The monasteries are very important bases for the cultural and social life of the local society. During holidays, village residents come to the monasteries. Also, young people often visit these places, when they have excursions from their schools. With the installation of solar energy, the monasteries will be interesting for the visitors not only as historical and religious places, but as locations where the alternative energy is used.
The use of Solar Stations by the church will promote this idea among the locals – in the village communities, among the visitors (mostly young people) and also, among the Georgian NGOs (they will be informed through the press and internet). This kind of project will be a good example in our country, because we have an energy crisis, and especially in winter time people have electricity only several hours per day.
Our NGO, “Sun and Earth”, has already completed one similar project: we installed a solar micro station in the active monastery of Martkophi, of the Georgian Patriarchal Society. The Georgian Catholicos Patriarch in order to install other similar stations.
Aim of the project:
To provide five monasteries of the Georgian Patriarchate (Poki, David Gareji, Betania, Shiomgvime and Kvatakhavi) with electricity by means of ecologically clean solar energy.
Steps of the Project Implementation
(time frame approximately three months)
(I month) Inspecting monasteries, taking measurements and drawing up initial plans;
(II month) Designing and constructing solar micro stations for each individual monastery;
Transporting solar stations to the monasteries;
(III month) Installation and testing.
Results of the Project
When the project is completed:
- Cloisters will be provided with ecologically clean energy for 20 or more years without additional expenses.
- After getting rid of oil-lamps, icons and frescoes will no longer continue to be damaged.
- Public awareness of and confidence in solar energy will be increased.
Budget
| Equipment and materials needed | |
| Solar batteries (Wp=500) | $2750 |
| Accumulator batteries (total cost $1000) | $ 650 |
| VF administrative cost | $ 340 |
| Requested from Virtual Foundation | $3740 |
| Contribution provided by the monasteries (total $850) | |
| Toward cost of accumulator batteries | $ 350 |
| Money for cables, wires, electric equipment, construction | $500 |
| Contribution provided by the NGO “Sun and Earth” (total $650) | |
| Transport expenses | $100 |
| Design of solar energy systems | $200 |
| Arrangement | $250 |
| Other expenses (such as communications) | $100 |
| Total cost of this project | $5240 |
| Minus all Georgian contributions | $1500 |
| Requested from Virtual Foundation | $3740 |