Solar Demo Site to Promote Food Security and Renewable Energy

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Solar Demo Site to Promote Food Security and Renewable Energy

we cover all the provinces of Armenia and some in Georgia , Armenia
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Project Stage:
Scaling
Budget: 
$10,000 - $50,000
Website:
https://alumni.state.gov/aeif2011/funded/solar-dryer-site-to-promote-food-securi…
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

Ecogeaneration NGO has established a unique Solar Demo site to be used for demonstration and promotion of solar appliances. A solar drier is established and is producing dried fruits and berries using the local produce. The Demo site is also used for demonstration campaigns for entrepreneurs, businessmen, NGOs, producers and the public from Armenia, Georgia and the region.

Now the NGO is looking for advanced manufacturers of solar and other renewable energy appliances that want to collaborate with the NGO, bring their products; increase local application. The NGO is ready to demonstrate the appliances, distribute reference materials, make contacts. The Demo site is a fenced area with 0,5 ha land, has 6 buildings in it, convenient for storing, office space, meeting rooms, kitchen, a library which can be used for further demo campaigns.

Please everybody who is interested in changing this world by using renewable energy sources, have funds, relevant equipment, appliances, materials, ideas that can promote the operation of Ecogeneration NGO, please donate, write us, visit us. Every idea, assistance and consultancy is precious for us. We also encourage manufacturers to peer with us. We will help you to promote your commodities and expand the sale.

Please write to the director of the NGO: Ruzanna Martirosyan, e-mail:ecogeneration_ngo@yahoo.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Ruzanna Martirosyan
Director of Ecogeneration NGO

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

The need is to promote the use of renewable energy for food production purposes, which has too little application locally. Climate change is a serious global problem for all countries on the earth. Currently the energy prices are too high and continue to grow up. Remote but fertile mountainous areas in Armenia are less used by cattle breeders, honey producers, farmers as they are not connected to the electricity power grid; forests are cut for heating and lighting, burnt gas, oil & coal contaminate the atmosphere contributing to ozone layer depletion and global warming. The solution to all these problems is the use of renewable energy, which not only reduces emissions of greenhouse gases but also promotes economic and social improvements. Recent WB studies in Armenia showed that global warming will have severe influence on lowlands, whereas the mountainous parts are not impacted. On the other hand utilization of renewable energy potential at local level is quite feasible, as solar insolation comprises 2500 hours per year and average annual flow of solar radiation on horizontal surface is 1720 kWh/m2. Measurements of wind speed and direction; hourly measurements of ambient temperature, air pressure and humidity carried out in Armenia proved feasibility of wind power use locally as well. On the other hand most of men in this region are seasonal migrant workers who can afford reasonable technologies if they are aware of the efficiency of renewable energy sources.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

In order to solve the problem Ecogeneration NGO has established and is demonstrating a unique independent/ standalone ecologically clean Solar Food Processing Demo site in Nor-Yerznka community in Armenia, with application of innovative cost-effective solar appliances. This is the only Solar Demo site in our region. A solar drier with sorting, washing, smoking compartments is ready to use. We want to connect with American and European producers to bring modern appliances to Demo site (solar cookers for cooking jam and other sweets out of fruits not useful for drying (too ripened produce, etc), solar heaters-to provide warm water for washing the produce and bathing for the workers; PVs for refrigeration in the summer time and for heating a greenhouse in the winter time; solar outdoor lights for the outside). We also want to bring new technologies and machinery for raising the efficiency of food production for no loss by using the fruits, kernels, the peels, stone barks, etc. All these appliances and technologies will be demonstrated to the possible users to promote the sale and application; assist in procurement and installation; connect them to American and Western producers; provide trainings and guidelines.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

We bring in international best practices and technologies to local producers; we provide a solar drier to 64 local households who dry 30 tones of fruits and berries and sell them at reasonable prices, seasons and markets, get revenues and reduce dependence on natural resources. We provide population with healthy food. We organize demonstration campaigns and training workshops to producers, foundations, NGOs and students who promote replication of solar appliances and learn healthy processing technologies, we provide the design docs and processing technology of the solar drier to local producers and other countries: Djibouti, Panama, Nepal, Afghanistan, India, Georgia and Armenia; we host the graduates of agricultural university to have their internships at our site, we organize children’s garden and farm to schools initiatives; 24 local producers replicated the project; 207 people are already trained; 230 reached; 30 tones of produce is not spoilt; children get qualified food; 12 farmers get permanent employment. Within 5 years the drier is reducing consumption of 35000 cubic meters of natural gas; 500 kg of sulphur; emissions of CO2 for 65 tones; SO2 for 1tone, 17200 USD for gas and electricity consumption is saved.
Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

Armenia, Georgia, the CIS region and as the NGO has global connection through US Alumni, than all the project outcomes are promulgated globally. So far everybody welcomes the project. Seems that the other dried fruit producers would have been competitors for us, but in reality all of them are willing to collaborate and join efforts. People of the energy sector also are willing to promote the use of renewable energy. So they too took part in our demo tours.

Comments

Need your opinion and support for improvement of the Solar Demo Site and its activities.

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Terence

Now-a-days more number of people are interested in preparing their best foods and deals which they use to get the best and optimum results to promote their food security, A new organization has decided to launch a new technique to establish a change in their food security and promote renewable energy. This will help in establishing new food security.
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