As part of the second day of the District Energy International Conference LAC 2025, a high-level panel was held, moderated by Medardo Cadena, Advisor to OLACDE’s Executive Secretary, who underscored in his introduction: “The effects of climate change, increasingly intense and frequent, heighten the urgency of efficient thermal solutions. At OLACDE, we are closely following the development of district energy as an integral part of energy efficiency in the region.”
The panel brought together experts from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Trinidad and Tobago, and Colombia, who shared concrete experiences on the implementation of district energy systems:
• Felipe Raats (ARAVA, Brazil) presented the track record of more than 30 district cooling projects in his country, pointing to challenges such as high interest rates and the need to move toward more efficient electrical systems.
• Ernesto Acevedo (Ministry of Energy and Mines, Dominican Republic) presented the case of the Punta Cana-Macao energy consortium, which integrates power generation with the distribution of steam and chilled water to hotels through a 14 km district system.
• Anselm Simon (UNDP, Trinidad and Tobago) described the progress of the district cooling project launched in 2017, which, despite facing obstacles such as low electricity rates and the pandemic, managed to advance with private sector support.
• Ricardo Baquero (UNIDO, Colombia) shared lessons from a decade of experience in his country, highlighting the importance of inter-ministerial and multisectoral coordination to ensure effective and sustainable implementation.
With this participation, OLACDE reaffirms its commitment to promoting innovative energy solutions that strengthen climate resilience, optimize resource use, and contribute to building more efficient and sustainable energy systems in Latin America and the Caribbean.
