Project Detail

Green Vardenis: expanding the use of low carbon energy solutions

The project aims at enhancing energy security of Vardenis community, Gegharkunik region through expanding the use of low-carbon energy solutions. The region is characterized with high solar energy potential that will create enabling conditions for diffusion and commercialization of low-carbon technology in the community and beyond.
Within the project activities it is planned to install solar PV stations in the community kindergarten, music school and municipality with a total capacity of 36.9 kW, as well as upgrade the street lighting system of the city through replacing 320 street lights with new LED lamps. Moreover, the project is planning to install lighting systems at all 43 yards of apartment buildings, thus ensuring comfort and safety of the community members.
As a result of the project activities, the community will have around 6,000 USD saving annually, which will be directed to cover the utility bills of vulnerable communities and spontaneous arrivals from Nagorno Karabakh.

Project Snapshot

Grantee:

Astghavard Disabled Children?s Parents NGO

Country:

Armenia

Area Of Work:

Climate Change Mitigation

Operational Phase:

OP7 - Y1 (Jul 20-Jun 21)

Grant Amount:

US$ 50,000.00

Co-Financing Cash:

US$ 173,000.00

Co-Financing in-Kind:

US$ 3,300.00

Project Number:

ARM/SGP/OP7/Y1/CORE/CC/20/02

Start Date:

12/2020

End Date:

2/2022

Status:

Satisfactorily Completed

Project Characteristics and Results

Gender Focus

?Astghavard? NGO is a women-led organization, ensuring that gender aspects are duly incorporated in all project activities. Although involvement of women in installation of solar systems is limited, direct beneficiaries of this project are mostly women and children. Moreover, over 70% of the NGO staff and volunteers are women, who will be actively involved in awareness raising on energy conservation and use of renewable energy sources.

Notable Community Participation

Astghavard NGO has united parents of children with disabilities, committed to support with solving health and social issues and ensure integration of children with disabilities into society. Within the project, the NGO will involve youth and their parents in the solar systems assembling and installation works, as well as promote knowledge transfer and practical education on RES and EE for further replication.

Promoting Public Awareness of Global Environment

Different awareness raising activities are planned within the project implementation, including meetings, discussions and trainings, aiming to inform a broader audience about the benefits of alternative green energy solutions and associated co-benefits. The community will also to set up a community active group, which will include community members, community council members, citizens with relevant professional experience, NGO representatives, active youth to ensure broader dissemination of knowledge and information on the project activities and its benefits.

Project sustainability

It is anticipated that annual saving from the operation of the solar systems will ensure about 6,000 USD saving for the community, which will be directed to cover the communal needs of the citizens affected by the COVID-pandemic, as well as utility bills of families displaced and temporarily sheltered in Vardenis during the first year. Later-on, the saved funds will be directed to upscaling the solar systems and expanding the upgraded street lighting system.

Emphasis on Sustainable Livelihoods

It is anticipated that annual saving from the operation of the solar systems will ensure about 6,000 USD saving for the community. The first year savings will be directed to cover the communal needs of the citizens affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as utility bills of families displaced and temporarily sheltered in Vardenis.

Policy Impact

It is expected that the project will have a significant impact on the attitude and the behavior change of the beneficiary community members and local authorities in particular. Installation of solar PV systems will ensure reduction of at least 40 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere annually. It is expected that the project results will stimulate further use of solar and other low-carbon technologies.

Significant Participation of Indigenous Peoples

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Inovative Financial Mechanisms

The knowledge management strategy of the project will be focused on dissemination of information about the experience gained, lessons learned as well as environmental and socio-economic benefits produced by the project with the local, regional and national-level stakeholders, including private sector and international organizations. Knowledge and experience about low-carbon technological solutions introduced by the project will be collected and consolidated in factsheets and video materials.

Replication of project activities

The project is a replication of the successful SGP experience on application of complex measures in Talin community. Taking into consideration that the issues addressed by the project are typical for rural communities in Armenia and that the project is in line with the national policy processes and strategies in the area of promoting climate change mitigation and development of local capacity in use of low-carbon technologies at community level, it has a good potential for replication. The project will promote dissemination of knowledge gained in other communities creating interest in low-carbon technologies, favorable conditions will be created for other community leaders and the population to evaluate the effectiveness of the technology presented for further replication and scale-up.

Capacity - Building Component

The project is built on the successful SGP experience on application of complex measures in Talin community, where similar solar systems were installed. Within the project implementation, it is planned to organize different capacity building and awareness raising activities to ensure knowledge sharing and transfer among project stakeholders.

Policy Influence

The project will work closely with local-and regional-level governments to raise their awareness on environmental, economic and social co-benefits of low carbon energy applications to provide inputs to policy development and influence decision-making.

Project Results

The project will produce the following results:
1. Grid-tied PV micro-stations with 36.9 kW total capacity installed in 3 sites: community kindergarten (15.2kW), music school (5kW) and municipality (16.7kW);
2. 450 LED lamps for street lighting replaced, lighting of yards of 43 apartment buildings ensured;
3. Around 6,000 USD saved annually through operation of solar systems and upgraded street lighting system directed to further improve energy performance of the community;
4. Awareness of over 70 community members on EE and RES use raised.

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Indicators

Biophysical

Tonnes of CO2 decreased or avoided by energy efficient and renewable energy technologies or applying environmentally sustainable transport practices introduced by SGP Project 39

Livehood

Total monetary value (US dollars) of ecosystem goods sustainably produced and providing benefit to project participants and/or community as a whole (in the biodiversity, international waters, and land degradation focal areas as appropriate) 6000

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