CREF 2022 Industry Awards: The winners podium

THE BEST IN CARIBBEAN CLEAN ENERGY REVEALED AT CARIBBEAN RENEWABLE ENERGY FORUM

New Energy Events, hosts of the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF), the largest annual gathering of the regional energy market, announced today the 12 winners of its 4th annual CREF Industry Awards. The Awards – which recognize excellence in projects, programs and people driving forward the clean energy transition in the Caribbean – were honored on stage at the 14th annual CREF in Miami.

The Awards were established to recognize those leaders in the Caribbean energy sector who are making a lasting impact on the development of resilient and renewable energy systems in the region. Many award winners are first-movers, carving a path for project development in the region. Others have been in the region for years, and understand the nuances and needs of island nations pursuing a clean energy future.

Award recipients were selected by an industry-leading Advisory Committee comprising Charlin Bodley, Sustainable Energy Project Development and Gender Expert, Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE); Christopher Burgess, Director, RMI Island Energy Program; Gillian Charles-Gollop, Executive Director, Corporate Investment Banking and Advisory, CIBC FirstCaribbean; and David Gumbs, Director, RMI Island Energy Program. 

THE WINNERS OF THE CREF 2022 INDUSTRY AWARDS:
  • 2021-22 Caribbean Energy Leader MVP: Deputy Premier The Hon. Walter Roban, Government of Bermuda
  • Best Distributed Generation Project: 1 MW Solar and Storage Project, Montserrat Utilities Limited and Government of Montserrat
  • Best E-Mobility Project: Introduction of Electric Mobility into Public Transportation, Barbados Transport Board
  • Best Energy Efficiency Project: Energy Efficient Retrofit of Public Streetlights, Government of Barbados
  • Best Energy Storage Project: Chub Cay Microgrid by Compass Solar Systems Limited, Bahamas
  • Best ESG Project: Cossma Yabucoa Clinic, Puerto Rico, Elum Energy & Pura Energia
  • Best Green Hydrogen Project: CEOG by HDF ENERGY, French Guiana
  • Best Microgrid Project: Highbourne Cay PV Microgrid by Bahamas Energy and Solar Supplies & Solar Island Energy, Bahamas
  • Best Renewable Energy Financing: CIBC FirstCaribbean
  • Best Resilience Project: Ragged Island Microgrid Project by Bahamas Power & Light
  • Best Utility Scale Projects:
    • Bermuda Airport Solar Project by the Government of Bermuda & Saturn Power Inc.
    • Parque Solar Girasol by Empresa Generadora de Electricidad Haina, S.A., Dominican Republic

Christopher Burgess, Director, RMI Island Energy Program: “The 2022 CREF Project Award winners exceeded our wildest expectations in terms of what was possible during the pandemic. We were moved by the progress on microgrids at critical facilities, by ground-breaking utility scale solar and unprecedented battery storage, by distributed solutions that underscore new utility business models, by game-changing electric bus fleets and by innovative financing. The list is long and impressive. Congratulations, too, to our 2022 Most Valuable Player in the region, the Deputy Premier of Bermuda, Hon. Walter Roban, a true champion for energy transition in the Caribbean and a leader in sustainability, energy equity and resilience.”

Charlin Bodley, CCREEE: “The successful implementation of sustainable energy projects in the Caribbean region is a critical factor for the competitiveness and survival of our present and future populations. The high quality of projects submitted for this year’s CREF Awards gives me huge encouragement for what is to come in the region’s energy transition.”

Gillian Charles-Gollop, CIBC FirstCaribbean: “It was an honor to be part of the CREF Awards Committee and support the recognition of all of the leaders who have taken up the mantle to advance the renewable energy and energy efficiency agenda in the Caribbean. It was encouraging to see both the level of participation and the range of projects ongoing in our region.”

“We continue to be hugely impressed by the number of innovative clean energy projects emerging from the Caribbean,” said Matthew Perks, CEO of New Energy Events. “This year we noticed a big uptick in the number of microgrids and distributed energy projects, demonstrating the increasing role of solar and storage in the region. At the same time, we’ve seen important utility-scale projects setting new standards for what’s possible in the Caribbean. As the region continues its clean energy transition, we are excited to shine a spotlight on the projects and people setting a standard for excellence.”

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For more information, please contact Matthew Perks at mperks@newenergyevents.com

For general media enquiries, please contact Emma Bassett at ebassett@newenergyevents.com

For more information on CREF, please visit the event hub at http://newenergyevents.com/cref/