Energy Leaders Recognized at 5th annual CREF Industry Awards

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 11 winners of its 5th 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 15th annual CREF in Miami.

The Awards were established to recognize 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, Manager with RMI’s Energy Transition Academy; Gillian Charles-Gollop, Executive Director, Corporate Investment Banking and Advisory, CIBC FirstCaribbean; Devon Gardner, Head of Technical Programmes at the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (CCREEE); David Gumbs, Principal for RMI’s Global South program; and Christopher Straughn, Sustainable Energy Specialist with the Caribbean Development Bank.

THE WINNERS OF THE CREF 2023 INDUSTRY AWARDS:
  • Best C&I Project: Caribbean Broilers Group, Jamaica | Soleco Energy (Jamaica) Limited and Deetken Impact
  • Best Climate Finance Program: Caribbean Basin Sustainable Energy Fund (CABEF) | Deetken Impact
  • Best Climate Policy/Program: Householders’ Right to Renewable Energy | Ministry of Energy and Business, Barbados
  • Best Distributed Energy Project: Caban Systems
  • Best E-mobility Project: Electrification of the Public Bus Fleet | Bermuda Ministry of Transport
  • Best Energy Efficiency Project: COK Sodality Co-op CU Ltd
  • Best Energy Resilience Projects:
    • Abaco School Microgrids Project | The Bahamas
    • Dominica Schools Microgrid Project | Clara Lionel Foundation
  • Best Energy Storage Project: Lethem EPC Solar Plant + BESS | Soventix Caribbean and Farfan & Mendes
  • Best Microgrid Project : Solar Island Energy and Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
  • Best Utility Scale Project: Donoe Solar | St Thomas, USVI

Gillian Charles-Gollop, CIBC FirstCaribbean: “We had some excellent submissions from across the Caribbean. We see this as an enabler to help drive greater momentum for more renewable, energy efficiency and EV investments in our region.”

Charlin Bodley, RMI’s Energy Transition Academy: “At a time when radical implementation of renewable energy is critical to achieving climate and economic resilience among Caribbean nations, I am encouraged by the high quality projects submitted to the CREF awards committee this year. Highlighting the remarkable successes of these projects accelerates replicability and scalability of projects in the region.”

Matthew Perks, CEO of New Energy Events, comments: “Our panel of judges had the difficult task of evaluating a pool of exceptional finalists across all categories. The winners demonstrated an impressive level of sophistication, a testament to their commitment to excellence and innovation. This is an encouraging sign as we embark on the next phase of the energy transition in the Caribbean. We extend our gratitude to the judges for their expertise and dedication in the selection process, and we congratulate the winners for their well-deserved recognition.”

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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/