Energy Efficiency Programs in Penitentiary Facilities

On November 14, in the Government of RA, has been signed an Agreement on energy saving program between the Ministry of Justice and the Armenian Renewable Resources and Energy Efficiency Fund (ARREEF).

The signing ceremony was attended by the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharian, Minister of Justice Hovhannes Manukyan and other officials.

The agreement was signed by the Deputy Minister of Justice Suren Krmoyan and Director of the Fund Tamara Babayan. It’s intending to implement energy saving measures in 10 penitentiary facilities within the framework of the program.

In particular, it’s planned to carry out the replacement of windows and doors, to provide domestic hot water by the solar water heaters, the thermal insulation of walls and swept, the pipeline construction, the construction and refurbishment of boiler houses, the construction of internal and external thermal systems, the replacement of outdoor illuminators by the energy efficient illuminators and etc.

The project financing will be carried out by the state circulatory funds managed by the Fund.

  -Armenia has a very balanced and sustainable energy system today. However, we must remember that we are in a certain dependency on imported energy resources.

Consequently, it’s a primary task to reduce this dependence, due to the selling of our own resources.

-These resources include not only the water, wind and sun, but also the saved

energy, said the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources Yervand Zakharyan.

- This program aims to reduce the energy expenses, providing improved comfort.

Although the program is being implemented in the public sector, but the exemplary experience increased also the interest of private sector in this field.

The Minister Yervand Zakharyan welcomed the initiative of the Ministry of Justice, to implement energy efficiency programs in penitentiary facilities.

According to the Minister of Justice Hovhannes Manukyan, the most important function of the Ministry of Justice in the field of the implementation of criminal sentences is providing the favorable living conditions for prisoners and working conditions for the employees in the penitentiary institutions.

-As a result of the implementation of energy saving measures will decrease not only the  energy costs of the state budget-funded correctional facilities, but also will be improved the prisoners’, including women and minors’ living conditions, health conditions, the working conditions of the penitentiary workers, will increase the level of thermal and hygienic comfort, will decrease of carbon dioxide emissions,  thus,  reducing the negative impact on the environment, said the Minister of Justice Hovhannes Manukyan.

       For the implementation of energy saving measures in10 penitentiary institutions it is planned to make investments about $ 1.6 billion AMD, as a result of which are expected the annual savings of about 7,000 kWh of energy, about 300 million AMD in monetary expression, which in his turn will bring the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions about 1,600 tons annual.

   By these saved funds will be returned the Fund's investments in future.