Modernization of 59 km of street lighting in urban roads was carried out in 18 communities

December 19, 2018

Mashtots Avenue, Yerevan

Yerevan, 19 December 2018 - Today, the “Green Urban Lighting” project summarized its results of the five years since its inception in 2014. The project was implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the coordination of the Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia. The main partner of the project was Yerevan Municipality and 17 other cities in Armenia. As an environmental program with global inputs, it has received a grant from the Global Environment Facility (GEF) that operates as a financial mechanism for implementing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Street lighting is among the most important services of the urban economy, which is also quite energy-intensive and one of the major sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The goal of the project was to enhance the energy efficiency of urban lighting and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through demonstration projects, enabling investment and improving the regulatory framework.

During the five years of the project implementation, energy audit of lighting systems was implemented, and energy efficiency potential was assessed for 20 cities in Armenia. With the support of the project, modernization of 59 km of street lighting in major urban roads was carried out in 18 communities, the installed LED lighting provided at least 60 percent efficiency, reaching 80 percent in certain cases.

Based on the savings from the energy efficient lighting and in agreement with the cities, Revolving Urban Funds were established that have ensured the continuation of the project.

In total, 2990 light-emitting diode (LED) lamps were installed, which ensure savings of 1986 MWh of power or AMD 89 million per year, and reduce approximately 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide emission, which exceed the environmental impact required of the project. Ten demonstration projects were co-financed from the annual savings accumulated in the Revolving Funds, while the upgrade of the lighting systems in Arshakunyats Avenue, Athens Street, Brazil Square and Tsitsernakaberd highway carried out solely from the Revolving Fund of Yerevan Municipality.

The identification and maintenance of stringent quality standards were among the key features of this program’s success. The optometric laboratory based at Yerevan Municipal Illumination CJSC contributed to it. With the support of the project, the Yerevan Sustainable Energy Development Action Plan was elaborated and further approved by the City Council in 2016. The Action Plan envisages a set of measures aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in urban economy infrastructures.

Indoor lighting demonstration projects were implemented and evaluated to promote energy efficient public procurement, the results of which prove that the return on investment is less than two years. To date, the lighting systems were upgraded in the buildings of the Ministries of Nature Protection, Economic Development and Investments, the Yerevan Municipality, the Yerevan History Museum, the Geology Museum, the National Museum of Nature, the Republican Pedagogical-Psychological Centre, a social housing in Kanaker-Zeytun administrative district (11,400 LED lamps and luminaires).

With the support of the project, “Artificial and Natural Lighting” construction norms were developed and approved in 2017. The norms contain mandatory requirements to modern energy efficient design, reconstruction, capital renovation and operation of lighting systems.

In cooperation with Yerevan Municipality, a series of events under “Green Lighting Week” umbrella were implemented in 2017 aiming at raising public awareness. An array of informational and educational materials were developed for professionals, communities and students, such as “Green Lighting: Theory and Principles for Engineers and Architects” bilingual textbook.

For additional information on the project, please visit this website: http://www.nature-ic.am/green-urban-lighting/