The American University of Armenia
Yerevan, Baxramyan 40.
Tel. 51 25 04, 51 26 30

Collaborative Activities in Renewable Energy Technologies in Armenia

Over the past six years, several institutes and companies in Armenia have carried out collaborative R&D activities in several renewable energy technologies (RET).
Projects conducted (and being conducted) are:

• Wind Resource Atlas Preparation and Measurements for various Mountain Passes  in Armenia
• Solar Hot Water for Buildings
• Solar Desiccant Cooling for the American University of Armenia
• Solar Photovoltaic Panels assembled and installed on two buildings
• Solar Insolation Measurements for Yerevan; plans for all of Armenia
• Development of a 01-1kW Hydrogen Fuel Cells
• A number of basic research activities (five as of 2005), funded by the USDOE, under the IPP/ISTC program (Initiatives for Proliferation Prevention)

The collaborating Institutes are: the American University of Armenia (AUA); Yerevan State University (YSU); State Engineering University of Armenia (SEUA);H2Economy; SolarEN Inc, Yerevan Physics Institute; the Biotechnology Institute; Institute of Physical Technology

 Funding sources have been; private donations, USAID grant; USDOE grants and several European grants.

A Few Details of the above Projects:
Based on private funding, the technology for solar hot water systems, were developed by SolarEN. One such system was installed at AUA, to operate the first solar desiccant cooling system in Armenia. Plans are ready to enlarge the system and use them on other buildings in Yerevan
A new pyranometer is being installed on the roof of AUA (supplied by USDOE) to carefully monitor the solar radiation in this particular location. Plans have been made and grants solicited to expand this system over key locations in Armenia, forming a network of pyranometers, providing diurnal data through wireless transmission, on solar radiation . These systems can be co-located with networks for measuring flow rates of min-hydro locations
Under private funding, a laminator was installed at the State Engineering University of Armenia, to prepare 50-75 watt photovoltaic panels. The laminator has been used to install, high quality PV panels (7.5kW) on two buildings in Yerevan. If funds permit, SEUA/AUA will secure a more modern version of a laminator in order to produce 20 to 30 panels a day, 75 watts each. Present capacity is 15 panels a day.
Under joint funding from a private donor and the USDOE, H2economy has been conducting R&D on small, hydrogen fuel cells. A 500 watt prototype is now undergoing tests. In addition, Yerevan State University is developing new, highly sensitive, and low cost hydrogen sensors, to be use with hydrogen fuel cells (USDOE funding)

Finally, the USDOE National Security Administration is funding a number of renewable energy related projects, under the IPP program. These include novel solar cells, thermophotovoltaic cells, protective covers for solar concentrators, the development of ultra-fast laser scanner for monitoring the production of semiconductor wafers, and new enzymes for the production of ethanol from biomass. The funding total for these programs is about $3M, over a 2-yr period.

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