MODERNIZATION OF THE PUBLIC LIGHTING IN POLOTSK

PubLiCity: Energy Efficient Modernization of Public Lighting in the City of Polack

The project aims to modernize Polack’s municipal lighting system by raising its energy efficiency and to encourage other Belarusian cities to achieve similar improvements. In the course of the project, more 1874 LED streets lights and 12 solar-powered lights, 310 new poles will be installed in 28 streets, as well as 26 city objects will obtain new decorative lighting . It will result in energy savings of 265 MWh and reduced CO2 emissions of 120 tons per year.

Interakcia is the project's partner
Budget: € 1 630 521, EU's contribution – € 1 304 417 (90% of total)
Supporting the Eastern Partnership Cities in the Implementation of Sustainable Energy Action Plans (SEAPs) under the Covenant of Mayors
Implementation period: August 2015 – March 2020
Location: Polack, Vitebsk region, northern Belarus

“In 2011, Polack was the first Belarusian city that joined the Covenant of Mayors, and therefore, became one of more than 6000 European cities aiming to reduce carbon dioxide emissions through cutting energy consumption and by switching to alternative energy resources. Energy efficient city lighting perfectly comports with these principles. This large-scale project should also give Polack residents stimuli to save electricity. Moreover, dozens of Belarusian cities will learn about the project and its results. Therefore, Polack will make a significant contribution to the sustainable development of Belarus,” – Sergei Leichenko, Deputy Chairman of Polack District Executive Committee.

IMPORTANCE OF THE PROJECT

The Covenant of Mayors is the mainstream European movement, involving local and regional authorities, voluntarily committing to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% or more trough developing green economy and promoting higher standards of life. To realize this aim, a new signatory of the Covenant of Mayors must prepare its own Sustainable Energy Action Plan. Polack finalized such a plan in 2012, thanks to the project SURE, which had been also funded by the European Union.

The Polack Sustainable Energy Action Plan includes measures to increase energy efficiency of municipal buildings and enterprises, to generate more renewable energy, to widen urban green zones, to streamline the municipal public transportation. The PubLiCity project should also enable Polack to live up to the commitment it made in accordance with the Covenant of Mayors principles.

Today, the initiative has the new name — Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy. New aims were brought with the new name: earlier, the Covenant signatories were striving to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20% by 2020, and now, they are aiming at more ambitious and lofty 40% (that shoud be achieved until 2030, however).

Today, more than 50 Belarusian cities support the Covenant of Mayors. Interakcia Foundation is now the Official Supporter of the Covenant of Mayors in Belarus. Learn more

DIMENSIONS OF THE PROJECT

Modernization of the municipal lighting system

In 2019, 1874 energy efficient lamps will be working in the city. At the same time, lighting will be optimized thanks to new 34 automatic light control boxes, having pre-installed GPS administration hardware.
The project will also improve the decorative lighting in Polack, and therefore, make it a more comfortable and attractive city: 26 Polack buildings and monuments will be lighted by new more economic lamps.

Such improvements should enable Polack to reduce energy consumption by no less than 265 MWh and reach a reduce in carbon dioxide emissions of more than 120 tons, compared to the respective levels of 2010. The ultimate project’s results will be determined through a special energy audit.

Dissemination of the project’s results across Belarusian cities

The project’s major results will be summarized in brochure. More than 500 copies of this case study and practical recommendations on how to streamline municipal lighting systems will be disseminated to Belarusian local governments.

40 specialists from various Belarusian municipalities and municipal services agencies will participate in a study visit to Polack. In addition, Polack will host a special forum for Belarusian signatories of the Covenant of Mayors and those cities that are on their way to join the initiative.

By supporting “green” initiatives and changing everyday habits, urbanites can determine the level of energy their city consumes. Therefore, the project will introduce Local Energy Days in Polack within the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Week, festivals about energy efficiency in modern cities.

Local Energy Days will feature exhibitions, conferences, study visits, and flash mobs about energy saving both at home and in the workplace. These events will be organized for Polack residents, representatives of Belarusian municipalities, entrepreneurs, and environmental NGOs.

ACHIEVED RESULTS (UP TO THE MOMENT)

In September 2015, Polack hosted a conference on the sustainable development of urban energy systems where PubLiCity project was also presented. Respresentatives of 17 Belarusian cities attended the event. Learn more

In November and December 2015, more than 2500 Polack residents answered to the questions of a survey about the city’s street lighting. In addition, experts from Polack State University performed an energy audit of 40 major streets in Polack. The received results should help to determine more effectively locations for new street lamps and evaluate the efficiency of the entire project. Learn more

During April 4-10, 2016, student teams worked on improvements for Polack's lighting system at the architectural forum Arkh.Pro.Svet in Polotsk. The students were guided by professional architects and designers from Belarus and Latvia (have at the forum's results on a special presentation website). The most interesting and realistic students’ projects may inform certain activities of PubLiCity project or even become part of Polack's Lighting Development Strategy until 2030. Learn more

On May 28, 2016, the project was presented at the special event named Green Economy As a Belarusian cultural Code that was held right during Polack City Day. At the event, Polack residents could learn how Belarusian local governments, civil society organizations, businesses, and the European Union are cooperating together in order to bolster the development of green economy, a type of economy that reconciles growth and environmental preservation.

Such an event with several EU-funded green economy projects on display was mounted for the first time; however, the EU Delegation to Belarus found it succesful and decided to continue with a series of similar activities around different Belarusian regions. Learn more

On June 13-17, 2016, Polack hosted Energy Days, related to European Sustainable Energy Week. In one of the city’s parks, the installation named Svetosphery (lit. Light Spheres) was mounted and accompanied with music, a dance show, and even a poetry performance. Besides, during the Energy Days, Polack residents could purchase energy efficient household appliances with discount and take part in a survey in order to learn how to cut energy bills. Learn more

From May to June 2016 the survey among the residents of Polack was conducted. The respondents shared their attitude towards energy efficiency and what they do to reduce energy consumption in every day life. Learn more

In august 2016 energy audit was conducted in Polack. Terms of reference of design and estimate documentation for the modernization of decorative light were developed in the end of the year.

In May – June 2017, 2018, 2019 Polack again hosted Energy Days in the framework of the European Sustainable Energy Weak. There were held city orienteering completion on energy efficiency theme and Transformator Architectural School with lectures and workshops where new urban space was created. School kids could participate in sport and intellectual competitions, as well as in online quiz on energy efficiency. During Energy Days new energy efficiency lamps were lighted, there was opportunity to watch short movies on ecology and talk listening pleasant live music.

Learn more about Energy Days of 2017, 2018, 2019

In December 2017 Polack Executive Committee launched a tender for purchase of equipment for street lighting. Tender was successfully terminated in the end of 2018. In March 2019 all the equipment was already in Polack. All the installation works started in April and would finish in February 2020. The obtained equipment included 1874 LED lamps, 12 solar powerd lights, 34 control boxes, 310 light poles, 50 km of cables and other auxiliaries. Ater installation works the audit of new street lighting will be conducted that will let us see whether the equipment works properly.

In 2018 we conducted national contest for ideas and hackathon in order to gather the concepts and creative ideas for light installation that could appear in urban spaces. Some of the ideas were implemented in September 2018 in the framework of Light Festival in Polack.

In the beginning of 2018 we conducted Light Festival - the first in Belarus three-day event of light art with emphasis on energy efficiency that was visited by 30000 persons. Light Festival in Polack is a new format to organize Energy Days, series of public events promoting energy efficient lifestyle. Energy Days are organized in Polack annually in the framework of European Sustainable Energy Weak. Learn more

PARTNERS IN THE PROJECT

Polack District Executive Committee (lead partner)
Interakcia Foundation

The Polack Sustainable Energy Group will be coordinating the project. The Group already has members representing Polotsk's government and the city's communal services agencies. In the course of the project, it should expand thanks to representatives of the Vitebsk region’s authority and state organizations dealing with energy efficiency issues.

OBJECTIVES

To help Polack reach its Covenant of Mayors targets by enabling it to implement public lighting activities of the Polack Sustainable Energy Action Plan.

To popularize the Covenant of Mayors and promote the principles of the Polotsk Sustainable Energy Action Plan in Belarus and the Eastern Partnership.

Realization of these goals entails:

Modernization of municipal lighting system in Polack.

Decrease in carbon dioxide emissions in the city.

Promotion of the principles of the Covenant of Mayors (especially those ones pertaining to municipal lighting) in Belarus.

CONTACTS AND MORE INFORMATION

Marina Borisova, Project's Communication and Visibility Manager, Deputy Head of Interakcia Foundation

+375 17 237 48 40, +375 29 873 35 82 (mob.), borisova@eu-belarus.net

Dzmitry Pauliushchyk, Interakcia Foundation, Project Manager's Assistant

+375 29 329 61 05, +375 17 280 41 35, pauliushchyk@eu-belarus.net