WE BRING EUROPE HOME // Over 200 households of Moldova cut expenses for consumption of energy with EU's support

Chisinau, 23 July /MOLDPRES/ - The European Union has helped 219 energy vulnerable households cut their expenses for the consumption of energy. With EU’s support, the beneficiaries set solar collectors, biomass boilers or photovoltaic panels, or thermally insulated their dwellings. Seventy four family-type children’s homes were among the participants in the project.      

The support was provided within the Green House pilot initiative, carried out within the programme titled, Approaching of Energy Crisis in Moldova, financed by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).  

„The supporting and the encouraging of the use of renewable energy solutions is essential for the accomplishment of an inclusive transaction towards a sustainable future. The ensuring of the access to clean energy, at accessible prices, not only cuts the emissions of greenhouse gas, but also attenuates the energy crisis, improves the health and the living standards for the most vulnerable members of our society,’’ a representative of the European Union’s Delegation in Moldova, Solomon Ioannou, said.    

Seventy four households out of those 219 selected in the Green House programme are family-type children’s homes. Initially, energy audits were held and based on recommendations measures of improving the energy efficiency with the highest impact on the each household were decided. As a result, 11 solar collectors, 22 biomass boilers, 22 photovoltaic panels were set and the thermal insulation of 35 buildings was carried out – 90 interventions in all, multiple energy efficiency measures were combined in some households.    

Photovoltaic panels were set at another 145 households. These beneficiaries were selected from the Energy Vulnerability information system, based on more criteria, such as the owning of the house where they live, registration of an energy monthly consumption of energy of 400-600 kWh and they should have a very high energy vulnerability degree. The families with many children were priority. The beneficiaries were selected with the support of the National Centre for Sustainable Energy and the Labour and Social Protection Ministry.   

One of the beneficiary families is the one of Tatiana and Igor Burlacu from the Pervomaiscoe village, central Hancesti district. The spouses have six children in placement. In August 2023, they set photovoltaic panels and in the first two months, they paid nothing for the electric energy consumed. On the cold period of the year, less solar energy is produced; anyway, they cover over 80 per cent of the household’s consumption.   

The Green House is a pilot initiative carried out within the EU-UNDP programme, Approaching of Energy Crisis in Moldova, with a budget of over one million and a half U.S. dollars. The Green House promotes practices and technologies of saving energy and energy efficiency, especially at the energy vulnerable households. The interventions made bring benefits, such as savings of energy, cutting the costs of the invoices and the emissions of greenhouse gas.  

The Green House programme is to be taken over by the National Centre for Sustainable Energy and extended nationally.

For more than 20 years, the UNDP-EU partnership has improved the people’s living, made their voices be heard and promoted local environmental and climate solutions, in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.     

Correspondent: Lilia Grubii