full 720MW became available to T&TEC. IMPRESSIVE QUALITIES The plant is impressive. Natural gas extracted off the northern and eastern coasts of Trinidad and Tobago is used to power the

six gas turbines that comprise the core of TGU’s plant. Where traditional gas turbine plants would send the hot exhaust gases into the atmosphere, at La Brea the heat from this hot stream of gases is reclaimed to provide steam to power a further two steam turbines. With the plant operation at full capacity the savings in gas when compared to traditional plants is sufficient to support the operation of a standard methanol plant. “This is what makes TGU so efficient,” says Namdeo Boodram, CEO of TGU. “The fact is we recover heat from the exhaust of the gas turbines, converting this energy into electricity. For every unit of fuel input required by the majority of other plants in the region, we need only 63% of that.”

electrical power solely to T&TEC following the cancellation of the aluminium smelter project in 2010, Situated on Union Industrial Estate, La Brea, TGU’s plant stands proud as the most efficient of its kind throughout the region. At full capacity it produces 720 megawatts (MW) from a combined-cycle plant comprising six General Electric natural gas-fired turbines which produce 450MW of electrical power, while two General Electric steam SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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TRINIDAD GENERATION UNLIMITED

MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATING IN A SPONSORED TRAINING PROGRAMME AT THE NESC (NATIONAL ENERGY SKILLS CENTRE) IN LA BREA.

PEOPLE THE KEY TGU believes that the strength of the company lies in the capabilities of their employees. The company is driven by a youthful and highly capable staff which has been exposed to a lot of training. “We believe that continuous learning is essential to continuous improvement which we believe to be a basic input in the quest for sustainability,” says Mr. Boodram. “The development of people both internal to the company and externally in our surrounding

communities is very critical for the development of important skills and a modern work culture which is essential to achieve world class performance in this and any industry.”

maintenance also plays a very important role in keeping the plant running safely and reliably, and is important to meet the business objectives of the plant.“

SAFETY FIRST “Safety of personnel is of paramount importance to us,” says Mr. Boodram. “We believe that getting safety right is a key part of the structure needed to be a successful business. Managing HSE is a big part of our overall risk management effort. Effective

HIGH PERFORMANCE “To achieve high performance we utilize strong planning processes which enable us to complete our work program on schedule, and within budget,” explains Mr. Boodram. “Over the past four and a half years our availability has averaged over

Trifectar Enterprises Ltd Trifectar is a well diversified establishment in both Mechanical and Civil fields. We at Trifectar, A STOW Certified company encompasses a highly qualified team with diverse individuals with years of experience interwoven with our core safety and quality values. Trifectar utilizes only the best quality materials and equipment for our projects allowing us to exceed the level of service of our competitors. 26 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

We service and satisfy the requirements of our customers in the most efficient, effective and economic manner possible.

SERVICES OFFERED Presently we are focused on servicing the local construction market as a general contractor. Our main forte lies within:-

CIVIL WORKS

• Earthworks • Asphalt Paving • Steel Fabrication • Reinforced Concrete Works • General Building Works (Electrical, Plumbing & Painting)

SUPPLY & INSTALLATION OF SECURity FENCING Complete with all accessories which includes:• Barb wire • Razor wire

MECHANICAL WORKS

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TRINIDAD GENERATION UNLIMITED

93%. Our staff has also had no lost time incidents because we build a culture of safety throughout the corporation.” CORPORATE CITIZEN, COMMUNITY PARTNER TGU is widely recognized for the strong presence it has in the La Brea community. Since operations began in 2011, the corporation has taken on Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR) as part of its character, and runs an extensive list of partnership programs covering areas including training and education, sports and culture, arts, family, health, and the environment. One notable project among many is the Saving Sight initiative. Since 2012, TGU has offered free vision screenings to students of seven primary schools and one secondary school in the neighbouring community and

“TGU SEEKS TO IMPROVE ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY PROJECTS WILL BE A PART OF THEIR FUTURE.”

provided spectacles to those children who were most in need. To date more than 1800 students have received a screening and more than 300 have each received a free pair of spectacles. In 2014, a community playground for children in the La Brea area was rebuilt, much to the delight of both parents and their children. “We are proud to be close to and appreciated by the community,” says Mr.

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28 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Boodram. “We partner with local agencies in order to train students. We support education of the community because, from a social standpoint, we believe that supporting education is an important way of supporting social sustainability.” One special upcoming CSR initiative will see eight schools in the surrounding area receive interactive computer programs designed to improve academic standing.

ation to other countries. In the Caribbean area this is certainly within the realms of possibility. TGU is also looking at how it might expand within its home country. “We are looking at a possible pilot project for wind energy,” explains Mr. Boodram. “As we continue to meet world class standards in

our operations, and as we continue developing a strong business model that will allow us to expand locally and internationally, TGU continues to look at energy efficiency and specifically renewable energy. Wind energy projects are likely to complement any future progress and development for the company.” c

WINDS OF CHANGE TGU’s vision is to function as a world class Independent Power Producer (IPP). The IPP model adopted by the company has proven to be hugely successful allowing it the versatility to adapt to rapidly changing situations while providing T&TEC with a reliable and efficient power supply. It also means that, as we look towards the future, TGU has the option of expanding its expertise further afield. While the past five years have seen TGU focus entirely on its La Brea operation, the company is excited about possible developments outside of Trinidad and Tobago. The IPP model allows TGU to expand its operSUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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TOSL ENGINEERING LTD

SOLUTIONS PROVIDER Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Russell Boodoo, Business Development Manager at TOSL Engineering, about a customer-driven business model, working with stakeholders, and adapting to a changing market.

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TOSL ENGINEERING LTD

TOSL’S SUCCESS DERIVES FROM THE BREADTH OF THEIR EXPERTISE, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO TAKE ON MULTIDISCIPLINARY PROJECTS.

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TOSL Engineering (formerly Trinidad Oilfield Supplies Limited) was founded in 1982 by Shazan Ali, formerly the Head of Maintenance at the Texaco refinery in Pointe-à-Pierre. Originally, TOSL was a product-driven company, supplying equipment, materials, and spares to the oil and gas sector in Trinidad and Tobago; but in the 1990s the company shifted its emphasis towards engineered solutions, as more of its operations began to involve back-end support and servicing of equipment. Today, TOSL represents fifty global brands in the

region, including GE Oil & Gas, Siemens, Crosby, Bridon, and Baldor Reliance. INTEGRATED APPROACH TOSL’s success derives from the breadth of their expertise, which allows them to take on multidisciplinary projects which would traditionally have been tackled by several subcontractors. “It was in 1998 that we realized the need for a formalized approach to managing projects,” explains Russell Boodoo, Business Development Manager at TOSL. “Clients were no longer just ask-

ing for a valve; they’d say to us: ‘We have a problem with our flow lines. Please send a technician to do an assessment, tell us what the problem is, and recommend some solutions for us’. Then afterwards they may ask us to design, install, and maintain the solution.” In response to clients’ changing expectations, TOSL reconfigured the way they operated. “It was no longer working to have a single pump repair department, for example; or infra-red tomography; or predictive maintenance,” says Mr. Boodoo. “We needed to have a more integrated approach. We’ve been moving towards becoming more of a one-stop solutions provider. We’ve integrated both vertically and horizontally, to become more efficient and offer more services to our clients.” In order to do this, TOSL has invested heavily in training employees. “It costs us a lot of money to represent all these brands,” says Mr. Boodoo. “We make sure our guys are trained every single year to ensure we can offer the best service to our customers. If an emergency occurs, we have to be able to respond. There’s a lot of value added to our clients, knowing they can call someone immediately and they’ll get a trained technician locally as compared to bringing SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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TOSL ENGINEERING LTD

someone from the U.S., which can sometimes be up to three times the cost.” GRAND PROJECTS Because of their multidisciplinary capabilities, TOSL has been able to handle very large projects which other engineering companies would struggle with. “We did the Trinmar gas compression platform in the late 2000s, which was a TT$40 million project,” says Mr. Boodoo. “Another big project was some work we did with RepSol, where we upgraded an entire package of oil and gas separators. We did the compressor overhaul, the engine overhaul, the testing and inspection, the valve work and repair, and the piping and mechanical work. There’s tremendous cost savings for them in coming to us, because of our one-stop shop approach. All our guys are multi-skilled, which means if there is downtime in one

area they can move to another task, rather than having a separate team for each discipline. We’re very proud of our team.” TOSL is currently preparing to work on a project called the Mobile Offshore Production Unit, again with Petrotrin Trinmar. “It’s the first time we’re actually outfitting an entire platform with compressor and separator packages,” says Mr. Boodoo. “The initial contract will be for 3 years.” RESPONSIBLE BUSINESS TOSL was an early adopter of ISO certification in Trinidad – a decision which, initially, earned them derision. “We were one of the first locally-owned oil and gas service companies to be ISO certified, and it cost us over TT$1 million,” says Mr. Boodoo. “A lot of people wondered why we did it. But five years later, companies started saying: ‘You must be ISO registered to do business with us’. We were a game-changer leading in that direction.” TOSL was also the second company in the oil and gas sector to be certified under the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago’s Safe TO Work (STOW) Program, and the Energy Chamber has subsequently awarded TOSL the Corporate Governance Award every year since 2013. In January 2016, the Energy Chamber presented TOSL with the Sustainable Supply Chain Award, for the company’s HSE and CSR programs. TOSL is also TRACE certified, and they were commended by TRACE for placing a link to Report It, a whistleblowing service, in a prominent place on their website. GOOD NEIGHBORS “We try to keep up good relations with local businesses,” explains Mr. Boodoo.

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“WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE’RE KNOWN FOR OUR INNOVATION, AND OUR ABILITY TO COLLABORATE AND BRING THE RIGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER.”

“There’s a crane company next door, Paramount, who have operations in South America and Africa, and we’ve told them categorically, any time we need something lifted, we’ll use them. If we have a job to do, we focus on getting local companies to do the job.” Since winning their Sustainable Supply Chain award, TOSL has also been encouraging their neighbors in the area to recycle with them. “We recycled a huge amount of plastic, glass, aluminum, copper, and scrap iron in 2015,” says Mr. Boodoo. It isn’t only other local businesses TOSL makes sure to maintain a good relationship with. Every year, the company solicits responses from residential properties in the area. “We ask: ‘Did we disturb you, or is there noise?’” says Mr. Boodoo. “We’ve reworked our schedule for when we do certain types of work, so it fits into the day

when residents aren’t home.” Furthermore, TOSL ensures that facilities and vehicles are well-signed, so that residents can easily get in touch with any concerns. COMING UP TOSL is actively looking into renewable energy. “The landscape of business is changing,” says Mr. Boodoo. “Energy sources are changing. We’re having conversations about where we need to go as a company. Because we’re in the Caribbean, solar is a great option. Of course, our business model is customer-driven rather than company-driven. We do not wait for the customer to ask for something, we try to anticipate their needs. But we’re considering how we might, for example, be able to service a wind turbine, or a wave action electricity generator.”

For now, though, TOSL is focusing on its brand. “We want to ensure that we’re known for our innovation, and our ability to collaborate and bring the right people together,” says Mr. Boodoo. “Most importantly, we want it to be known that we offer solutions. Because that’s what built us: Even when other engineers said something couldn’t be done, we’ve always had an ability to find solutions among difficulties.” c

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INLAND AND OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS LTD

SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ARE TOP PRIORITIES FOR IOCL.

DEDICATED TO SERVICE

Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Phillip Pollonais, Chairman and CEO of Inland and Offshore Contractors Limited, about high-quality service, minimizing environmental risk, and providing opportunities for young people. Inland and Offshore Contractors Limited (IOCL) is a Trinidad-based provider of marine transport, inland transport, and pumping services, working mostly with the local oil and gas industry. Founded in 1996 36 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

by Phillip Pollonais and his sons Scott and Jason, who together had over ninety years of experience in the petroleum industry, the company has become the largest lift truck company in Trinidad, and also one of the

largest marine transport contractors. They are committed to supplying high-quality service to their clients, remaining flexible and cost-effective, and maintaining the highest HSE standards in the industry.

THREE DEPARTMENTS The largest of IOCL’s three departments is their marine transport department. “We provide transport of equipment, cargo, and crew to offshore platforms in the waters around our country via our fleet of platform supply vessels and crew boats,” says Phillip Pollonais, Chairman and CEO of IOCL. IOCL’s passenger vessels safely transport personnel to and from the shore or between platforms; their supply vessels support the teams offshore with equipment, cargo, and food; and emergency response vessels

(ERVs) are kept on standby, ready to safely resolve any incidents which might arise. IOCL’s fleet totals forty-three boats, ranging from 65 to 175 feet in length, and two of these boats have state-of-the-art computer-controlled dynamic positioning systems, enhancing their maneuverability and safety. IOCL’s other two departments are inland transport and pumping. “Our inland transport department consists of tractor trucks with trailers and flatbed trucks equipped with articulated cranes, for lifting and hauling equipment,” says Mr. Pollonais. IOCL’s

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INLAND AND OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS LTD PHILLIP POLLONAIS, CHAIRMAN AND CEO OF INLAND AND OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS LTD.

cranes have lifting capacities ranging from six to thirty tons. Meanwhile, the pumping department is a local leader, and provides high-volume pumping and water blasting services, with pumping capacities ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 PSI. VALUED PARTNERS For many years, one of IOCL’s main clients has been the Petroleum Company of Trinidad and Tobago (Petrotrin) and their Trinmar Operations. “We have a long, amicable relationship with Petrotrin,” says Mr. Pollonais. “Last year, we tendered and were granted

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another five year contract for the provision of marine transport services to Trinmar. This is a major accomplishment for us. All our services exist to support Petrotrin’s operations, and those of other companies working in the oil and gas sector. The industry is the backbone of Trinidad and Tobago’s economy.” MINIMIZING IMPACTS Sustainability and environmental protection are top priorities for IOCL, and for years the company has worked to provide a workplace free from health, safety, welfare, and environmental risks. IOCL has imple-

mented progressive HSE policies, which are constantly adjusted and improved. “It’s about ensuring any gaps are closed, and that our systems adapt to changing environments,” says Mr. Pollonais. “Alongside these policies, we have a strong HSE culture at the company, where everyone knows their responsibility and accountability.” In 2015 they acquired Safe TO Work (STOW) certification from the Trinidad and Tobago Energy Chamber, confirming they meet industry-standard HSE requirements. IOCL also participates in social initiatives designed to strengthen local commu-

nities in Trinidad and Tobago. In conjunction with local skills development programs, the company offers several placements for on-the-job trainees in the mechanical and electrical fields, allowing young people to acquire valuable workplace experience. Nor is this the only benefit for participants, “some of those trainees are part of our team now,” explains Mr. Pollonais. PROSPERITY AND FLEXIBILITY “When IOCL was established, we just had a few trucks,” says Mr. Pollonais. “Today, we have grown significantly to become a known and reputable provider of our range of services. We have also been able to build long-standing relationships with most of the major players operating within

our industry. We are extremely thankful for our success, and we’re very excited about the future of the company. We’re also very proud of our team of dedicated employees who maintain a very productive work culture, enabling the company to grow and remain competitive.” IOCL continues to upgrade its equipment and technology to keep up with the needs of the industry. Over the last eight months, IOCL has supplemented its existing fleet with six additional vessels. Already one of the largest local marine transport contractors, over the last few years the company has been expanding regionally. Due to the downturn in the oil industry, Mr. Pollonais doesn’t anticipate any imminent further investments, but business remains

strong. “We’ve got enough to keep us busy,” says Mr. Pollonais. “Our current capacity is more than enough to meet our clients’ needs!” Mr. Pollonais is reflective when it comes to IOCL’s success in the industry. “Oil and gas exports are our country’s main source of revenue, and this type of market requires a great deal of flexibility to keep up with its frequent changes. What has worked for us in this regard is creating and sustaining close relationships with our clients, which enables us to always be knowledgeable of not only their immediate needs, but needs that might also be forthcoming based on the direction of their business operations. This helps us keep up with our industry’s movements.” c

IOCL CONTINUES TO UPGRADE ITS EQUIPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY TO KEEP UP WITH THE NEEDS OF THE INDUSTRY.

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JAMAICA PROMOTIONS CORPORATION

AT THE HEART OF JAMPRO’S GOALS FOR THE FUTURE IS A DESIRE TO CREATE AN ISLAND THAT OWNS ITSELF AND IS ABLE TO SUSTAIN ITS OWN BROAD RANGE OF INDUSTRIES.

FOREIGN DIRECT

INVESTMENT

FOR SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Diane Edwards, President, and Claude Duncan, Vice President, Investment Promotions, about the role JAMPRO is taking in creating a new vision for the future of Jamaica. 40 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) works to stimulate the country’s economy and industry. Formerly an agency of Jamaica’s Ministry of Industry, Investment, and Commerce, the agency is now part of the new Jamaican government’s super ministry under the Office of the Prime Minister: Ministry of Economic Growth and Job Creation. JAMPRO emerged in 1988 from three separate Government organizations focused on investment, export, and industrial development. These three roots continue to inform JAMPRO’s aims today. At the heart of JAMPRO’s goals for the future is a desire to create an island that owns itself and is able to sustain its own broad range of industries from medicine to logistics to agriculture. Furthermore, they would like to see Jamaica become a more

markets. With investment projects, we attempt to illustrate to investors the lucrative opportunities that are available as well as actually facilitate investment. This means working with them from the ideas stage through to the implementation stage.” “In the case of exports, we help Jamaican companies internationalize their markets by looking for and connecting them with specific regions,” explains Ms. Edwards. “This might be the USA or UK but also non-traditional regional markets such as the Dominican Republic, Panama, Cuba, and Mexico. Our business advocacy takes on the voice of the private sector within the Government, advocating for changes in legislation and regulation that we feel make industries more attractive to the private sector. All of this work is carried out with a constant eye on enhancing Jamaica’s position within international indices such as the Global Competitiveness Report, Doing Business Report, and Logistics Performance Index.” BETTER PERFORMING Another index which Vision 2030 highlights as an important measurement for the future of Jamaica is Yale University’s Environmental

Performance Index (EPI). The document lays out four primary goals that the next decade and a half should work towards, with goal number four being for Jamaica to have ‘a healthy natural environment’. To achieve this they are looking at diversifying the island’s electricity generation portfolio and are hoping to reach, among other things, 20% renewably sourced energy for the country by 2030. Moves towards this are already underway. JAMPRO has led with three farm projects - two solar, one wind - that were directly supported from beginning to end by the agency. “Between these three projects we are going to generate approximately 78 megawatts (MW) of energy from renewable sources,” explains Claude Duncan, Vice DIANE EDWARDS, PRESIDENT.

important part of the global community. What this requires, the agency believes, is internal capacity building that will make local businesses successful and local people knowledgeable. All of this is summed up in a Jamaican government document titled Vision 2030, which sets out where it believes the country can be in 14 years’ time. IMPROVING THE MARKETS President of JAMPRO Diane Edwards tells Sustainable Business Magazine about how the agency sees itself as a marketing company and how they pursue their goals: “JAMPRO works by targeting sectors that we see as having the best potential and then try to build up the level of expertise and knowledge in those sectors so that we can advise SMEs on how to tap into those SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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JAMAICA PROMOTIONS CORPORATION CLAUDE DUNCAN, VICE PRESIDENT.

President, Investment Promotions. “Some of those will come on-stream later this year and we expect to have all three fully implemented by Q1 2017.” A crucial part of this expansion is the work of the Jamaica Public Services Company (JPS). Although generation is a deregulated sector, transmission and distribution is monopolized by JPS and so it falls to them to make the infrastructural changes needed to support the introduction of renewables into Jamaica’s energy mix. Over the next two years JPS is making a USD$1 million investment into updating and replacing 190MW

KINGSTON PORT.

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of generation capacity. JAMPRO is at the forefront of facilitating this transformation. HOLISTIC PROGRESSION Facilitation for JAMPRO works in two ways: To improve Jamaica’s own lot, and to bring in outside investment. Attending to the first point, one specific way in which the agency has been supporting development is by building the skills and capabilities of solar engineers on the island so that they can work with the cutting edge technology that the solar energy industry requires. Jamaica has its own national training agency for young people and JAMPRO has worked with it to tailor workshops and training courses towards these goals. The work that JAMPRO carries out elsewhere in the economy helps retain these skilled individuals by making the island an attractive place to remain. As more people pass through training courses, the country’s pool of talent can grow. Bringing in outside investment is bound up with the overall development of Jamaica as a nation. Key to this is both the logistics and business process outsourcing (BPO) sectors. “Jamaica is uniquely positioned to become the logistics hub for the whole region,” says Ms. Edwards. “Our vision includes not only major expansion to our main port, but also value added operations in that port, meaning a whole section of warehouses and factories linked to the port,

JAMPRO WORKS ACROSS SECTORS TO PROVIDE A HOLISTIC DRIVE TOWARDS ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY.

as well as a huge Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project with New Fortress Energy out of the U.S. They are going to become a joint venture partner with JPS to supply LNG for power to our national grid and to the region. Logistical development will open up so many possibilities and so we aim to become more than just a transshipment location - we will become a hive of logistical activity.” NATION IN MOTION As JAMPRO works across sectors to provide a holistic drive towards environmental and economic sustainability, Mr. Duncan reiterates the importance of working with local SMEs and how they are key to development. “Support is offered to SMEs through matchmaking with potential investors and institutional strengthening programmes such as Export Max. Through

this initiative, JAMPRO works one-on-one with small businesses over a three year period to provide in-depth assistance, from writing plans, to packaging workshops and access to international markets/buyers. On the investment side, JAMPRO is constantly reaching out to the local business community to learn of available investment projects. These projects are stored in a database and then showcased selectively through various channels to potential national and international investors.” Jamaica is set to become a site of international importance, being a logistical hub for the Caribbean region and embedding itself as a player within the global community. JAMPRO recognizes that none of this is possible without the energy industry at its foundation and that future sustainable generation means diversifying sources

to both power the island and to power the upward mobility of skills and knowledge for people on the island. JAMPRO is key to facilitating these advances, which are set out in Vision 2030. “The Government is embarking on a huge business environment reform agenda,” says Ms. Edwards. “What that does is improve the business climate, making it easier for people to do business here. Business opportunities for entrepreneurs are being stimulated, alongside the growth of investment by local and foreign investors. During the last fiscal year, JAMPRO facilitated investment worth JAM$27 billion and contributed to the creation of 8261 jobs. That is already a pretty clear contribution to the development of the country and we will continue to produce similar achievements in the coming years.” c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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WINDALCO

SUSTAINABILITY FOR WINDALCO RELIES HEAVILY ON BEING ABLE TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND REDUCE OPERATIONAL COSTS.

OPERATING AT FULL CAPACITY Leonid Stavitskiy, Managing Director of the West Indies Alumina Company (WINDALCO), speaks to Sustainable Business Magazine about modernization, education, and dust.

West Indies Alumina Company (WINDALCO) is an alumina and bauxite production company located in Jamaica. The Company (formerly Alcan Jamaica Ltd.) was established in the 1950s. The Kirkvine plant was built in 1952, while the Ewarton refinery was constructed in 1956. Since then, the company has changed ownership several times. In 44 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

2007 RUSAL became the major shareholder of WINDALCO. In 2009 both alumina plants were mothballed. In 2010 the Ewarton Plant was reopened and production resumed. In 2014 RUSAL purchased the remainder of the shares and became the single owner of WINDALCO. Today WINDALCO has three primary locations: Alumina and bauxite

processing facilities at Ewarton and Kirkvine, and the Port Esquivel shipping port. The Kirkvine plant remains closed, however Ewarton and Port Esquivel remain fully active assets. Approximately 1000 people are employed across WINDALCOâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s two active locations. With this, the company runs Ewar-

ton plant at full capacity and produces more than 600,000 tons of calcined alumina annually. In January 2016 it in fact produced more than the target amount, with February 2016 meeting its target. Despite the uphill struggle faced by the global aluminum market at present, WINDALCO continues to operate at full capacity. MEASURES FOR SUSTAINABILITY Sustainability for WINDALCO relies heavily on being able to improve efficiency and reduce operational costs in order for the plant and company to save money. Overhauling the Ewarton plant has involved heavy investment into modernizing the facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s equipment. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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WINDALCO

JAMAICA’S VARIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN ENSURING WINDALCO CONTINUES TO OPERATE TO THE BEST STANDARDS THEY CAN.

Leonid Stavitskiy, Managing Director at WINDALCO, speaks more about what exactly this modernization has involved: “In 2016 the company is scheduled to complete installation of a new tubular heat exchanger attached to the plant’s digestion unit. The new component will yield us certain energy savings. In our precipitation area WINDALCO is also implementing a project of modernization to our vacuum flash cooling system as well as a project for the upgrading of cooling towers in the

plant. All of these go towards considerable energy savings within Ewarton.” Mr. Stavitskiy goes on to elaborate on how his company is streamlining its materials consumption: “In particular, we are looking at testing and implementing new flocculants in our mud circuit. When a more efficient flocculant is added it helps us save on caustic consumption. There are new initiatives related to monitoring and control as well and we are also in the process of integrating a new Max HT flocculant in our

evaporation and digestion areas that will be used to improve the heat exchange process, thereby achieving savings in electrical power consumed.” An indirect effect of the modernization process, apart from saving on energy and material usage, is that it helps reduce the total number of raw materials consumed in the production process. This is the area in which WINDALCO can save the most. An overall reduced consumption of bauxite, lime, caustic, fuel oil, flocculants, and others – without a reduction in the quality of alumina, which remains comparable to ISO 9000 standards – means a direct impact on cash savings. The recent upgrades have gone a long way towards achieving this for WINDALCO. NO DUST IS A MUST One of the most important environmental concerns for WINDALCO is dust generated from mining and production. To gather data for fighting and reporting on this dust, as well as other pollutants, the company has built environmental monitoring stations at extraction and manufacturing locations. Jamaica’s various environmental agencies play an important role in ensuring WINDALCO continues to operate to the best standards they can. “We have very

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strict limits set by the government of Jamaica and the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) in terms of CO and NOx at the powerhouse,” Mr. Stavitskiy explains. “We monitor and control those parameters. There is a good working relationship with NEPA, the Jamaican Bauxite Institute, and the Water Resources Authority of Jamaica. Every quarter those agencies have meetings and inspections at our plant, where they review our plant performance. Certain checks are carried out and following that visit they provide recommendations that we always strive to fully implement. Eventually environmental certification is provided.” Wetting of roads at the mines is used to capture and reduce the volume of dust thrown up, while sprinklers are used at Ewarton mud stacking (red mud disposal area) for the same reason. Meanwhile, a recent major overhaul of Ewarton’s electrostatic precipitators (ESPs) was carried out. These electrical filters, placed inside of kilns, are used to prevent dust from leaving the kilns and play a crucial role in limiting dust overall. INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS “WINDALCO has a social budget,” says Mr. Stavitskiy. “There is a specific program with actions for helping our communities which includes support for local schools and hospitals. In addition we have financial aid in the form of scholarships and bursaries for students at the University of Technology here. Financial assistance is also rendered to the local communities.” “The company has been sending young Jamaican people to Russia for

education. A few years ago, for example, we sent five students to the Moscow University of People’s Friendship. They will be completing their education very soon then returning to Jamaica to work at WINDALCO. The students are on a full scholarship that includes tickets, accommodation, education, and some assistance with living expenses such as clothing. At the end of last year we also sent 13 more young Jamaican people to Russia, the City of Krasnoyarsk, to study at the Siberian Federal University. They will learn the Russian language as well as a technical trade and, on completion, will also return to Jamaica and have contracts with WINDALCO. In addition to that a high percentage of our workforce is from our local communities.”

CERTAINTY IN AN UNCERTAIN WORLD WINDALCO considers one of their most important achievements the simple fact of having kept Ewarton and Port Esquivel running despite the uncertain global alumina market. While plants across North and South America have been shutting down, WINDALCO has managed to maintain full production capacity at Ewarton without reducing the size of its workforce. “Our main objective remains to keep this plant in operation,” Mr. Stavitskiy says. “To sustain and keep upgrading it, and to continue employing people.” Given the success they have already achieved, and their continuously excellent production figures, there is no reason to believe WINDALCO will not meet all its goals. c

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CANADIAN SOLAR INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION

“OUR GOAL IS TO BUILD A CANADIAN SOLAR ENERGY INDUSTRY WHICH IS STRONG, EFFICIENT, ETHICAL, AND PROFESSIONAL.”

SOLAR LEADERSHIP A foreword by John A. Gorman, President and CEO of the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA).

JOHN A. GORMAN, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF CANSIA.

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On behalf of the members of the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA), I am pleased to offer this foreword to the “Solar Leadership” series in Sustainable Business Magazine. The Canadian solar industry is proud of the sector we have built, with nearly 2 GW installed by the end of 2014! As CanSIA members, the solar industry is poised to solidify solar electricity as a mainstream energy source and an integral part of Canada’s diversified electricity mix. The sun provides an inexhaustible supply of clean fuel to power our homes and our economy. Solar energy is posi-

tioned to play a key role in our transition to carbon-free lives and a carbon-free economy. Our goal is to build a Canadian solar energy industry which is strong, efficient, ethical, and professional, with capacity to provide innovative solar energy solutions and to play a major role in the global transition to a sustainable, clean-energy future. CanSIA members are companies involved with the delivery of solar energy products and services in Canada, or with the delivery of other products and services to Canada’s solar energy sector. CanSIA proudly represents manufacturers, installers, project developers, builders, architects,

engineers, consultants, and a variety of other companies and organizations who contribute directly to the growing number of solar projects in Canada. In Ontario, where the vast majority of Canada’s solar is installed, government support for solar has enabled rapidly declining costs for manufactured components. Capital costs for solar have declined by 65% over the last 6 years, to where solar + storage technology is getting cheaper than anyone ever imagined. The value of solar + storage is exactly what electricity systems of the future need (i.e. empowered consumers and a clean, cost effective solution that enhances the predictability, reliability, flexibility, and resilience of the electricity grid) with none of the unwelcome and costly social, health, and environmental externalities.

Innovations in solar + storage, with announcements like Elon Musk’s Powerwall energy storage system, designed to connect to a home solar installation, will revolutionize our energy system and make every home energy independent. The solar world has been anticipating this day, and is abuzz with the possibilities. Solar + storage is the key to making solar dispatchable as it circumvents the energy source’s main difficulty, that the energy it generates is only available when the sun is shining. Distributed generation like solar on rooftops can delay distribution system upgrades as demand on a circuit grows, because less power has to be shipped into the circuit. It also can reduce the need to build new transmission lines to carry power from distant grid-scale generation. Solar’s unique nature as a distributed

source of energy means that it can empower Canadians to reduce their carbon footprints not only with respect to their electricity use, but also by enabling carbon reductions in buildings, industry, and transportation. As we learn to adapt to a carbon-constrained future, growing load on the electricity system with plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs), a new model of energy consumption is emerging. Getting that energy from renewable sources like solar is a primary objective. As we hope to demonstrate in this series, the solar industries sector recognizes the importance of clean fuels to Canadians. We encourage you to read more about CanSIA and the work of the solar industry at www.cansia.ca, or contact me with your questions or comments at jgorman@cansia.ca. c

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RESCO

THE SELF-CONTAINED

CONTRACTOR

Fidel Reijerse, President of RESCo, speaks with Sustainable Business Magazine about the importance of being a sturdy and reliable partner.

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RESCO

RESCo Energy Inc. is an engineering, procurement, construction, and maintenance (EPC) contractor located in Ontario, Canada. They first emerged in 2006 as a solution to financing and de-risking environmental building practices in the venues of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games. Further commercialization required the ability to accurately define benefits and this led to a focus on solutions that could be metered. Specifically, the on-site generation of energy, including solar thermal and solar PV, small

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geothermal, and small wind generation. In 2010, a major North American roofing and building envelope contractor, Flynn, acquired a 50% interest in RESCo. This enabled RESCo to pursue larger projects for institutional equity and debt groups. "We recently installed 35 rooftops with solar PV arrays as part of a portfolio delivery for a large grocery outlet chain,â&#x20AC;? explains Fidel Reijerse, President of RESCo. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They have been a marquee client and these have been marquee projects, further evolving our

THE BRIGHTEST SELLING POINT RESCO OFFERS IS THEIR RISK MITIGATION THROUGH PROVIDING A SINGLE POINT OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR CLIENTS.

offerings. Just as important, though, have been the smaller clients. The Sunny Day projects, for example, were eight projects for a family-owned real estate company who were ahead of the rest of the market and driven to build quality long-term assets." REDUCED RISK The brightest selling point RESCo offers is their risk mitigation through providing a single point of accountability for their clients, something the company has been continually improving by expanding their inhouse capabilities. RESCo offers its full suite of EPC and maintenance services without using subcontractors. Recently RESCo has moved further into their clientsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; buildings by designing and installing large-scale lighting and control systems. One of the first projects was a full lighting retrofit involving a mix of technologies including LED and individualized lighting controls in a 400,000 square foot manufacturing and warehouse

space. The breadth of these services within a single company, as well as the commitment RESCo offers for long-term maintenance, means clients are able to hand entire projects over safe in the knowledge that they will be successfully executed. "It has made it really easy for our customers to say that the projects are RESCo's to deal with and they do not have to become involved," Mr. Reijerse says. "This limits all kinds of quality issues. It limits ongoing warranty challenges that may exist if subcontractors suddenly no longer exist. It helps customers manage and maintain their equipment warranties because we have deeper relationships with suppliers than the customers do. RESCo continues to manage and maintain the customer's systems so that there are no risks that can't be mitigated early based on a good preventative maintenance cycle. We really feel that, from the asset-owners point of view, our job is designing, building, and

maintaining that asset, while the owner's job is optimizing their financial returns." Apart from risk mitigation, the sheer knowledge and capability of RESCo makes it stand out in the market as a partner that can be banked on, not only for EPC, but for lifecycle maintenance as well. Debt lenders need to know that the service partner on a project will be there for the long-haul and

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RESCO

can act as a step-in operator in case they have to assume the asset. The investment by Flynn has been a huge boon in this regard. RESCo also acts directly for a number of manufacturers and equipment suppliers who donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have in-house service teams to manage their warranty and service obligations. THE LONG HAUL The move into LED lighting systems is one illustration of the long-term thinking that RESCo is pursuing with their partners and clients, helping building owners shape energy profiles to be both economically rewarding and environmentally sustainable. As on-site power generation increasingly becomes a fundamental component of construction, RESCo is able to offer the knowledge and support to make decisions that will offer positive returns well into the future. 54 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

The intention of RESCo's continuously diversifying services portfolio is to fully develop this long-term vision. When asked about how the company is meeting the needs of the constantly evolving Canadian

renewables market, Mr. Reijerse provides keen insight into how to work with - rather than against - the waves of change. "Pretty much everybody in the Ontario space, which is effectively the Canadian market at

tenance team, by building a very strong and evolving lighting offering that works with our national clients, and by completing their larger projects." GREEN CONNECTIONS For their pioneering work throughout a decade-long history, RESCo has received a litany of awards from the Canadian Solar Industries Association (CanSIA) that highlight the high esteem within which the company is held by their peers. Looking forward, the company continues to leverage this reputation to drive new lines of business and enter new markets. In 2014, RESCo established Goldfield Solar in Barbados with local partners to take advantage of the rapidly growing Caribbean renewables market. Meanwhile, their energy services offerings continue to evolve as driven by the needs of their strategic clients. RESCo have built

on their history of absolute meterable data and financial services and is offering this to the corporate and industrial sectors. Overall, as Mr. Reijerse is keen to emphasize, the underlying drive behind all future developments is to continue offering clients a risk mitigated self-contained EPC portfolio that they can rely on. "Our plan for the future is to continue to be a trusted partner to building owners that are looking to not only manage but also shape their electricity usage into the future; whether that is motivated by the pocket book, or by a generational outlook in terms of environmental attributes. Either way, we look at not just on-site generation, but how that connects and specifically interacts with loads and other measures on the building. All those factors can be brought together in a way which ensures that the building owner gets the most value while achieving sustainability objectives." c

this point, is trying to make the decision to either take their profits and get out, or to reinvest in this space. We are absolutely on the re-investor side of that.â&#x20AC;? "As markets approach parity you get one of two things happening: Either there is a reticence by government to continue supporting policies because they feel the market is close enough to handle itself, or else there is an influx of policy in markets where the government realizes it can close that gap. I think Ontario is in the former, and because of that RESCo needs to find a way to manage ourselves through that. We only do that under the assumption that there is a grid parity market here with a substantial upside, which we do believe. At the same time the idea is to continue to diversify our offerings. That is what we have been spending our time doing by building a top notch operations and mainSUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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AASHE

SUSTAINABLE EMORY UNIVERSITY.

CAMPUSES A foreword by Meghan Fay Zahniser, AASHE Executive Director

MEGHAN FAY ZAHNISER, AASHE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.

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The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) is proud to support the “Sustainable Campuses” series that recognizes achievements of the higher education community and their efforts toward developing a thriving, equitable, and ecologically healthy world. AASHE empowers higher education faculty, administrators, staff, and students to be effective change agents and drivers of sustainability innovation. We enable members to translate information into action by offering essential resources and professional development to a diverse, engaged community of sustainability leaders. Additionally, we work with and for higher education to ensure that our world’s future leaders are motivated and equipped to solve sustainability challenges.

We support the higher education community through the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS), the AASHE Conference & Expo, Campus Sustainability Month, and the Green Gigawatt Partnership, as well as other professional development opportunities. STARS STARS was launched in 2010 as a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS was designed to provide a structure for understanding sustainability in all sectors of higher education, enable campus sustainability comparisons over time, incentivize institutions to boost future sustainability efforts and initiatives, as well

as provide an open platform for information sharing both nationally and internationally. With more than 550 ratings since the program’s inception, the importance of the rating system as a valuable tool for both seasoned campus sustainability leaders and institutions just beginning their sustainability endeavors is clear. AASHE 2016 CONFERENCE & EXPO Expected to draw over 2,300 participants, AASHE’s annual conference is the largest stage in North America for sharing effective models, policies, research, collaborations, and transformative actions which advance sustainability in higher education and beyond. Higher education institutions have been modeling sustainability solutions on their campuses for many years. With a theme of “Beyond the Campus,” the AASHE 2016 Conference & Expo will focus on a crucial next step: The dissemination and implementation of these solutions in communities throughout the world. Meeting the sustainability challenge will require collaboration across sectors and with stakeholders outside of academia. This year’s conference takes place Oct. 9-12 in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Attendees can expect thought-provoking keynote speakers, hundreds of sessions to engage all higher education sustainability interests, and an Expo Hall with innovative products and services sure to inspire. CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY MONTH Held each October, Campus Sustainability Month is an international celebration of sustainability in higher education. During this month, colleges and universities have STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK AT CORTLAND.

organized events on campus and elsewhere to engage and inspire incoming students and other campus stakeholders to become sustainability change agents. These events include teach-ins, sustainability pledgedrives, zero energy concerts, waste audits, green sporting events, letter writing campaigns, service projects, and more. Campus Sustainability Month raises the visibility of sustainability and provides advocates with a platform to deepen campus engagement and address pressing environmental and social challenges. GREEN GIGAWATT PARTNERSHIP The Green Gigawatt Partnership (GGP), launched by AASHE last October, works to catalyze at least one gigawatt of new green power in higher education by 2020 by recognizing colleges and universities sourcing large-scale renewable energy and by helping more campuses do the same by using long-term, large-scale, power purchase agreements. The GGP supports green

power in higher education by providing in-person training workshops, instructional webinars, educational materials, recognition in written, electronic and in-person forums, networking opportunities with peers, project tracking, and no-cost assistance to assess large-scale renewables opportunities. These are only a few ways we inspire and catalyze higher education to lead the global sustainability transformation. We are proud of our nearly 1,000 members and look forward to welcoming all institutions and businesses who are motivated to make meaningful and lasting change towards campus sustainability. Visit AASHE.org to learn more about how you can help advance sustainability in higher education. c

Meghan Fay Zahniser AASHE Executive Director THOMPSON RIVERS UNIVERSITY.

UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA.

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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

IN PURSUIT OF NEUTRAL Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to Dr. Jennie Moore, Associate Dean of Building Design and Construction Technology at BCIT, about how they are pioneering ecological planning and construction.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) is a post-secondary education establishment offering training 58 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

and certification in the areas of science, engineering, technology, and trades. Since 2007 BCIT has made sustainability integral

to their development, introducing a strategy named Campuses as Living Laboratories of Sustainability.

THE NORTH END OF BCIT’S BURNABY CAMPUS, WHERE THE FACTOR FOUR INITIATIVE IS LOCATED. BCIT’S POLICY 1010 ON ECONOMIC, SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL SUSTAINABILITY CALLS FOR THE ACHIEVEMENT OF TEN ASPIRATIONAL GOALS AIMED AT REDUCING BCIT’S ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT.

BEFORE PHOTO OF THE NORTH END OF BCIT’S BURNABY CAMPUS.

STUDENTS AND FACULTY IN BCIT’S SCHOOL OF CONSTRUCTION AND THE ENVIRONMENT COLLABORATED WITH BCIT’S DEPARTMENT OF CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT TO TRANSFORM THE NORTH END OF CAMPUS INTO A MORE WALKABLE AND ECOLOGICALLY RESTORED ENVIRONMENT.

BEFORE PHOTO OF THE NORTH END OF BCIT’S BURNABY CAMPUS.

“We were interested in generating a legacy benefit so that students and faculty undertaking applied research projects can contribute to the campus’ evolution as a demonstration of sustainability while simultaneously meeting educational requirements for hands on learning,” explains Dr. Jennie Moore, Associate Dean of Building Design and Construction Technology at BCIT. “The campus has a boiler, for example, where it is possible to see the way fuel mix works. You

can’t manage it directly, but you can enact simulations of fuel mix changes to see the effects. Elsewhere, in our Factor Four buildings, we have real-time meters for electricity, natural gas, and water that are accessible to students who can see the data and what is happening in each building. “ The Factor Four initiative comprises seven buildings located at the north end of BCIT’s Burnaby Campus. The goal is to reduce energy and materials consumption

by 75% - or a factor of four. This is what would be needed on a global scale for society to remain within planetary boundaries, or the limits within which the planet can continue to sustain human life. The ideal goal is to reach factor ten, or 90% reduction. BCIT uses 2009 as the baseline for their metrics. To date, several buildings have exceeded factor four with one building even achieving factor ten; the average across all buildings is 50%. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

SMART ENERGY RETROFITS THAT INCLUDE ON-DEMAND DUST AND FUME EXTRACTION COUPLED WITH HEAT RECOVERY IN THE VENTILATION SYSTEM HAVE HELPED TO REDUCE ENERGY CONSUMPTION IN BCIT’S FACTOR FOUR BUILDINGS BY 80%. SHOWN HERE ARE AERIAL VIEWS OF THE VENTILATION SYSTEMS AND AN ON-DEMAND FAN HOOD DEMONSTRATED BY A WELDING STUDENT.

The Factor Four initiative aims to become an ‘eco-city fractal’ using a regenerative approach: To show that it is possible in a small space as an example of how it may be expanded to wider areas. PUSHING THE ENVELOPE In order to leverage success, the institute is implementing a Sustainable Energy Management Plan (SEMP), revised every three years to raise the bar on BCIT’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy management strategy. SEMP begins by targeting personal behavior patterns affecting lighting and heating usage in tandem with improving energy efficiency at a technological and mechanical level. The next stage of SEMP looks at renewable energy alternatives such as a biomass burner that is currently 60 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

BCIT’S LONG-TERM ASPIRATIONAL GOAL TO BE TOTALLY CARBON NEUTRAL WITHOUT RELYING ON OFFSETS.

being constructed for the Factor Four initiative. This burner will use discarded wood from the carpentry and joinery courses taught on campus. The carbon footprint of buildings will be reduced by displacing natural gas usage. BCIT achieved carbon neutrality in 2010 through purchases of carbon offsets. The goal with SEMP is to incrementally reduce energy usage across all five campuses in order to keep pace with Provincial Government guidelines of achieving a 33% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2020, and 80% by 2050. This is in keeping with BCIT’s long-term aspirational goal to be totally carbon neutral without relying on offsets. To promote changes at a personal level BCIT has the Green Team, a volunteer-led group that carries out awareness campaigns

throughout the year. Working alongside the institute’s marketing department, the Green Team has led campaigns such as Commute Smart and Lights Out. The group, currently comprising 60 volunteers, not only undertakes PR tasks but acts as a focus group to find out what behavior patterns are difficult for people to change and why. INSTITUTIONALIZED REDUCTION Alongside SEMP there is also policy 1010 - Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability. “It calls for the achievement of seven aspirational goals that all roll into reducing our ecological footprint,” explains Dr. Moore. “We have goals to become greenhouse gas neutral, to become a net energy producer, to achieve zero waste, to become ecologically restored, water balanced, socially responsible, and universally

accessible. That is our vision. Our approach is an incremental one, so we keep pushing the envelope to see how far we can get to our goals.” BCIT is proud to be integral to the economic, social, and environmental prosperity of British Columbia. As a pioneer in the field of sustainability, it is using its campuses to facilitate applied research and demonstrations for and with industry partners for the benefit of society. Of course this would not be possible without integrating sustainability into the courses taught by BCIT. On the one hand this means tying into existing courses, such as students being able to see the fuel statistics of a boiler for their engineering course, and on the other it means creating new courses tailored specifically to advancing sustainability values. SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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THE BRITISH COLUMBIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

PORTION OF GUICHON CREEK THAT HAS BEEN ECOLOGICALLY RESTORED BY FACULTY AND STUDENTS AT THE SOUTH END OF BCIT’S MAIN CAMPUS IN BURNABY.

INTEGRATED PHOTOVOLTAICS IN THE ROOF OF A NET ZERO ENERGY BUILDING ON CAMPUS, LOCATED IN THE “FACTOR FOUR” AREA AT THE NORTH END OF BCIT’S MAIN CAMPUS IN BURNABY BRITISH COLUMBIA.

“I have been involved in helping to create new credentials such as a Sustainable Energy Management advanced certificate in collaboration with BC Hydro,” says Dr. Moore. “For this the students use case studies from our Factor Four initiative in their learning. Just last year we also launched a new graduate certificate in Building Energy Modelling that I helped 62 | SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

BCIT FACULTY AND INSTRUCTORS FROM BCIT’S “FISH, WILDLIFE, AND RECREATION PROGRAM” PARTICIPATING IN DIRECT HANDS-ON LEARNING.

TO BETTER STEER BCIT INTO THE FUTURE, EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY TO REORGANIZE THE GOVERNANCE SURROUNDING SUSTAINABILITY.

spearhead. It is important to have these new educational opportunities for people that are going to lead the next generation and help advance sustainability not only on campus but across the world.” STEERING COMMITTEE To better steer BCIT into the future, efforts are underway to reorganize the governance

surrounding sustainability to push the idea even deeper into the infrastructure of the institution. Borrowing from existing structures in other areas of BCIT, the new model will raise the profile and responsibility of reporting on sustainability issues, as well as selecting volunteers to participate rather than drafting those with related portfolio responsibilities. “It has worked for other

functions at the institute so we are hoping that this will be a good next step for BCIT in terms of institutionalizing abilities, obligations, and mandates to make sure policy 1010 is rolled out across BCIT,” says Dr. Moore. “The new committee will essentially be the purveyor of that policy.” The new model will cement BCIT’s already strong commitment to sustainability. c SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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GLOBAL EVENTS

MAY 2016 SUSTAINABLE

B U S I N E S S

2nd - 5th

ACT Expo 2016 Alternative Clean Transportation Expo Long Beach, CA, USA http://www.actexpo.com

2016 Advanced Clean Transportation “ACT” Expo. All weight classes and alternative fuel types are represented — electric, hybrid, hydrogen, natural gas, propane autogas, and renewable fuels — providing a one-stop shop for fleets to learn how to reduce costs and emissions.

4th - 5th

The Ceres Conference 2016 Boston, MA, USA

Learn how sectors from electric utilities and transportation to food and finance are adapting to 21st century sustainability challenges.

Living Future 2016 UnConference: Truth & Transparency

Living Future is the forum for leading minds in the green building movement seeking solutions to the most daunting global issues of our time. This year’s three-day conference will focus on the diverse layers of Truth + Transparency.

15th - 18th

The 5th Sustainability, Ethics and Entrepreneurship (SEE) Research Conference Denver, CO, USA http://seeconf.org

The conference leads the advancement and accumulation of knowledge and practice about SEE-related topics including business integrity, responsibility, accountability, transparency, authenticity, and truth.

23rd - 25th

The Annual US SIF Conference on Sustainable & Impact Investing Washington, DC, USA

The conference offers a unique opportunity to network with leaders of sustainable, responsible, and impact investing, to hear from leading investors, CEOs, and policymakers, and to learn about new approaches, trends, and policy developments in the field.

http://www.ceresconference.org

11th - 13th

http://www.livingfutureunconference.org

M A G A Z I N E

PROMOTE YOUR EVENT HERE If your organization has a trade show or event, please let us know and we will promote your event on our global events pages.

For more information please contact us at: info@sustainablebusinessmagazine.net

http://www.ussif.org/conference

SUSTAINICA 2016 Düsseldorf, Germany

Sustainica 2016 envisions the future we all dream of. Breakthrough innovations and future trends in mobility, fashion, food, technology, art, and much more – brought to you by artists, designers, innovators, and high-quality brands.

6th - 9th

WASTE EXPO 2016 Las Vegas, NV, USA http://www.wasteexpo.com

Learn from the resident experts in waste, recycling, and organics. Make connections that will last a lifetime. Network like crazy. Do business. Increase department efficiencies.

21st - 23rd

Environmental Leader Conference Denver, CO, USA

http://www.environmentalleader. com/events/conference2016/

The Environmental Leader 2016 Conference is all about current and emerging real-world challenges and the practical tools and solutions to help you meet them. What you’ll take away are ready-to-go solutions that are tangible, replicable, measurable, and transferable across multiple industry sectors.

Central Europe towards Sustainable Building 2016, Prague (CESB16) Prague, Czech Republic http://www.cesb.cz

CESB16 will be the fourth conference in a row held in Prague on the topic of sustainable building. Local organizers are Czech Sustainable Building Society (iiSBE Czech) and three institutes of the Czech Technical University in Prague.

2nd - 5th

http://www.sustainica.org/en/

22nd - 24th

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JUNE

2016

NEW YORK, NY (MAY 23-24)

CERTIFIED SUSTAINABILITY PRACTITIONER PROGRAM, ADVANCED EDITION 2016 Don’t miss out on the opportunity to become the next certified CSR Practitioner!

This challenging 2-day training offered by Centre for Sustainability and Excellence (CSE) aims to give you all the latest tools and resources required to implement or upscale existing sustainability initiatives taking place in your organization. Training will provide explanations of: • Sustainability Reporting: Key concepts used in the GRI G4 guidelines • Ways to benefit from all the new trends and legislation on sustainability • Tips for creating beneficial stakeholder and community engagement • Several misconceptions and risks about Corporate Social Responsibility • Ways to use the CDP system to mitigate environmental risk in supply chains For more information visit http://www.cse-net.org/article/127/upcoming-trainings or contact us at sustainability@cse-net.org SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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ADVERTISERS INDEX A Automotive Art B Bâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Recycling Bright Light Systems Inc. C Caribbean Maritime Institute Caribbean Safety Products Centre for Sustainability and Excellence C.O. Williams Construction Ltd. Crane and Equipment Ltd.

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P5 P4

P4 P38 P65 P14 P8

Creative Paving Solutions Inc. Connoisseur Improvement Services Inc.

P5 P5

Marenco Marine Ltd. Mitco Water Laboratories Ltd.

P9 P28

F First Citizens

G Guy M. Griffith Engineers

S SECO Gmbh Svitzer (Caribbean) Ltd.

P27 P9

T Trafalgar Travel (Barbados) Ltd. Trifectar Enterprises Ltd.

P4 P27

I Ince Transport Services Ltd.

M Mahy Ridley Hazzard Engineers Ltd.

W The Water Expo 2016 Williams Equipment Ltd.

Back Cover P8

SUSTAINABLE

B U S I N E S S

M A G A Z I N E

SUSTAINING TOMORROW. TODAY www.sustainablebusinessmagazine.net