Tuesday, July 23 2024 10:08

ArmInfo. Most buildings in Armenia  were built during the Soviet years.  Heating in such houses is more  expensive. This affects not only the pockets of citizens, but also  the climate.  Meanwhile, modern technologies can not only reduce CO2  emissions and costs for residents, but also increase the cost of such  buildings.

In 2017, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), with funding  from the Green Climate Fund and coordination of the Ministry of  Environment of Armenia, set itself this goal and launched the program  "Reducing investment risks for energy efficient modernization of  buildings" with a budget of $20 million.  More than 200 buildings in  the country have already become beneficiaries of the program 18  communities of the country, and taking into account its demand in  2024, the program was extended for 2 years.

Goal and methods of achievement

The main goal of the program is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions,  the level of which was only for 2000- 2019. increased approximately 7  times. According to program experts, the residential sector is one of  the largest consumers of energy and reducing the level of energy  consumption in buildings will achieve the desired goal. Investments  in this direction over 20 years are expected to achieve CO2  reductions of 1.4 million tons.

The program consists of 4 components: training and monitoring,  development and "modernization" of the legislative framework,  reduction of financial risks and an investment component, within  which co- financing of energy modernization (EM) of buildings is  carried out. The budget for the last component is $14 million.

According to the program coordinator, representative of the Office of  Environmental Programs of the Ministry of Environment of Armenia  Armen Adzhamoglyan, the first component provides for the localization  of the energy management information system, which will soon be ready  in overview form.  This will answer many questions related to the  potential of buildings, most of which were built in Soviet times, and  which consume more electricity to ensure optimal temperature  standards for residential premises. The buildings included in the  program (there are about 200 of them) also underwent an energy audit  and were marked according to the electricity consumed. "Energy labels  give a clear and simple picture of the building's energy efficiency  (initial classification) and what work needs to be done to improve  energy efficiency levels," he explains.

In addition, taking into account the personnel shortage, within the  framework of the program, cooperation with universities has been  established, advanced training courses are being conducted for energy  auditors, and an institute of energy managers is being introduced.  The latter is a prerequisite for communities that have joined the  program. And, since energy efficiency also involves the development  of an appropriate behavioral approach, work is being carried out in  parallel to inform the public, both about how to become part of the  program and to raise awareness in the field of energy saving.

How the program works and who it is for

The program started in June 2017, but the investment stage began only  in the fall of 2020. It was then that permission was received to  co-finance work on energy modernization of buildings. To date, 152  residential buildings in 15 communities of the country and 52 public  buildings in 5 communities have received co- financing. Currently, EM  of 40 residential and public buildings is at various stages of  implementation.

In the same 2020, energy-efficient modernization of residential  buildings, following negotiations between the UN and the Government  of the Republic of Armenia, was included in state subsidy programs.  That is, if the residents of the building decide to modernize it, and  the local municipality submits an application for participation,  which will subsequently be approved by the Cabinet of Ministers, the  work on EM will be financed from three sources: the community budget,  the state treasury (in the amount of 40-50%) and grant funds from the  program ( in the amount of 25%). The participation of the residents  themselves will be 5%.  UNDP co-financing for renovation of public  and municipal buildings will be 20%.

Any building, residential or public, in any region of the republic  can become a beneficiary of the program, notes the coordinator of the  UNDP-GCF program "Reducing the risks of investments aimed at energy-  efficient modernization of buildings" Vahram Jalalyan. However,  emergency buildings cannot be included in it. Thus, houses of the 3rd  and 4th degrees can qualify for participation in the program if the  project provides for an increase in the level of its seismic  resistance and strengthening work.

Increasing the energy efficiency of buildings is achieved by  insulating external walls, roofs and basements, replacing/installing  doors and windows, and constructing vestibules on staircase landings.  Modern LED lighting systems are also installed. For thermal  insulation of buildings, explains construction program consultant  Andre Ohanyan, materials are available that are available on the  local market and which do not greatly burden the building structure,  since Armenia is located in a seismically active zone. In particular,  in one of the buildings in Spitak, the thermal insulation of external  walls was carried out with extruded polystyrene foam 100 mm thick, a  disc dowel was used, and the roof was insulated with mineral wool. As  a result, residents' electricity costs were reduced by 3.5 times, and  the building's energy efficiency class was increased from to  .

For the 2025 fiscal year, the Spitak community submitted an  application to participate in the program (within the framework of  state subsidy programs) for thermal insulation of the roofs of 17  apartment buildings and two public buildings. In the future, as the  deputy head of the community Artak Matosyan said, there is hope to  insulate the external walls.

In Stepanavan, 9 buildings became beneficiaries of the program, 5  houses are awaiting approval of their application.

In the Dilijan community, 6 apartment buildings and 2 public  buildings have been modernized, and 5 more buildings are in the  process. In 2026-2027, renovation of a number of buildings is  planned, the list has not yet been specified, notes Vardan Mkrtchyan,  a representative of the city municipality.

Expectations and reality

Those who have already completed work on energy-efficient  modernization of residential buildings note that the heating season  "eats up" less money, and those who are waiting their turn hope for  quick approval of their application.

"After thermal insulation of our house, the apartment became 4-6? C  warmer," says a resident of Spitak on Rumanakan Street.

According to experts, complete thermal insulation of one 9-story  single-entrance apartment building (the so-called DSK building of 36  apartments) costs 60-65 million drams. Even if we imagine that the  community will not participate in co-financing, then the residents of  the house will account for only 75% of all costs (everyone will pay  according to their living area). At the same time,   they have a reduction in heating and cooling costs by 40-60% of  expenses, and as an additional benefit - the market value of  apartments increases by 10-15%.  To be continued?

One of the main achievements of this program, according to UNDP  Permanent Representative Natia Natsvlishvili, is the formation of a  culture of energy efficiency in the country.

At the same time, according to Natsvlishvili, despite the demand for  the program, at this stage, when there are still 2 years left before  the completion of the program, it is difficult to answer the question  whether the program will continue to be funded. "UNDP wants to  continue its implementation, but this depends on many factors," she  said. "UNDP implements numerous projects in various fields, but the  most successful can be considered those that are aimed at achieving  the climate agenda," sums up Natia Natsvlishvili.