REAP and USAID staff extended their appreciation and congratulations to the team of three internationals and four Cypriots

The USAID-funded Resource Efficiency Achievement Project (REAP) held a reception Friday to celebrate the project’s accomplishments over its three and a half year lifespan. REAP and USAID staff, project partners from the local community, community stakeholders, as well as USAID Representative Alan Davis and U.S. Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission Jonathan Cohen attended the event to extend their appreciation and congratulations to the hard-working team of three internationals and four Cypriots.

Initiated in 2005 and implemented by CORE International, the $3.5 million project has made significant contributions to the Turkish Cypriot community’s efficient use of energy and water. With REAP’s assistance, local SMEs have completed nine energy efficiency projects, with thirty-five percent providing more than half of the funding. Results included payback periods as little as eight months and savings estimates as high as twenty to fifty percent. REAP also led to the establishment of an active energy professionals association, which will help energy service companies liaise with decision makers and encourage energy efficiency reforms and energy efficient habits community wide.

Over the past three and a half years, REAP projects have raised awareness of energy efficiency opportunities through a series of campaigns. As a result, consumers are now demanding more energy efficiency information and appliances. In addition, elective and continuing education courses in energy efficiency are now an integral part of the curriculum of several mechanical and electrical engineering programs.

Through training and technical assistance, REAP has laid the groundwork for continued improvements in this area. Like all U.S. Government programs in Cyprus, REAP aimed to facilitate reunification of the island, including through supporting economic growth in the Turkish Cypriot community to decrease the disparities between the communities and promote reconciliation.