May 14 2025, Grand Cayman – The Ministry of Health, Environment & Sustainability (MHES) is proud to announce that its residential and public sector building energy efficiency programme has been named Best Energy Efficiency Project by the Caribbean Renewable Energy Forum (CREF) at its recent conference in Miami. 

Kristen Smith, Senior Policy Advisor for Energy at the Ministry of Health, Environment & Sustainability, accepted the award on behalf of the Cayman Islands Government and programme partners.

CREF is theCaribbean’s largest energy industry network, and its annual awards celebrate excellence in projects, programmes, and individuals advancing the region’s clean energy transition.  

The Cayman Island’s two-year energy efficiency programme, a National Energy Policy initiative funded by the European Union’s Resilience, Sustainable Energy and Marine Biodiversity Programme (RESEMBID), concluded in January 2025. The programme focused on reducing energy consumption and improving efficiency in both residential buildings – specifically those constructed by the National Housing Development Trust (NHDT) – and public sector infrastructure.  

Under the Residential Programme, 10 NHDT homes were selected to participate in a retrofit project. Energy audits, conducted by leading consultants Econoler, led to installations of energy-saving measures such as spray foam insulation, solar panels and high-efficiency air conditioning units. 

The impact was substantial. In one case, a homeowner reduced their electricity consumption from 2195kWh in September 2023, to just 715kWh in September 2024 – a 67.4% year-on-year reduction. Another homeowner saw their monthly utility bill plummet from approximately KYD $800 to KYD $170.

Kristen Smith, Senior Policy Advisor for Energy at the Ministry of Health, Environment & Sustainability, accepts the award from Mohammed Nagdee, Executive Director of the Caribbean Centre for Renewable Energy & Energy Efficiency (CCREEE).

In the Public Sector Building programme, 13 public sector buildings across all three islands – including schools, libraries, post offices, Cayman Brac Fire Station, Little Cayman Airport and the House of Parliament – underwent detailed energy audits. Based on the findings, retrofits of energy efficient air conditioning units were installed at the West Bay Public Library and the Airport Post Office.

This is the first programme of its kind in the Cayman Islands, pairing technical retrofits with community engagement and education. The Ministry is using the lessons learned from these initiatives to inform and shape future energy efficiency programmes, ensuring continued progress toward national sustainability goals. In April 2025, the Ministry published Energy Efficiency Guidelines and hosted training sessions with contractors, architects and suppliers. These resources along with full programme details, are available at www.gov.ky/energy.