BISHKEK (TCA) — Social institutes in Orlovka, Kadzhi-Sai and Ak-Tyuz in Kyrgyzstan are gradually shifting towards using alternative sources of energy as solar systems for water heating have been installed in 4 kindergartens, 2 secondary schools and 2 health facilities of these settlements, UNDP in the Kyrgyz Republic reported.
Gulnara Duishekeeva, Director of Ak-Tyuz kindergarten, says that before they had to heat water on the stove in 30-liter pots to use it for cooking, doing laundry and washing dishes. The staff had to wait for the vacant stove and then carry pots with boiled water from one room to another. This practice was very time and energy-consuming. Now they believe the utilization of new technology will lead to significant energy saving. Now children wash their hands with warm water.
Solar water-heating systems bring down the costs required for heating water all year round at virtually no cost.
Another example of application of renewable energy sources is the launch of a biogas unit in Kadzhi-Sai village, Ton rayon, Issyk-Kul province. This new unit is designed to transform livestock organic waste into environmentally safe fertilizers and produce gas which is then used for heating and cooking.
The biogas unit processes manure into biological fertilizers and gas by means of anaerobic fermentation which ensures active system of purification. Use of fertilizers produced by biogas units may increase yielding capacity by 30–50%.
Almaz Abdykeev, stock farmer from Kadzhi-Sai says this unit is capable of processing up to 1.5 tons of manure per day. “First batch was loaded approximately one month ago, and we have already started using biogas for cooking. Some days ago, I remodeled heating system in the house for the use of biogas in wintertime. Specialists believe the use of produced fertilizer significantly increases crop productivity. That is because biofertilizer does not contain nitrites, weeds seeds and helminth eggs,” the farmer added.
He plans to sell biofertilizer to villagers at a lower price and to demonstrate them the advantages of alternative energy.
These projects are being supported by the Government of the Russian Federation provided in the framework of the UNDP project “Socio-economic development of communities around radioactive sites in the Kyrgyz Republic”.
