The foundation of any meaningful change within the areas of Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) must begin with the restructuring of the policies and frameworks within which the current system operates. The Policy Component of the TAPSEC sought to facilitate the modernisation and implementation of policy, legislative and regulatory frameworks to support the development of Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) within the region. Key activities included supporting the transition toward an integrated utility services approach; developing a sub-policy, strategy and action plan for Energy Efficiency; and improving the institutional effectiveness of the regional quality infrastructure for RE and EE technologies and products.

TAPSEC’s policy interventions supported the upgrade and modernisation of the regional policy, legislative and regulatory environment that will enable Renewable Energy development and Energy Efficiency at the national level of the member states. These interventions will manifest through a collective regional approach of engagement and partnership with key regional organisations, institutions and agencies with energy policy and regulatory mandates as well as national agencies.

These national agencies include government ministries, regulatory agencies and electric utilities across the CARICOM Member States. TAPSEC’s emphasis on policy reflected the understanding of its visionaries that these systems play a critical role in ensuring that all future RE and EE projects and initiatives will have a greater success rate and, therefore, should not be overlooked.

TAPSEC was implemented from 2017 to 2022 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and made possible through the financial support of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

To learn more, visit https://tapsec.org/policy-and-regulations/

Resource mobilization is a key component of any sustainable undertaking. TAPSEC’s activities within the Finance component were focused on designing, implementing and promoting innovative financing models for Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) Projects while also devising mechanisms to reduce transaction costs for such projects.

TAPSEC’s Finance Component was dedicated to the development of innovative financing mechanisms for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects, with a specific focus on the accessibility of these mechanisms to local and regional project developers. To achieve this goal, TAPSEC facilitated the establishment of a Project Preparation Facility (PPF) in collaboration with the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE). TAPSEC also collaborated with the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF) and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Energy Unit, to establish the Credit Risk Abatement Facility (CRAF). CRAF is a programme designed to help small and medium-sized businesses get the financing they need to invest in the energy-efficient and renewable energy technologies that can help them reduce energy costs and build their business.

Through these innovative approaches and strategic synergies, TAPSEC increased the number of bankable RE/EE private sector projects and technology solutions through business models and/or financial mechanisms for reducing the transaction costs of energy solutions.

TAPSEC was implemented from 2017 to 2022 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and made possible through the financial support of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

To learn more, visit https://tapsec.org/finance/

Much like the age-old adage that “knowledge is power,” TAPSEC teamed up with local and regional education organisations to restructure the current information pathways available to students, professionals, and all relevant Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) practitioners. The Information and Capacity Development component, specifically, strengthened the individual, collective, and institutional capacity of key stakeholders to deliver technical solutions in the renewable energy and energy efficiency environment throughout the Caribbean. These interventions will significantly expand the capacity of these key persons and institutions to deliver the solutions necessary to create meaningful change for present and future generations.

The interventions achieved under the TAPSEC were meant to springboard a regional approach to energy-related capacity development, led and sustained by the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency in the region’s transition to a sustainable energy future. More succinctly, CCREEE has become the answer to the who, what, when, where and how for all things Renewable Energy (RE) and Energy Efficiency (EE) in the Caribbean.

TAPSEC was implemented from 2017 to 2022 by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and made possible through the financial support of the European Union and the German Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development.

To learn more, visit https://tapsec.org/information-and-capacity-development/

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The Regional Electric Vehicle Strategy