VIASPHERE TECHNOPARK READY TO IMPLEMENT PILOT PROGRAM ON PRODUCTION OF SOLAR POWER STATIONS

Noyan Tapan
Aug 14 2007

YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, NOYAN TAPAN. Viasphere Technopark is ready to
start implementing the annual pilot program on production of 5 solar
power stations with the capacity of 100 kilowatts each. The director
general of the technopark Aram Vardanian told this during a talk with
NT correspondent.

In his words, the final goal is production of solar power stations with
the total capacity of 100 megawatts a year, for which about 150 million
dollars is needed in order to replenish the missing capacities of
the production chain, as well as to modernize the existing production
capacities. According to A. Vardanian, sales of solar power stations
with the capacity of 100 kilowatts in international market are
currently assessed at 400-500 million dollars, with these sales growing
by 24-25% annually. There is now great unmet demand in this market.

A. Vardanian also said that within a year the RA Public Services
Regulatory Commission will approve the tariff of a kilowatt of
electricity generated by power stations operating by solar power
transformation. In his words, the cost of a kilowatt of electricity
generated by solar power plants in the US and Europe is 52 eurocents
(about 200 drams) which is a high cost for Armenia. (In Armenia, the
state purchases a kilowatt of electricity generated by wind energy
for 32 drams from wind power plants, it purchases electricity of
hydropower plants – for 7 drams).

Thus, according to A. Vardanian, in case of operation of solar power
plants with the small total capacity, generation of solar energy
will be in fact subsidized. In case of increasing the capacities of
solar power generation, the cost price of this power will decline,
and enhancing the efficiency of solar power generation will also be
conducive to it.