Conference - Unveiling Market Opportunities for Boosting Residential Energy Efficiency and Alleviating Energy Poverty

On March 9-11, 2022 the “Unveiling Market Opportunities for Boosting Residential Energy Efficiency and Alleviating Energy Poverty” conference took place at Ani Grand hotel, in Yerevan. The conference was jointly organized by Habitat for Humanity Armenia, United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in partnership with United States Agency for International Development and Habitat for Humanity International.

The main goal of the conference was to explore the key market drivers for scaling up investments in residential energy efficiency which lead to alleviation of energy poverty.  

The conference brought together key experts from different parts of the world including Western, South-Eastern, and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus, and Central Asia to exchange knowledge and best practices of policy reforms, financial mechanisms, and system changes that trigger investments in residential energy efficiency.

“Habitat for Humanity International and USAID started to cooperate on the renovation of multi-apartment buildings more than 10 years ago.  The first program started in North Macedonia and then it was implemented in Armenia and in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the last decade in these 3 countries, we renovated a number of buildings to demonstrate that it can be done in so far underdeveloped markets. To scale up the renovations of multi-apartment buildings a lot of important actors and stakeholders should cooperate: homeowner associations, municipalities, national governments, financing institutions, construction market players, utility companies and energy experts. We will be able to significantly scale up the renovation of multi-apartment buildings in this region only if we put the people, the homeowners at the center and if we provide complex technical assistance in a sustainable way,” – said Mr. Rick Hathaway, Vice President of Habitat for Humanity International.

“The energy efficiency can ensure Armenia’s energy security and reduce the burden of high and increasing energy prices on households, municipalities, and other organizations. UNDP Armenia is one of the pioneers, supporting the government in development of energy efficiency related standards and regulations.

In particular UNDP has continuously contributed to development/updating legislation as well as adoption of respective building codes and international standards in the sector of buildings and energy: Law on multi-apartment building management, building codes for thermal protection of buildings, building climatology, lighting; national standards for energy audit, and building energy passport and certificate, as well as a number of EN (EuroNorm) and ISO standards.

Worth to mention our cooperation with Ministry of Territorial Administration and Infrastructure in the frames of State Subvention Program: during 2 years of cooperation already more than 80 residential and public buildings in 14 communities are retrofitted, with energy efficiency improved more than 2-fold and vulnerable residents benefiting from lower utility costs.

In cooperation with European Investment Bank financed “Yerevan Energy Efficiency” project, UNDP has supported about 50 kindergartens by providing technical assistance: seismic surveys, energy audits, full design development and now - quality control during construction of 11 out of them.“ – said Mr. Konstantin Sokulskiy, Deputy Resident Representative, UNDP Armenia

Oleg Dzioubinski, Regional Adviser on Energy at UNECE stated that UNECE is working closely with its member States on improving energy efficiency in buildings. One of the ways to achieve this result is to strengthen capacity of national authorities, building sector professionals, homeowner associations and other relevant stakeholders to develop and implement advanced energy efficiency standards in buildings and introduce energy efficient technologies at the national and sub-national levels.