Outdoor illumination energy-saving system has reached Berdavan village of Tavush region. About 5,425 m long area of the frontier village is provided by lighting through 175 light-holding units with LED lamps.

Berdavan is the 15th village, and the 1st in Tavush region, where VivaCell-MTS jointly with the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC), implements modern and environmentally-friendly LED illumination system in the frames of “The Alternative Energy Project”.

Having cost-efficient outdoor illumination system is an important precondition of community development. This will allow the community to reduce the budgetary costs essentially, directing them to the solution of other problems. The project implemented in Berdavan is an outcome of tripartite cooperation between corporate and public sectors, and rural community. Thus, large-scale works on installing the LED light systems were performed by the villagers themselves.

For energy saving purposes lights with economy lamps have been installed in this community before this. However, the result has not been satisfactory: more electric energy was exhausted than expected, also it provided insufficient illumination. Annually about 50% of the lamps were getting out of order, causing additional expenditures in order to replace them with new ones.

Unlike electric lights, the LED lamps are more productive and resistant, and can serve much longer, reducing the community’s outdoor lighting costs up to 80%. As a result of the project all the main streets of the community have been illuminated, as well as the frontier part of the village, the streets to the kindergarten, school, and the streets leading to other important buildings of the community. In addition to 5,425 m long area, 4 more streets have been illuminated by dismantled lamps.

The effect from the project implemented through VivaCell-MTS’ support is threefold: in addition to clear environmental objective, cost-efficient technologies not only help reduce the financial burden experienced by the village, but also makes community life more vibrant and participatory, by giving people an opportunity to walk and drive safe at dark hours also, including midnight. This is especially important in case of frontier villages.

The lamps will lighten the streets of Berdavan community since 20:00 to 01:00 in summer, and since 18:30 to 00:00 in winter. The village is to be lightening the whole night during the holidays.

“We try to support our compatriots by implementing long-term projects. On time support is unable to ease their social burden and it is important in the current day economic situation. Spared money, independent of the scale of collection, may be targeted to the solution of other problems easing the social burden of the community. Simultaneously, this sort of project will help change the public’s consumerist attitude, which is a must to shape a civilized culture and is equally important in environmental aspects,” VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian said.

The “Alternative Energy” project aims to reduce pollution and protect the environment by using alternative energy resources, particularly solar thermal systems and LED street lights. This year the project is being implemented in a number of communities in Tavush, Gegharkunik, Vayots Dzor, and Lori regions. As Armenia has a good potential for solar energy, investments in alternative and energy-efficient technologies can significantly benefit to the solution of environmental and social issues. The project is a new format of the long-term cooperation between the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) and VivaCell-MTS in the field of environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources.