“Energy Efficiency Programme
for Georgian Communities- Energy Bus Project” is Energy
Efficiency Center Georgia (EEC) initiated and BP & partners
and USAID funded a 3-year project which is focused primarily
on rural communities, both adults and youth. Its initial
goal is to raise awareness of Georgian population on
effective usage of energy, as well as to improve utilization
of locally available renewable energy sources in order to
decrease energy poverty and improve indoor environment
through the energy information centre/exhibition on wheels,
which serves as a highly effective tool for communicating
the best practices in energy efficiency, and alternative
energy technologies through on-board multi-media interactive
displays and models of RE and EE technologies.
As an energy information
resource centre with displays and models, the EB shows
visitors ways to be more energy efficient, safer and
environmentally friendly in their own habitats and
communities in using the energy resources. In addition to
raising awareness on these issues, the EB offers visitors
"how to" brochures and videos, provides consultations on
applying renewable energy and energy saving technologies,
explain the costs of poor environmental stewardship and
inefficient use of energy. The information on the EB is
tailored to local Georgian context and shows how, using
locally available materials, visitors can reduce costs on
energy in an environmentally friendly and safe way. Video
clips and slides demonstrate application of various
alternative energy technologies. Energy Bus (EB) visitors
are able to see various renewable energy applications at
work: mini solar plant (200 W capacity), solar water heater
(2 sq.m), micro wind farm (200W capacity) providing
electricity and hot water for EB operations. Visitors can
also view models of energy efficient stoves, biogas
digester, micro hydro plant, see the various energy
efficient building and insulation materials, samples of
energy efficient lighting etc.
The Energy Bus Project was
launched on March 23,2009 and after visiting and exhibiting
in Tbilisi districts from mid May started visiting the
Georgian regions. There are 9 regions and 67 districts in
Georgia and the plan is to visit all those districts where
access roads permits the EB safe movement at least twice
throughout the project lifetime – 3 calendar years. During
the 15 months of operation the EB besides offering its
exhibition to the citizens of Tbilisi, Rustavi and
second big city Kutaisi visited 45 district
centers/small towns and 137 villages throughout Georgia.
While visiting each settlement the EB offers the following:
EB tour to both adults and
the schoolchildren. The visits to each settlement/town
are organized with the assistance of the representatives of
local administration. Announcements on the EB visits are put
at places of public gathering. In every visited settlement
the EB is usually parked in the central square in front of
the local administration office or central square the most
busy place for the particular location. By the end of June,
2010 number of EB visitors amounted to 29611 persons
including adults- 15603 (75 % men); kids- 14008 (60%
boys).
Before guided tour of the EB the
visitors can watch short video films on various RE &EE
technologies from the TV screen mounted outside the EB.
The trainings in schools to
familiarize the children with RE &EE technologies and
invite to the EB. The schoolchildren are offered the slide
presentation covering traditional energy sources, climate
change issues, renewable energy sources and energy
efficiency potential and technologies for their application.
In the course of the 15 months of operation 6957
schoolchildren and 581 teachers participated in the
training sessions. During the trainings the announcement on
the competitions for schoolchildren for the best drawing and
essay are made and children are encouraged to participate in
those national contests which have the annual character.
118 drawings and 27 essays were submitted by the
schoolchildren for the 1-st national contest. Award ceremony
of the winners takes places during the Sustainable Energy
Day.
Each visited school also
receives the package of promotional materials: brochures,
leaflets, posters and the CD with the short video films and
computer games.
Individual consultations for
citizens on particular RE &EE application and loan
opportunities; The project assistants and expert conduct EB
tours for visitors and provide personal consultations.
During the 1-st year of operation more than 461
citizens were provided individual consultations on various
RE &EE technologies.
Media coverage. EB-
mobile information resource center is one of the most
powerful and efficient tools to promote RE & EE among the
individual energy consumers (households), youth and media
itself. Active involvement of media is essential and very
important for the project success.
Prior to visiting the district
the PR Manager issues the press release for the media
working in the particular district and invites them to the
EB tours. During the tour the journalists are encouraged to
take part in the annual national competition for the best
article or TV spot on RE&EE applications. Since start of
operations 13 TV spots, 5 radio programs and 19 articles
in various newspapers covered EB activities and RE & EE
technologies.
Dissemination of promotional
materials. The EB library offers its visitors specially
designed brochures, leaflets, posters, thematic video films
covering various RE& EE applications and computer games -
“Build Your Own House” and “Change the Bulb”. During the
first year of operations more than 25,000 various types of
promotional materials have been distributed. In addition to
the promotional materials prepared within the framework of
the “Energy Bus Project” the library contains brochures and
leaflets prepared by other organizations. These materials
are also disseminated in the visited towns and villages.
The major event of the first
year of operation was the participation of the “Energy Bus”
project in Sustainable Energy Day on March 26, 2010.
Proceeding from the project goals Energy Efficiency Centre
Georgia, the implementer of the Energy Bus project, has
initiated joining EU Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW 2010)
campaign by organizing one day events. EB joined the
campaign and during the day the following events were
organized:
-
The Energy Bus opened its
exhibitions to the visitors in Tbilisi;
-
The exhibition of the school
children’s paintings and award ceremony for the winners of
the competitions (for best thematic painting and essay among
schoolchildren. All children participants received energy
saving bulbs & certificates.
-
The thematic concert of “Vake
Park” band in Vake park concert hall for the participants of
the Sustainable Energy Day in Tbilisi, Georgia. During
concert Leonardo Dicaprio video “global Warming” with
Georgian subtitles was shown.
-
Award ceremony for the winners
of the competitions for the best thematic TV/radio spot and
media publication among journalists organized within the
framework of the “Energy Bus” project;
-
All the events of the
Sustainable Energy Day were covered by invited media, in
particular, 10 TV companies broadcasted TV spots, 8 radio
stations devoted time and covered in their programs
Sustainable Energy Day events, the newspapers Messenger &
Financial printed articles about the events, six news
agencies provided information about the events of the
Sustainable Energy Day to their readers/clients.
The activities planned for the
next period include following similar activities:
-
visiting for the first time
remaining 21 districts and cities- Poti and Batumi and
start a second round of visits to those villages and
towns which EB didn’t visit during 1,5 year of
operations and organization of guided tours for adults,
youth and media;
-
organization and conduct
annual national competitions for the schoolchildren for
best drawing/poster, essay/project idea and competitions
for the journalists for best media work.
Organization of award ceremony
of the winners of the competitions among schoolchildren and
media and initiation of the various events for the
Sustainable Energy Day for 2011 and 2012 (same week when
Sustainable Energy Week Europe is organized).
“ENERGY BUS” in
operation
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Updated on July 14, 2010
