On the eve of the International Energy Saving Day of November 6 a solemn opening ceremony of kindergarten No. 3 in Ašmiany was held after its large-scale refurbishment within the project ‘Implementation of Energy Efficiency Measures Aiming at Sustainable Energy Development of Ašmiany Raion of Belarus’, funded by the European Union and co-funded by Ašmiany Raion Executive Committee. Over the two years of the project implementation, the premises of the kindergarten have become a sample of the building where energy-efficient technologies are applied and renewable energies are used.
The building of the kindergarten, constructed in 1970, had long been in need of reconstruction and thermal refurbishment. Temperature regime disorder, poor ventilation, outdated equipment are just some examples of the many problems the kindergarten was faced with. The changes were launched in 2018 together with the beginning of the implementation of the EU project on energy-efficient activities in Ašmiany raion. Now it is even difficult to recognize the kindergarten, and it can really be considered the most modern institution in Ašmiany.
Kindergarten No. 3 has gone through large-scale thermal rehabilitation. Walls and the roof have been insulated here, energy-efficient windows have been installed, the heating system has been upgraded and made automatic. For hot-water supply and heating of the building assembly of heat pumps and solar collectors has been performed. The advantage here is their mutual replaceability, and when temperature goes below 5°С the system gets automatically connected to the housing and community amenities’ boiler-house. Air moisture rate is controlled by the automatic system of ventilation with heat exchange. Besides that household appliances with the top energy efficiency level have been bought for the kindergarten. Energy-efficient luminescent lamps are used for internal lighting, while LED lamps – for external lighting.
Solar energy has come to be a special flavoring zest of the kindergarten. On the roof of the institution there are now solar panels that will keep supplying electricity to the building all year-round. Panels with a total capacity of 10 kW produce energy even in dull weather. They will work at their full production capacity in the period from May to October. The kindergarten has even been given a new, so far informal, name – ‘Sontsehrad’ (‘The City of the Sun’).
All of the above technologies will enable to reduce heat and electric power consumption by more than 50%, save on utility payments, improve the microclimate, and reduce the rate of morbidity among children. Calculations show that greenhouse gas emissions will reduce by 100 tons of CO2 equivalent.
The overall budget of the project makes up 696 thousand Euros, including the funding provided by the European Union – 555 thousand Euros, and co-funding provided by Ašmiany Raion Executive Committee – 141 thousand Euros. Besides that, Grodno Regional Executive Committee has allocated more than 1 mln. Euros for the general construction works and provision of amenities for kindergarten No. 3.
It should be noted that thermal refurbishment and use of renewable energy in the buildings contribute to the achievement of commitments undertaken by Ašmiany as far as reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 20% by the end of 2020 within the ‘Covenant of Mayors’ is concerned.
Many guests were present at the ceremony: Deputy Chair of Grodno Executive Committee Viktor Praniuk, President of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Belarus Petr Miklashevich, chairperson of the Ašmiany Raion Executive Committee Vladyslav Hershhorin, Head of the Main Administration of Education of Grodno Executive Committee Ruslan Abramchik, director of OJSC ‘Stroitel’ Dmitriy Varno.
– I would also like to express gratitude to Ašmiany Raion Executive Committee, the caring employees of which have managed to attract some assistance, including foreign one, to bring advanced technologies here. Ašmiany raion, in this sense, constitutes a sample to follow for others. The Regional Executive Committee has also not been staying aside. As the result, we got an energy-efficient kindergarten equipped with modern energy-saving equipment, – the deputy chair of Grodno Regional Executive Committee Viktor Praniuk has pointed out.
The head of the institution Tatiana Bizukojt was given by the director of OJSC ‘Stroitel’ Dmitriy Varno a symbolic key to the kindergarten.
And here is the most solemn moment – red ribbon cutting.
The children have entered the upgraded kindergarten for the first time. Here they are the masters. Over the period of reconstruction and refurbishment the educatees were allocated to other pre-school institutions and were looking forward to getting back to their beloved kindergarten. All in all, the kindergarten will be able to host 110 children.
Comfortable and spatial group premises, music hall and gym, equipped psychologist’s and speech therapist’s centres, new furniture and toys – all this has been arranged for the comfort of children.
Children have thanked everyone implementing the project in verses, have presented some dance routines and given souvenirs to the guests.
Project manager Sergey Nikitin has given the children some promotional gifts. The sun on the bright T-shirts will remind the children where the energy is coming from in the kindergarten.
In spite of the launching of a pilot facility, the project is not yet over. One of the project’s goals is to popularize the energy-efficient and environmentally friendly way of living among the residents of the city of Ašmiany. In parallel with the facility refurbishment, the partner of Ašmiany Raion Executive Committee Public Association ‘Ekomir Fund’ has been conducting an awareness-raising campaign to motivate the raion residents to save energy and to preserve the environment. Over two years several conferences, lectures, workshops, and competitions have been conducted for different target audiences. Many other activities are still planned before the project completion in May 2021 to improve awareness of energy-efficient technologies, the use of renewable