CREF 2019 Industry Award Winners Announced!

The Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF), the largest annual gathering of the regional clean energy market, today announced nine winners of its third annual CREF Industry Awards. The winners were recognized on stage at the 11th CREF proceedings in Miami.New Energy Events, the organizers of CREF, established the awards program to recognize the leaders in the Caribbean energy sector who are making a lasting impact on resilient and renewable energy. 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.

“We continue to be impressed by the number of innovative clean energy projects emerging from the Caribbean,” said Julie Taylor, Portfolio Director 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 region. As the Caribbean continues its clean energy transition, we look forward to putting a spotlight on the projects and people in the region setting a standard for excellence.”

“This year’s awards are a celebration of progress and a glimpse of the future for the Caribbean,” said Chris Burgess, Director of Projects – Island Energy Program, Rocky Mountain Institute, and a member of the Awards Advisory Committee. “We are thrilled to see the largest and lowest cost solar project to date, the first Category V designed solar parking canopy, the rise of critical facility microgrids. Lastly, we are honored to award Eddinton Powell for this year’s Energy MVP, a true champion of energy transition for the region.”The awards program drew candidates from across the Caribbean region, including Jamaica, Turks and Caicos, Bahamas, Bermuda, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The selected award winners represent the entities who have had a profound impact on the region’s clean energy development.

Award recipients were chosen by an industry-leading Advisory Committee including Cletus Bertin, Executive Director, CARILEC; Chris Burgess, Director of Projects – Islands Energy Program, Rocky Mountain Institute; Gillian Charles-Gollop, Executive Director, Corporate Investment Banking and Advisory, CIBC FirstCaribbean International Bank; Jennifer DeCesaro, Acting Director of Technology to Market Program, U.S. Department of Energy; David Gumbs, Former CEO, ANGLEC; and Julie Taylor, Editorial Director, New Energy EventsTHE WINNERS OF CREF 2019 INDUSTRY AWARDS:

• Utility Scale Solar: Paradise Park, Jamaica, Rekamniar Frontier Ventures
• Energy Storage Project: BELCO Battery Energy Storage System for Spinning Reserve, Bermuda
• Distributed Generation Project: Bahamas National Stadium Solar Car Park and EV Charging, Bahamas
• Microgrid: Bonaire Hybrid Project, Bonaire
• Best Resilience Project: Spanish Town Estate Solar Project Restoration, US Virgin Islands, BMR Energy
• Energy Efficiency Project: Anatol Rodgers High School Energy Retrofits Project, Bahamas
• Best Financing: Green Energy Bonds for Barbados PV, Barbados, Williams Caribbean Capital
• Project Addressing Social and Environmental Impacts: Solar Schools Project in Puerto Rico, Blue Planet Energy
• Energy Leadership MVP: Eddinton Powell, President and CEO, FortisTCI, Turks and Caicos