The applied technology will help reduce the kindergarten heat and power consumption by two times.
"We shall continue funding energy efficiency projects in Belarus", said Ms. Audronė Urbonavičiūtė, Deputy Head of the Operations Section, EU Delegation to Belarus.
“It is particularly rewarding to work for children who are going to receive a new warm and comfortable home today", noted Mr. Igor Chulba, UNDP Project Coordinator, "It is the second energy efficient kindergarten in the country. We opened the first one in Hrodna a week ago".
Mr. Andrey Minenkov, National Project Coordinator, Head of the R&D Policy and Foreign Economic Relations Unit of the Energy Efficiency Department, expressed his hope that someone of these kindergarten pupils will work on energy efficiency and open new similar sites in Belarus.
Mr. Miroslav Sarosek, Chairperson of the Ašmiany Raion Executive Committee, noted that this kindergarten serves as a great green technology showcase that will help change the outlook of the children, their parents, pedagogues and local community in general.
Alexander Songin, Head of the Education Department, Hrodna voblasts Executive Committee, wished the kindergarten pupils good health and expressed his satisfaction with the cooperation between the European Union, the United Nations Development Programme, the Energy Efficiency Unit of the Belarus State Standardization Committee, and the local authorities.
State-of-the-art energy efficient technology, such as solar collectors and a heat-recovery ventilation system were installed in the kindergarten under the project; they will help reduce heat and power consumption by two times. The water in the kindergarten swimming pool will be heated by solar collectors only.
In addition, the building walls and roofing were insulated, and regular windows were replaced with triple pane sets. Besides, energy consuming kitchen equipment was replaced, and incandescent lightbulbs were replaced with energy-efficient lamps; heat reflective screens were installed behind heaters.
Ms. Marina Melnikova, the kindergarten headmistress, led an excursion around the renovated building and presented key energy efficient technologies introduced under the project to the guests of honour.
The educational aspect is as important for the project implementation as its technical component. The kindergarten pedagogues held a number of fascinating events aimed at the promotion of a 'green' lifestyle. Thus, pupils of the Day Care Unit of the Ašmiany Raion Social Services Centre held a master class on energy efficiency and fuel/energy saving for elderly and disabled people. Ašmiany Nursery/Kindergarten No. 6 has long been cooperating with the Ašmiany Power Grid (a branch of Grodnoenergo RUE); regular excursions are held there for organized teams of pre-schoolers. During the excursions, the children learn about electricity and electric current, how it gets to our homes, why an electrical bulb is lit, why it is important to save electricity and how to handle everything related to electricity in a safe manner. Six pedagogues from the Lithuanian Republic visited Ašmiany Nursery/Kindergarten No. 6 by invitation of the kindergarten administration. The Lithuanian guests expressed their interest in all events held in the nursery/kindergarten and high appreciation of their Belarusian colleagues' efforts to promote the energy efficient lifestyle in educational institutions.
The ceremony was concluded with a concert of the kindergarten pupils, after which the young performers and guests of honour exchanged souvenirs.
Ašmiany Nursery/Kindergarten No. 6, a pilot site of the Energy Efficiency in Schools Project, will serve as a showcase of an integrated approach to the implementation of energy efficient activities.
This is the second site of the Energy Efficiency in Schools Project to be opened after energy efficient renovation. On September 16, an official opening ceremony was held in Hrodna Nursery/Kindergarten No. 45, where similar technology was introduced.
The project is implemented with the financial support from the European Union, Hrodna Voblasts Executive Committee and Ašmiany Raion Executive Committee. The project implementing agencies are the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in the Republic of Belarus and the Energy Efficiency Department of the State Standardization Committee of the Republic of Belarus.
Two more energy efficient institutions will be opened under the project within the next two months.
28.09.2016
