Public outreach initiatives make the essential part of the EE, DM and RE Program implemented by AEAI Armenia with financial support from USAID. Considering the critical meaning of the issues of energy resources and ecological situation in the country, the use of advanced energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies will lead to considerable energy savings on various public, state and private levels thus having a meaningful impact on Armenia’s economy. By building the public awareness of the Program’s pilot projects and goals, AEAI aims to provide the public with the comprehensive information on energy efficiency and its economic, financial and environmental benefits.

1. Current Projects

The Armenian Association of ESCOs
AEAI will support the institutional development and capacity building of the newly founded Association through provision of technical assistance, organization of various training courses, study tours and other services. We believe that the Association will become a platform for both experienced and young professionals for networking, self-development and creation of a sustainable energy business environment.

EE and RE demonstration projects
With funding from USAID AEAI will perform a new series of pilot projects in 2005 which will be presented widely to our counterparts, state authorities, mass media and the general public. To promote the use of advanced energy technologies in the republic, AEAI will organize site visits and presentations for interested parties and will keep on collaborating with electronic and print media outlets operating both in Armenia and abroad.

Information and educational materials on energy efficiency
Taking into account the importance of educating the population in modern energy efficient technologies and their application in different social sectors, AEAI will expand its public outreach activities placing high emphasis on building the Armenian youth awareness on energy issues. We will also continue producing and disseminating bulletins about pilot projects.

Regular website updates of the Program progress
The AEAI Armenia website offers online visitors detailed information on the Program’s accomplishments and planned activities. Through the website we will keep our readers informed of the most recent initiatives and events launched by the EE, DM and RE Program.

2. Overview of Activities 2002 – 2004

In June 2003 AEAI has successfully completed the School Energy Conservation Program implemented by the Center for Educational Reforms. During this project three educational energy manuals have been developed and forty five teachers trained. Energy manuals in Armenian are available on the Pan-Armenian school network at www.schoolnet.am.

AEAI Armenia has initiated demonstration visits to the pilot projects sites for interested organizations, local mass media representatives and other parties. Bulletins and brochures on pilot projects and major programmatic events have been produced and distributed to the public. In the end of 2003, we have also produced two public service announcements transmitted on the local TV channels from December 2003 through spring 2004. In the beginning of 2004, the Program in cooperation with Internews/Altera Ltd. shot two documentary films on the most successful and interesting projects which were broadcasted on the national television of Armenia.

Over the period of its operation in Armenia, AEAI has established good working relationships with the local media professionals specializing in economic and energy issues. Armenian journalists have always been among the attendees during demonstration visits to the project sites organized by AEAI. The active involvement of media has ensured broad coverage of the Program events in the Armenian press. In October 2003, AEAI in cooperation with the Academy for Educational Development (AED) has sent a group of journalists to Tbilisi, Georgia to participate in the regional seminar on energy issues.

AEAI recognizes the importance of encouraging cooperation with Diaspora media outlets as a go-between in raising the awareness of Diaspora Armenians in USA on the development programs presently implemented in Armenia with the money of American taxpayers. To that end the organization has started collaborative relationships with a number of online news agencies most popular among the Diaspora readers.

We continue working closely with local organizations and international assistance projects in Armenia such as Alliance to Save Energy, World Bank, UNDP/GEF, AED and others in the areas of information exchange and dissemination as well as technical assistance delivery as it relates to the organization of trainings and seminars on energy efficiency.

Thus, in May 2003 due to the cooperative effort between AEAI and AED a group of Armenian ESCOs took part in the First European Conference on ESCOs held in Milan, Italy. Two months later, a number of ESCOs took one-week training in biogas technologies and installations in Georgia. Again, the event was sponsored by AEAI and AED. In June 2003 AEAI, IREX and UNDP/GEF facilitated joint holding of the Conference on Renewable Energy in Armenia aimed at canvassing the current situation with renewable energy market and identifying major policy and economic obstacles hampering its development in the country. We also cooperated with USEA (US Energy Association) to send ESCOs to the IDEA Conference and Trade Show on Heating Technologies in June 2004.