Solar panels installed on apartment buildings in Yerevan

Yerevan Municipality and the European Union are implementing a joint renewable energy programme called the European Union for Yerevan. Solar community.

The aim of the project is to reduce energy consumption and, accordingly, greenhouse gas emissions – by about 850 tonnes per year. The total budget of the joint programme is 1,250,000 euros.

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What will be done

The following will take place during the project:

• installation of solar panels on 90 high-rise residential buildings in Yerevan,

• replacement of all lights in the courtyards of the city with energy-saving lighting systems,

• providing socially disadvantaged families with energy-saving bulbs

Solar panels at Yerevan bus stops from the EU

Earlier, in 2017, thanks to cooperation with the EU, public transport stops appeared on Yerevan, on which solar panels were installed.

With their help, you can charge mobile phones, tablets and other devices. After installing solar panels, one of the stops was visited by the head of the EU delegation to Armenia, Ambassador Petr Svitalsky. He called it the “EU solar stop.”

“Armenia is rich in sun, and we need to use this natural advantage. The energy sector is a priority in Armenia, therefore the European Union provides it with long-term assistance for the development of energy efficiency at the local, community and state levels.”

Why is this important

The government believes that Armenia has great potential in solar and wind energy and the authorities intend to increase the share of renewable energy.

To this end, five industrial solar stations with a capacity of up to 120 mW will be built in the country.

Now in Armenia there are ten solar stations of different capacities.

Additional investments

Significant investments in renewable energy in Armenia may come from the United Arab Emirates.

The “State Interest Fund” of Armenia and “Masdar” company signed an investment memorandum, according to which the initial investment volume may amount to $500 million.

According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan, Masdar intends to build solar and wind station in Armenia, the total capacity of which will reach 500 MW. The government considers these investments to be a major contribution to Armenia’s energy security.

Armenia’s energy system and renewable energy

Currently the share of renewable energy in Armenia does not exceed one percent of the total energy produced in the country.

The energy system itself is quite diversified and consists of nuclear, thermal and hydropower sources.

The Metsamor Nuclear Power Plant operates in the country, which produces about 40 percent of electricity. Another 40 percent is accounted for by two large thermal power plants.

Hydropower provides 20 percent of the country’s electricity. These are mainly small hydropower plants, the number of which, according to 2018, was 184.

Armenia was also interested in implementing a joint project with Iran to build a hydroelectric station in Meghri, which would be the largest in the region, but so far it has not been possible to switch to the active phase of implementation.

Why energy security has become a topic again

Experts spoke out again about energy security in Armenia after a major energy accident that happened in July this year, when large-scale problems with electricity supply were registered throughout Armenia.

Metro passengers had to be evacuated in Yerevan after metro cars got stuck in tunnels.

Due to fluctuations in the energy network, there were failures in the work of mobile and Internet connection operators as well.

This situation arose due to problems at the Yerevan TPP and at the fifth power unit of the Hrazdan TPP.