Environmental research

Bulgaria`s national target defined in the first national action plan on energy efficiency, developed pursuant to Direktiva2006/32/EO amounted to 7291 GWh and represents 9% of the average final energy consumption for the period 2001-2005 To accomplish this goal by 2016, our country has undertaken to demonstrate the performance of 1% energy savings per year, which means 810 GWh per year. Balchik Municipality joined the European initiative "Covenant of Mayors http://www.eumayors.eu, which shall go beyond 20/20/20 set by the EU for 2020 According to the energy efficiency plan of Balchik municipality, 20% of emissions are emitted from the municipality`s street lights. This project offers an innovative approach to reducing energy consumption for street lighting. The project aims to demonstrate the possibility of using the sun`s energy for street lighting. The project is inherently demonstration, will be built high-tech photovoltaic street lighting on the promenade in the town of Balchik. Until now, there are some isolated examples of application of PV street lighting, but only some bulbs, the technology is not well established and did not enjoys the confidence of local and central government. Although it requires more initial investment, the use of lighting systems with deployed alternative energy sources is appropriate for many reasons: the energy that is environmentally generated, for their operation does not emit harmful emissions, require limited maintenance. Moreover, failure in the power source falls only defective source. The concept of powering street lights with solar panels is relatively simple. PV panels convert solar energy into electricity and recharge the battery, where the lighting system draws energy at night. Street, which will be built street lighting is symbolic of Balchik, and is the largest with the human presence in the municipality. This will help to increase confidence in the proposed technology and the wide dissemination of the project. Communities that will participate in the project are local authorities, interested NGOs, citizens, tourists and visitors. The project target groups are municipalities, utilities, experts in the field. Indirect beneficiaries of the project are the citizens and guests of the municipality of Balchik, energy agencies, local businesses, etc. Installation and commissioning of photovoltaic street lighting Alley Dambata in Balchik and developed methodology for reporting emissions and saved money will allow to accurately measure the benefits of this innovative technology. Results will reach an unlimited number of users by publishing them on the website of Association Black Sea energy cluster . Within the project a survey of international practices will be done for the use of solar energy as street lighting. The results will be summarized in the Guide, which will be distributed among stakeholders in a circulation of 200 psc. The benefits of solar energy in street lighting will be spread by the prepared and distributed by the project 1000 brochures. Based on reported results and practical experience gained from the project, the Black Sea Energy Cluster will produce 7 technical projects for photovoltaic street lighting in Black sea communities. Outcomes and public of the project activities will become widely available trough the planned publications in the press and organized project info meetings.

Bulgaria