Village back to life with the power of light! 6 locations in Soroca will have street lighting

2200 inhabitants of Tătărăuca Veche, Soroca, will not be afraid to leave the house late at night. That's because by the end of this year, six villages in the community will have a modern street lighting. The investment cost is more than 2.7 million lei. The initiative is managed by the North Regional Development Agency, with the support and partnership with the project "Modernisation of local public services in the Republic of Moldova" from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

In total, 334 lighting fixtures based on LED technology will be installed. They will be routed through 11 points of electricity. The network length is over 20 kilometers. Using these modern facilities decreased the consumer costs for electricity significantly. The annual savings will amount to 117,000 MDL annually when compared to traditional solutions which are less inefficient.

"I think this pilot project can be an example of good practices that may be replicated in other places in our region. Moreover, in the context of the energy efficiency, such projects fit perfectly to our goals, and, what is more important is that people will be safe at night, "said North Regional Development Agency Director, Ion Bodrug.

Street lighting systems are located on the main roads and at the perimeter of public institutions and other places of interest. To increase awareness of local people about this service, an information campaign was carried out, entitled "Power the village back to life with light." Thus, 16 informational boards were placed in common areas of Tătărăuca Veche. Also, 500 leaflets will be distributed.

The campaign's approach was "door to door" in order to foster communication with citizens. They need to know the objectives, costs, and benefits of the public service. Also, during the progress of work - October-November 2012 - six public hearings will be held.

"Citizens must show a caring and economical attitude to install lighting. Also, people should cover the minimum necessary amount for the proper maintenance of the system, "said Vlad Ghitu from the Center "Contact" , a Balti NGO engaged in the campaign.

The street lighting service will be managed by municipal enterprises "Tătărăuca Service", created this year. Company employees will be consulted throughout the duration of the project by GIZ.

The success story of the Tătărăuca Veche will be subject to a film and a guide to street lighting for rural areas. The publication will present technical solutions to economical energy, and its maintenance. It will be available by the end of this year. The campaign to promote energy efficiency in street lighting is done in partnership with the North Regional Development Agency, the Ministry of Regional Development and Construction and the Agency for Energy Efficiency.

GIZ also says another pilot project, the optimization of energy efficiency at Orhei hospital. Additionally, local governments are supported in the expansion and modernization of local public services in two other areas: water and sanitation and solid waste management. The GIZ project support is provided through Regional Development Agencies. However, the project assists in programming and regional planning.

The project "Modernisation of local public services in Moldova" is implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and is supported by the German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.