Pilot Model for Construction and Funding of Solar Street Lighting in the Black Sea Municipalities

Leading Organization: Black SEA Energy Cluster

Partners: Balchik Municipality
Union of Black Sea Local Authorities

Project Duration: 13 months (April 2012 – May 2013)

Total Anount of the Project: 138 030 BGN

Funding Organization: Small Grants Programme of the Global Environmental Fund

This project provides an innovative approach to reduce energy consumption for street lighting. The project is demonstrative and as part of it will be built high-tech photovoltaic street lighting on the promenade “Damba” in Balchik. Alley is a favorite walk place for the residents, tourists and visitors, which is prerequisite for а wide spread of the project results.

Designed lighting system will provide completely independent of conventional energy ans in the same time it will be safe and will illuminate light according to the required Bulgarina National Standards. However, they require a higher initial investment, but the use of lighting systems using renewable energy sources is appropriate for many reasons: the energy they generate is environmental, in operation they do not emit harmful emissions; they do require limited maintenance. The service life of PV modules is 20 years, and over the lifetime of the street lights they will save 600 tons harmful emissions.

The Project Goal is reducing emissions emitted by street lights, using energy from the sun

Specific Project Objectives:
– Demonstrating the benefits of using solar energy in street lighting by installing a photovoltaic system for street lighting in the municipality of Balchik.
– Establishing of a methodology for accurate evaluation of the emissions savings from photovoltaic street lighting
– Increasing the capacity and knowledge of local and central authorities to the possibility of building a solar street lighting

Project Activities:

  • Manage and promote the project

  • Demonstration practice building photovoltaic street lighting Alley “Dambata” Balchik: setting up an expert team creating the photovoltaic street lighting Alley “Dambata” Balchik, construction and commissioning of photovoltaic street lighting Alley “Dambata” Balchik Preparing a methodology for emissions savings and funds used put into operation photovoltaic street lighting; monitoring the photovoltaic street lighting, verification of savings of the emmisions and the operational costs.

  • Conduct Informational and Educational Campaing: Developing and printing an informative brochure about the benefits of solar energy in street lighting; Creating survey for the international best practices about using solar energy and photovoltaic street lighting and approaches for funding and realization of such projects; Developing technical projects for photovoltaic street lighting in 7 Black Sea

The Project Target Groups: municipalities, power producers, experts in the field.

Indirect Beneficiaries of the Project: residents and guests of the municipality of Balchik, energy agencies, local businesses, etc.