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I In 2009, Cool nrg successfully completed the pilot project Luz Verde (meaning ‘green light’) in partnership with
the Mexican government in the Mexican district of Puebla. The project saw a million energy-efficient light bulbs
distributed to poor households in less than one month.
– ten times as much as Mexico receives in
annual Official Development Aid from the
US (its largest donor). Mr Frances believes
treasury savings, as a direct result of the
individual household savings, could even
double that number.
“Together with DNV, we have taken on
huge risks to deliver something that has
turned out to become real anti-poverty
funded by the Mexican government and
potentially part funded through CDM, and
that is something we are very proud of.”
THE FUTURE IS OPEN-SOURCED
Cool nrg’s unique idea has attracted the
South African Standard Bank to take
an equity position in the company. Mr
Frances hopes this will help the Mexico
experience spread to African countries.
“Developing countries are the places where
CDM will be continuing, and for this to
most likely happen there is by using
PoAs,” he says. “Cool nrg obviously has
some real skills in that, and we will happily
take the job. But the most important
thing is that these countries have access
to the PoA in its own right.”
While he is adamant that energy efficiency
PoAs can benefit most developing
countries, he says the problem arises when
governments start off by looking for a
carbon benefit.
“It really is all about the strategy,” he
says. “Let us first of all have a conversation
about what’s the best strategy for energy
efficiency in the country we go into, about
how we meet our three commitments of
CO2 reduction, creating energy security
and reducing energy poverty. Then we
need to work out how to manage the
distribution, and ask how we are going to
fund it. That is not a matter of creating
carbon credits – it is a matter of making
sure the energy efficiency is working. If it
is, then we can start looking at whether all
is in place to start generating carbon, and
if that can partially or fully fund all the
activity. Getting that order right is crucial.”
While 20 years in the not-for-profit sector
may have taught Nic Frances a thing or
two about priorities, it has undeniably also
equipped him with an insatiable appetite
for social improvement.
no 01 2012 – 49