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You are here » Home » Telling Our Story
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| Providing Heat to Schools In Armenia |
USAID energy efficiency project keeps nearly 1,800 students in school during winter
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Challenge
For many years, schools survived the winter using either expensive electric heaters or wood stoves which were ineffective, with classroom temperatures rarely exceeding 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Armenian schools were unable to rehabilitate old heating systems due to extreme financial constraints. As a result, many schools closed during cold periods - extending the school year into the summer.
Initiative
In 2003, USAID funded the energy efficiency demonstration project at Pushkin School #8 in Yerevan. The school’s internal and external heating systems were rehabilitated - now heat is supplied from a new on-site boiler-house, equipped with two high-efficiency gas-fired boilers. A new natural gas line connects the school boiler house to the city gas supply. Teachers can regulate temperatures in each classroom and optimize overall gas consumption. In addition, the school’s technical staff has been trained to provide safe maintenance of the boiler house.
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Results
Pushkin, one of the largest schools in Armenia, has nearly 1,800 students who now attend school year-round. They study in warm, comfortable classrooms and continue other activities such as indoor athletics, drama, and band practice during winter.
USAID’s project provided an energy efficient, safe and more affordable heating system while increasing the comfort level in the building and saving energy. USAID is currently implementing a two-year “Heat Assisted Education” project from September 2003-2005. Twenty schools in Armenia will receive assistance for rehabilitation of their school heating systems.
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| Photo: USAID/Armenia |
Children at Pushkin School #8 in Yerevan
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| Photo: USAID/Armenia |
Heating system at Pushkin School #8 provided by USAID
“We highly value the assistance of USAID to our school, which was very timely. This is the first winter that our children study in normal conditions. It really became a wonderful Christmas gift for us.”
–Marietta Matkhashyan, School Principal
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