San Jose – At the University of Costa Rica Planetarium in San Pedro, U.S. Ambassador to Costa Rica, Anne Andrew, announced the names of the five winners of the Clean Energy Regional Competition. Launched in 2012 by the U.S. Department of State, the aim of the competition is to encourage the development of clean energy technologies and the adoption of policies for clean energy. The winning organizations are the University of Costa Rica, Yo Emprendedor, Solar Energy International, Purdue University and SNV.
University of Costa Rica will implement the initiative “Sustainable Models for Coffee Milling in Central America”. The objective of this initiative is to support the deployment of renewable energy technologies in the coffee industry as a means to foster the transition of this sector toward clean energy. Yo Emprendedor is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of eco-friendly, innovative and socially inclusive business models in Costa Rica. Its initiative will establish a scholarship to enhance the capacity of Central American and Caribbean business leaders in clean technology innovation. Solar Energy International is a nonprofit educational organization that promotes the use renewable energy resources and sustainable building technologies through education and technical assistance. It will establish the Solar Professionals Academy of the Americas to impart training in the design, installation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic systems and in the launching and administration of businesses in this industry across Central America and Mexico. Purdue University will work with the University of the West indies (UWI) to implement a plan to promote the use of solar energy in the Caribbean. Building on the expertise of both institutions, the initiative will develop a solar energy demonstration site at UWI’s St. Augustine campus in Trinidad and Tobago. SNV is an international non-profit development organization focused in pursuing sustainable development as a means to tackle poverty. It will implement an initiative to introduce the use of biogas in livestock and coffee industries.
Ambassador Andrew said that this cooperation arises from the mutual desire of the governments of the United States and Costa Rica to pursue sustainable development. “We should also note the effort of our nations to reduce their dependency on hydrocarbons and to promote clean energy technologies and policies, as well as greater energy efficiency in all sectors. The grants announced today are possible thanks to the commitment of President Barack Obama’s initiative, the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas, announced during the Fifth Summit of the Americas held in Trinidad and Tobago in 2009,” said Ambassador Andrew.
View Map
