The street lights were lit for 6 locations in the district of Soroca

On January 24^th, 2013 modern and economical street lighting in 6 villages of Soroca was inaugurated. The pilot project was managed by the North Regional Development Agency, with the support of and in partnership with the project "Modernisation of local public services in Moldova", from the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ).

Thus, 2,200 inhabitants of Tătărăuca Veche, Soroca will not be afraid to leave the house late at night. In total, 334 lights based on LED technology were installed. 11 devices conduct the electricity to operate the street lights. The total network length is over 20 kilometers. Using such modern facilities doubles the savings for consumer costs on electricity. The annual savings will amount to 117 000 MDL annually compared to using traditional solutions, which are inefficient in energy terms. Investment cost is more than 2.7 million lei.

The inauguration brought together over 50 participants, including representatives of central and regional authorities:

"Using renewable efficient energy allows us to perform in the economy, especially given the 90% dependence on imported energy sources. We hope that the company that will manage the municipal service will be effective and will expand its spectrum of activity”. (Veaceslav Guțuțui, Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Construction)

"This project is an example not only for North region, but also for other regions. It's a project implemented in record time, which will change the face of the community. Now citizens will feel safe". (Ion Bodrug, Director, North Regional Development Agency)

"We will do our best to maintain this service and contribute with other actions to optimize energy consumption”. (Liviu Raischi, Mayor of Tătărăuca Veche)

At the inauguration ceremony street lighting system, a Barbu band of musicians performed.

Street lighting systems were placed on the main roads and at the perimeter of public institutions and other places of interest. To increase awareness of the local people about this service, an information campaign was carried out during October-November of 2012, entitled "Power the village back to life with light." Thus, 16 informational boards were placed in common areas of Tătărăuca Veche. Also, 500 leaflets were distributed.

The campaign's approach was "door to door" in order to foster communication with citizens. They needed to know the objectives, costs, and benefits of the public service. Also, during the progress of work, six public hearings were held.

The street lighting service will be managed by municipal enterprise "Tătărăuca Service", created in 2012. GIZ employees will be consulted throughout the project. On the 3^rd of December, 2012, City Council of Tătărăuca Veche approved a monthly fee for street lighting in the amount of 10 lei per household.

The success story of the Tătărăuca Veche will be the subject of 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.

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.

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