Green Urban Lighting: Project Description

In Armenia, 12 cities generate almost 90% of the nation's GDP. Their competitiveness and attractiveness are therefore critical to the country’s sustained economic growth. However, urban infrastructure and municipal services delivery in most Armenian cities and towns are deficient. To provide more competitive environment for economic development and adequate living and working conditions for their residents and guests, Armenian cities are actively pursuing modernization projects to revamp their urban environment.

The focus of the Project is on Urban Lighting sector, which covers all lighting installations which are managed and paid for by municipalities, such as lighting of outside public areas, illumination of city buildings, lighting system in municipally-owned and operated buildings and facilities, and yards in residential areas. Urban lighting is the second largest source of municipal GHG emissions (after heating), accounting for about one third of municipalities’ GHG emissions and up to 50% of their electricity bill. Urban lighting costs of Armenian municipalities account for more than US$ 5 million per annum (power costs and maintenance). The capital city of Yerevan has the largest energy consumption and saving potential in its lighting sector: it accounts for 90% of all urban lighting energy use in the country and consume about 56,000 MWh/year.

The Project will carry out several activities that will deliver specific outputs that will enable and facilitate the removal of the barriers to energy efficient urban lighting in Armenian cities. The following are the various inter-related components of the proposed project: 

1. Knowledge and capacities for urban green lighting;
2. Policies, regulation and enforcement capacities to promote green urban development with a focus on energy efficient lighting;
3. Institutional and financing models for pilot investment in green lighting projects;
4. Green urban lighting demonstration.

At peresent, preparatory stage of the project  (PPG) commenced based on GEF approval (see the Project Identification Form below). Within the PPG stage, ‘business-as-usual’ senario will be assessed and Logical Framework Analysis performed, institutional and financial models selected and scoping of pilot projects implemented, overall project strategy, monitoring and evaluation framework, budget and work-plan will be developed.