Capacity building of Shirak marz communities for improving the energy efficiency of residential buildings through demonstration of energy efficiency improvement and renewable energy sources use practices in a pilot multi-apartment residential building (ARM/SGP/OP4/Y2/CORE/2009/04)

Project Details & Results

The project goal is to enhance capacities of local communities and management bodies of multi-apartment buildings of the Shirak region through demonstration of energy efficiency improvement and introducing renewable energy use practices in a pilot multi-apartment residential building as well training of modern and affordable energy efficiency technologies of buildings, software provision.
The project plans to implement construction, renovation and insulation works, particularly installation of doors and windows of building entrances and stairwells, lighting system for the stairwells and also installation of solar hot water panels for heating one of the stairwells of the multi-apartment residential building. All the works are aimed to increasing of building’s energy efficiency.
The project will result in increased energy efficiency of a pilot multi-apartment residential building; reduction of use of natural gas, thus reducing carbon dioxide emissions from gas stoves/heaters into the atmosphere. In the meantime, the reduced cost of energy consumption will add to households income. Also, the project will strengthen the capacity of local authorities and CBOs (e.g. condominiums).

Please see the film on project results at:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Nt-Xt2tvXU (Armenian version)
and project photostory at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzxtJ-bf9cY (English version)

Notable Community Participation
Monetary and in-kind contribution to the project from residents (community members) is one of the key criteria set for selection of the pilot building for the EE and RES demonstration activities. Furthermore, it is envisaged that the community members will be actively involved in the project implementation process and monitoring and evaluation activities as well.

Capacity - Building Component
The project will enhance capacities of local communities and management bodies of multi-apartment buildings of the Shirak region through demonstration of energy efficiency improvement and introducing renewable energy use practices in a pilot multi-apartment residential building as well training of modern and affordable energy efficiency technologies of buildings, software provision.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods
The project aimed at increasing the energy efficiency of multi-apartment buildings, will directly impact on the well-being of the population. At present, poor technical condition of multi-apartment buildings makes households to consume more natural gas, electricity and other types of fuels in order to cover the unnecessary heat losses. The said is more valued in the view of the fact that vast majority of socially vulnerable people live in multi-apartment buildings.

Gender Focus
The project does not imply any differences between the people depending on their gender, age, national and religious identity as in case with beneficiaries as well as with project implementation staff.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment
Press releases for mass media to be produced by the project will increase environmental awareness and sensitivity of the large public and information dissemination on project results. Moreover, project materials and activities such as: training and information, education, consulting are intended to increase awareness of certain target groups (e.g. population of multi-apartment buildings, condominium members, staffs of local governments and management bodies of multi-apartment buildings) on local and global climate change issues.

Policy Impact
The project activities imply from Armenia's commitment under the UNFCCC and are in harmony with the national strategy and policy on its implementation.

Inovative Financial Mechanisms
The innovative financial mechanism will be deployed by pilot implementation model, enabling to involve consumer credits and loans in increasing energy efficiency of multi-apartment buildings.

Project Results
The project will produce the following outputs:
1. Increasing of energy efficiency of the pilot multi-apartment residential building in the town of Artik through implementation of reconstruction, renovation and insulation works, and installation/use of EE appliances and RES based on the application of buildings EE computer software (BEEP 1.0);
2. Enhancing capacities of local communities and management bodies (CBOs) of multi-apartment buildings of Shirak province; training on feasible and modern EE techniques with application of international best practices; provision of EE computer software and corresponding training;
3. Publication of strategic recommendations, lessons learnt, experience/best practices, project outcomes and dissemination throughout Armenia.

Solar Collector	Renovation Works	SGP Monitoring visit / Solar collectors installed	Entrance
Boiler	Installation of heaters	Testing of the heating system	Project Presentation
Solar hot water used by residents in their apartments	Solar hot water used by residents in their apartments	BEEP-1 software training for Shirak regional housing administration _1_23.06.10	BEEP-1 software training for Shirak regional housing administration _2_23.06.10
BEEP-1 software training for Shirak regional housing administration _3_23.06.10	BEEP-1 software training for Shirak regional housing administration _4_23.06.10