Building Green

In recent years, the paradigm has shifted and ‘going green’ is no longer just a trendy tag line; it has become the standard when building in Cayman.

Focus is increasingly being placed on designing eco-friendly properties with features like geothermal cooling systems, low-flow plumbing, high-efficiency appliances and LED lighting that lower energy bills. Renewable energy equipment is duty-free for homeowners, and CUC, the power provider for Grand Cayman, offers a programme whereby customers can connect their renewable energy systems, such as small scale solar systems or wind turbines, to CUC’s distribution system. Some banks also offer loans to qualified borrowers for hybrid and electric vehicles, solar panels or batteries, energy smart shutters or other energy smart upgrades. Contact your bank to see if this is something they offer.

Cayman National Bank's GreenLiving Programme

Cayman National Bank’s GreenLiving programme offers loans of over US$10,000 with 100% financing available to qualifying borrowers for hybrid and electric vehicles, solar panels or batteries, energy smart shutters or other energy smart upgrades. For more information, visit their website or speak to a member of the customer services team at one of their branches located across all three Cayman Islands.

Solar Power

CUC has multiple energy programmes for customers to interconnect renewable energy systems to the grid. The total interconnection size of these programmes varies year to year and is dependent upon available hosting capacity on the grid. Find out more about this and how to start harnessing the sun's energy to reduce energy consumption and save money.

Considerations When Building Green

If you are thinking about designing and building a green home, consider the following steps:

Find a design-builder who has proven experience with green homes in Cayman.
Use key building products like Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) such as Fox Blocks, which are manufactured locally, spray foam insulation, low VOCs materials and finishes, impact or insulated windows, Watersense-labelled plumbing and Energy Star-rated appliances.
Use recycled glass material in the pavements of your driveway.
Own your own energy. With the growing demand for alternative energy sources, utilise solar energy in your home (see the “Powering Your Home” section later in this chapter for more information).
Design your home to have as much foliage protecting from the outside to maximise cooling effects and minimise air conditioning usage.
Alternatively, try a geothermal cooling system that can cool your home much more efficiently than traditional air conditioning systems, saving you substantial energy and money.

Alternative Cooling Systems

If you are looking for a basic, less costly method of lowering air conditioning usage, consider landscaping for shade. This includes planting foliage and trees around your house, which organically absorbs solar heat, or adopting a lighter colour roof such as white or silver. Another simple method consists of keeping windows and doors open during the cooler times of day, significantly lowering interior temperatures.

Geothermal Cooling Systems

The cost of powering our homes with fossil fuels is expected to keep rising as global supplies decline. In the Cayman Islands, electricity is already expensive, and smaller Caribbean nations like ours, with less bargaining power, are especially vulnerable to price hikes as oil becomes scarcer. Cayman has set an ambitious goal of generating 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2037, prompting important discussions on how this will be acquired. While solar power remains a popular and proven option, there’s also growing interest in alternative solutions like geothermal energy cooling systems.

Unlike traditional central air conditioning systems which use heated gases and refrigerants to cool your home, geothermal cooling systems offer significantly lower operating costs and can last up to 15 years longer. These systems work by extracting heat from your property and transferring it to a network of underground water pipes located beneath your property. The process creates a cooling effect; heat is absorbed into the ground via the water system and cool air is then circulated indoors.

If you are interested in converting your energy to become renewable and sustainable, the following company can help: