In Guadeloupe, the Energy Management Committee (MDE) has been relentlessly working on awareness, advising and offering financial support to those who want to acquire higher-performance, lower-energy systems.
In facing the urgency of an environmental and economic crisis, the services of the French government, the Region of Guadeloupe, the Environmental Transition Agency (ADEME) and EDF Archipel Guadeloupe, founded the Energy Management Committee (MDE). For the past two years, they have concentrated on convincing and supporting the citizens of Guadeloupe to reduce their energy consumption. With a budget of 90 million euros, the MDE helps those who want to use less electricity, yet without reducing their comfort level.
To aid individuals, businesses, and local authorities, the members of the MDE act in synergy. The Agir Plus subsidy is managed by the EDF and subventions are attributed by the Region, which has deployed France Renov’, a public service dedicated to the renovation of homes. An internet site and a dedicated phone are available, and those who want to take the first steps can get advice. They are given information on the types of projects for energy efficient home renovation they can undertake and what kind of financing is available. More generally, the site helps orients people according to their needs and their lifestyle: simple things to adopt to improve one’s comfort while lowering energy use, with projects and improvements to increase the existing energy performance of one’s home… The website, maitrisons-lenergie.gp, includes practical information that allows for a collective, rational management of energy, and to allow everyone to economize their consumption.
The goal is to reduce the annual consumption and at the same time reduce the maximum peak electric usage. This happens during the peak moments of electrical use, generally around 7pm during the week. Subsidies of 24.3 million euros have already been paid out. In terms of EDF’s Agir Plus program, 28,700 clients have already benefitted. A number that is encouraging for the vision of a Guadeloupe that is definitely on the road toward a transition to durable energy.
