Green energy reaches to the Lastarel kindergarten from Falesti

Winter will mean warmth and comfort for 140 children from Falesti town, as their kindergarten benefits from hot water generated by solar panels and heating from biomass energy thanks to the European Union’s investments.

The new heating season will run smoothly, considering that with the help of the community and support of the Moldova Energy and Biomass Project, the old coal based heating system was replaced with a new biomass one, that produces local and clean energy. Moldova Energy and Biomass Project is financed by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

“We did not have enough money to heat the kindergarten all day long and we ran the old system for only half a day. The difference in temperature was perceptible since only early morning, when the walls got heated. Now, we do it the right way: heat the entire building 24/24. Moreover, the fact that we are using clean energy, produced locally, contributes to the sector’s development and so the prices would become more competitive”, said the director of kindergarten, Lilia Navrotchi.

Lastarel is the first of six kindergartens in Falesti that switched from fossil to clean energy. Solar panels that replaced the two electric boilers were installed. The system adjusts automatically the water temperature to avoid overheating in hot days or bacteria’s development when the water temperature in the reservoir is low.

“I am happy for the children and the staff. It is much more comfortable since solar panel’s installation; we always have hot water and we do not need to wait for it to heat. Before, only two classrooms had hot water from the electric boilers, and the other three classrooms had to wait for the water to get warm before washing their hands. It is easier for the cooks, too; they do not have to heat water to wash dishes anymore and it saves their time and also money”, noted Elena Prodan, educator at the institution.

The operator of the boilers room, Dumitru Munteanu, confirms the efficiency and easiness of the new heating system. He says it is easy to load the biofuel and to clean the boiler, but most important, it is clean. “The old system was inside the building, which was very disturbing because of the coal dust and smell, but now the boilers room is outside the institution. It is equipped with all necessary devices and it is easy to work”, noted Dumitru Munteanu.

The installation of the biomass thermal system and solar panels was funded by the Energy and Biomass Project, which allocated EUR 65,667 from European funds, while the local administration contributed with MDL 307,000, and parents with MDL 12,000. The heating system has a capacity of about 200 KW and heats over 1,300 square meters.

The kindergarten from Falesti town is one of the 207 public institutions which has access to green energy thanks to the European Union investments through the Moldova Energy and Biomass Project.

Moldova Energy and Biomass Project, phase II, is a three-year project implemented during 2015-2017.  The total budget of the Project is 9.41 million Euro funded by the European Union and is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. It is a continuation of Project’s Phase I implemented in 2011-2014, with a total budget of 14.56 million Euro, funded by the European Union (14 million Euro) and UNDP (560,000 Euro). The national partner of the Energy and Biomass Project is the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure.