VivaCell-MTS helps install LED lamps in remote Armenian community

PanARMENIAN.Net - The etymology of the name of the village of Shnogh in Armenia's Lori province is related to reviving and constructing the land (Shnogh means "builder"). The villagers tend to live up to that but they are facing pretty much the same problems that are typical of remote regions. One of them is the street lighting problem, which the community tried to solve but did not achieve the desired results. Some part of the village has been illuminated, but some of the expensive lamps have gone out of order, causing new financial burdens. Shnogh has been assisted by partner organizations VivaCell-MTS and the Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets (FPWC) to reduce the illumination costs and address lighting issues. The partners who acknowledge the importance of infrastructure development in the regions and the promotion of eco-friendly lifestyle, initiated the work of the installation of LED lamps in the eastern part of the Gugarats Range.

It was planned by the project to illuminate a 1.4 km long section, but during the research phase, the community expressed its willingness to make some investments, too. As a result, the length of the illuminated section has reached to 1.8 km instead of previously calculated shorter one. There is an awareness in the community that the effective management of the existing means should start with savings. The old and ineffective lamps made all this impossible. LED lamps are far superior in terms of savings, environmental impact and lighting quality.

“The final stage of the system introduction is underway. The works of installation of electric wires and mounting the lamps are carried out on the fixed poles. 47 energy-saving LED lamps will be installed in the village. Once commissioned, it will be possible to compare and asses the change," said Martin Maralchyan, the project coordinator.

"Once the works are accomplished and the system is implimented, we can clearly calculate and understand the cost difference between exploiting the old and new LED lamps. Although we are already convinced that the cost will be lower, for sure. It would be desirable to replace the old lamps with LED ones in the secondary streets, too, in the future. Old lights are coming out of order, very quickly, there is always a need to replace them with new ones, which results to additional costs,” said David Ghumashyan, the head of the Shnogh enlarged community.

In the village of Shnogh, about 200 kilometers from the capital city, the commotion created during the implementation of the installation works is received there, with big enthusiasm. There is confidence that the remote village is not ignored, the innovative technologies are also available here, and ultimately, the savings will have a significant impact on the community budget.