Energy efficiency project team meet

Meeting for the first time on Friday morning was the Cook Islands team involved in carrying out phase 2 of the Asian Development Bank project for Promoting Energy Efficiency in the Pacific (PEEP).The team is; Chris Cheatham (Team Leader), Felix Gooneratne (Deputy team Leader) and Terekino (Tino) Vaireka (The National Technical EE expert).
Chris Cheatham arrived this week and will be in the Cook Islands for the next five days. Felix Gooneratne arrived last week.
Cheatham, an Economist and freelance Consultant, who is based in the USA, is no stranger to the Cook Islands. He has been involved with preparations for the Avatiu harbour project and the upgrading of the water and sanitation. He is here to meet with Tino Vaireka and assist with the inception mission.
Gooneratne is the Asia Director of the company IIEC –International Institute for Energy Conservation, which has the tender for the project.
The Cook Islands is one of just five Pacific nations taking part in the project, the others are PNG, Samoa, Tonga and Vanuatu.
Phase two of the project will take place over three years and consists of four Components:
Component 1: Development of Energy Use Database
Component 2: Development of Energy Efficiency Policies and Procedures
Component 3: Implementation of Energy Efficiency Programs
Component 4: Information Dissemination and Public Awareness
Team backgrounds
Chris Cheatham has had a long association with the Pacific. He has lived and worked in the Pacific region since 1984, with primary focus on energy and infrastructure development In 1984, he was appointed by the Department of Minerals and Energy in Papua New Guinea to manage a mini-hydro based rural electrification programme for three years. In 1987, he joined the UNDP’s regional Pacific Energy Development Programme based in Suva, Fiji and for the ensuing five years travelled the Pacific extensively providing advice to PIC governments on energy development projects, financial management and tariff reform in energy, demand side management, and energy policy, and was a member of the WB/ADB team producing the first Pacific Regional Energy Assessment in 1991. In 1992, Mr Cheatham founded and was the first Executive Director of the regional Pacific Power Association, based in Suva, Fiji. Since 1995, he has been a freelance consulting economist, frequently taking the Team Leader role in energy supply, demand side management, transport, water supply/sanitation, and climate change adaptation projects.
Felix Gooneratne is a Chartered Chemical Engineer and a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy with over 30 years experience in energy efficiency, demand-side management (DSM) and related energy services in the United Kingdom, Australia, Asia, Africa and the Pacific region. He was the UNDP Project Manager, based at the South Pacific Forum Secretariat, for the “Support to the Pacific Islands Power Sector project during 1993 – 1996. He also worked at the PNG Department of Minerals and Energy as an Energy Management Engineer / Project Coordinator. He has since undertaken many DSM/EE related assignments in the Pacific and has been a Team Leader is several DSM and EE projects funded by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and UNDP in Asia. As an Energy Efficiency / DSM Specialist, Mr. Gooneratne has been involved with the design of large scale CFL Programs, involving both utility-driven and market-driven programs, in India, Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Pacific Islands, Lebanon and South Africa. He was the Team Leader in the World Bank funded Commercial Energy Efficiency Project (2004-2008) in Vietnam that has resulted in the implementation of over 200 EE projects in the commercial sector. He is currently the Team Leader in the Philippine EE Project which involves EE lighting retrofits in government buildings, nation-wide CFL program and EE street-lighting program.
Terekino Vaireka is an Electrical engineer consultant with extensive experience in electrical design and installations, energy auditing, renewable energy design and energy efficiency in the Cook Islands and Niue. Mr. Vaireka has relevant experience in energy auditing and energy efficiency with the Edgewater Resort & Spa, the largest hotel in the Cook Islands, the Airport Authority of the Cook Islands, and the National Environment Service of the Cook Islands. The audit process was extensive involving measuring, analysing and reporting data, making other observations, then advocating and encouraging the implementation of energy efficiency practices and adoption of renewable energy solutions. Mr. Vaireka has professional renewable energy design experience in the Cook Islands and Niue, and renewable energy awareness for SPREP PIGGAREP. Mr. Vaireka has extensive experience in electrical design and installations in the Cook Islands for over 20 years. He has several years of experience as an electrical tutor in the Cook Islands.

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