On 20 May, UNDP-Sida Project Board meeting of "Strengthened Community Resilience through Energy Efficiency and Low Emission Development" project was held. During the meeting, the work accomplished by the project over the past year and the upcoming tasks were discussed.

The Deputy Resident Representative of UNDP in Armenia, Konstantin Sokulskiy, Senior Program Manager of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, Nina Geladze Ekstedt, UNDP Climate Change Programme Coordinator, Diana Harutyunyan, the Team Leader of UNDP Climate, Environment and Resilience Portfolio, Hovhannes Ghazaryan, the Head of Local Administration Policy Department of the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure Ashot Giloyan, and other guests participated in the Board meeting.

The Project’s objective is to enhance the economic, environmental, and social resilience of Alaverdi consolidated community of Armenia by developing, piloting and scaling a model for energy efficient and low carbon development that can be replicated in other communities of the country.

The Project has several components, some of which are already in the final stage.

In particular, with contribution from the State subvention program, the community, and UNDP-Sida project, 36 residential buildings in the Alaverdi community were thermally retrofitted in 2022-2023, from which  2 fully and 34 partially thermo-insulateded.

To evaluate the completed work, the project management visited the energy-efficient renovated buildings after the Board meeting. 

The thermal insulation project for multi-apartment buildings costed 132.5 million Armenian drams.

In addition to the thermal insulation of the external walls and roofs, the doors and windows of the staircases were replaced, and an LED lighting system was installed.

According to residents, one of the indicators of the effectiveness of the project is the reduction of heating costs.

The reconstruction of the Children's Creativity Center in the community, as part of the State subvention program, will be completed in July 2023. The project includes repairing of the roof, doors, windows, interior decoration and partial furnishing.

The building of Alaverdi Kindergarten No. 6 will be seismically reinforced and fully thermo-insulated. The external walls and roof are being repaired. Doors and windows will be replaced, LED lighting and a new efficient heating system will be installed, interior renovations will be carried out, and a rooftop PV system will be installed.

As a result of the complete thermal retrofitting, energy consumption is expected to be reduced by 45%. Additionally, the service area of the kindergarten will be increased by approximately 70%, allowing to increase the number of groups to 8.

The  construction works is planned to be completed in August 2024.

One of the important components of this Project is the educational part. To create green jobs, vocational training support was provided to Alaverdi State Vocational College, where the trained specialists conducted two short-term training programs for 22 participants on the topic "Renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies". Starting from September, this subject will be taught in the College as long-term program.

Some students from the short-term educational program have already hired by "EcoVille" company specializing in solar system installations. Other students will also have the opportunity for practical experience and employment. The Head of the community proposed involving the students in the construction of the community photovoltaic station,  as part of this Project.

The community photovoltaic (PV) plant, with a capacity of 500 kW, is planned to be  constructedin  Mghart settlement.The community photovoltaic station is expected to generate approximately 50,000 USD in annual revenue for the community, that can be allocated to support other programs and initiatives. This PV station will be managed by the community, ensuring transparency through annual audits. Additionally, it is planned to install 2 kW photovoltaic plants in vulnerable rural areas. These plants will enable households to meet their energy needs and can be used for various purposes, including household appliances and heating.

Furthermore, the construction and modernization of the Alaverdi street lighting system will also be co-financed.

“Strengthened Community Resilience through Energy Efficiency and Low-Emission Development” project is implemented by UNDP in partnership with the Alaverdi Municipality and is funded by the Swedish International Development and Cooperation Agency (Sida). The project is coordinated by the Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure.