Sîngerei district hospital will use photovoltaic energy, thanks to the support of UNDP and GEF

The Sîngerei district hospital was selected as a beneficiary institution following a public competition launched in the summer of 2021 by UNDP Moldova in partnership with the Green City Lab Moldova. 18 public institutions from seven districts of the Republic of Moldova participated in the competition. Following the evaluation, two locations were selected for the installation of photovoltaic panels: Sîngerei district hospital and the placement center from Sculeni, Ungheni district.

The photovoltaic installations increase the energy resilience of these two institutions by reducing the consumption of electricity from the centralized grid and reduce the bills.

"The opportunity of such energy efficiency projects became possible as the net metering mechanism was foreseen by the national legislation. This mechanism is a successful one because it requires less investments. There is no need for expensive batteries, this role being played by the central electrical network. We will further develop this mechanism r so that any public institution can benefit," said Victor Parlicov, Minister of Energy.

According to preliminary calculations, the installation on the roof of the Sîngerei district hospital will generate over 100 thousand kWh annually, which represents about 30 percent of the institution's current annual need for electricity.

“The photovoltaic installation of Sîngerei hospital will cover about 30% of its annual energy needs. This is an excellent example of partnership between local authorities, civil society, and development partners that has the potential to be scaled up by other public institutions to save costs that may be redirected to other needs of the beneficiaries,” mentioned Andrea Cuzyova, UNDP Resident Representative a.i. to the Republic of Moldova.

The total cost of the photovoltaic system installed at the Sîngerei district hospital and of the electrical network modernization was about US$98,600. The financial resources were offered by UNDP Moldova and GEF and will be reimbursed by the Sîngerei District Council during the next 7 years from the savings on the energy bills. These funds will be further reinvested by the Green City Lab Moldova in other energy efficiency projects.

“Any investment in the hospital increases the quality of medical services offered to patients. Thanks to the investments made over the years, our hospital is one of the best in the country,” said Vasile Malcoci, interim director of the Sîngerei district hospital.

The Sîngerei district hospital building was put into operation in 1967 and has a capacity of 180 patients.