SUN DA-I FEST brought clean energy to the heart of Chisinau

 "I am very happy to be here again at the SUN Dă-I Fest. The EU is supporting the 5th edition of this event, which is both a fun day out for all the family and an opportunity to learn more about renewable and sustainable energy, which can have a positive impact on the daily life in the Republic of Moldova. Music, workshops, interactive games and eco-initiatives from young people are some of the fun activities on offer", said Aneil Singh, Head of Cooperation Section within European Union Delegation.  

Visitors discovered eco-designed innovations created by young people in schools and universities. Micro-hydropower plants, wind turbines built from waste, solar parabolic antennas, solar ovens, robots, remote energy consumption monitoring systems, homes supplied exclusively with renewable energy, are just some of the innovations exhibited at SUN Dă-I Fest Festival.

“I am delighted to see the enthusiasm of young innovators. I have no doubts that their ideas will not stop with these models and prototypes, but will grow into valuable projects that will change the world into an environment-friendly one. I can also see increased interest of people in clean energy produced in their own country, which brings new jobs, new businesses and money invested in Moldova”, said Dafina Gercheva, UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in the Republic of Moldova.

The fifth edition of SUN Dă-I Fest Festival celebrated green energy and renewable energy technologies. Visitors had a chance to see them working in real life: biomass boilers producing heat, photovoltaic panels generating clean electricity and solar collectors heating water. They tested electric cars, scooters and bicycles, received first-hand information from producers of clean technologies in our country and learned the stories of people who switched from fossil to clean energy produced in Moldova.

“The technologies exhibited here promote smart consumption of clean energy and technologies that enhance our energy independence. I am happy to see more and more offers on the local energy market year by year and I admire the enthusiasts who have replaced the energy from fossil sources with renewable energy", noted Calin Negura, Head of Energy Department, Ministry of Economy.

Sun Dă-I Fest also came with a fair for craftsmen passionate about traditional arts, who exhibited for sale handmade art crafts, paintings made of natural products, eco cosmetics. Children had the opportunity to paint a safari out of cardboard animals, light electric bulbs by using citrus fruits, run through the labyrinth of straw bales and discover other secrets of energy coming from natural sources.

Adults took active part in interactive contests on green energy topics, and practical workshops on renewable energy and waste recycling, learning how to make environmentally-friendly dishes and competed in challenging sport games. "It is our second time at this festival and we love what we see here. Good music, played live in open air and powered by solar energy, new technologies and innovations, interesting activities and games for both adults and children. It's an eco-mini-universe where I would like to live all the time", said Elena Carafizi, who came to SUN Da-I Fest with her family.

SUN Dă-I Fest culminates with a live music performance by Flat Foot (Sweden), Domino (Romania), Hi Mum, Sillaje, Glimpse, Via Daca, Ambertraps who play with solar-powered musical instruments.

The event’s partners are Efes Vitanta, Compass, Media Security, Volta, Apa Buna, Consumers Protection Association.  The media partners are: Realitatea TV, Afisha.md, Diez, Noi.md, Agora, Radio Studentus, TVR Moldova, 999.md.  

The 2015-2017 Energy and Biomass Project II is a EUR 9.41 million project granted by the European Union and implemented by the United Nations Development Programme. This continues the Phase I of the Energy and Biomass Project, implemented during 2011-2014, with a total budget amounting to 14.56 million Euro, allocated by the European Union (14 million Euro) and UNDP (560 000 Euro).