Energy resources in a third world microstate: St. Lucia household energy survey

Abstract

Many countries have begun to examine their energy situations in order to develop a coherent national energy policy; such a policy requires much background data (e.g., domestic energy resources, imports, industrial and domestic consumption). One tool which can be used to provide such data is a national energy balance, a set of accounts which expresses the physical flows by which energy is produced, exchanged, transformed and consumed, all calculated in a common unit for a given time period. This paper reports the results of a household energy survey which is part of the attempt by one microstate, St. Lucia, to develop an energy balance study. Based on a national sample of 358 households, the paper calculates the average annual household energy consumption per household, with a focus on cooking fuels. The results indicate that the roles of firewood and charcoal have been greatly underestimated: 53% of total domestic energy use is based on local forest resources, indicating that the forest stock is seriously threatened, particularly as the price of ‘commercial’ fuels rises and results in substitution by so-called ‘non-commercial’ forest resources. Other conclusions are as follows: energy is often used with great inefficiency (e.g., 10% efficiency of wood fireplaces); there are great opportunities for important energy savings if efficiencies can be improved (e.g., improved charcoal production methods, reforestation with fast-growing species, improved stove design); cultural and institutional factors are important in changing energy technologies (e.g., traditional cooking patterns, role of government policy and education); increased national electricity production is the most expensive way to meet future energy needs; and a national energy policy is essential in the formulation of a national development policy.