Background
For many people in Kyrgyzstan energy has become prohibitively expensive. Studies in 2001 (by CAMP, Central Asian Mountain Partnership) have shown, that rural households spend up to half of their total income on energy. Most critical are the long, harsh continental winters when the simply built houses- lacking the least of thermal insulation- can only be kept at  minimum indoor temperatures by large amounts of heating energy. Since approximately two thirds of the energy consumption in rural Kyrgiz households go into heating, the potential for efficient energy use, i.e. energy efficient building technologies is considerable: they can  help to reduce impoverishment and people`s dependence on foreign energy supply, to slow down the process of soil degradation and to improve the health conditions of the rural population. Up tp now, the concept of leading a better life with the amount of energy that is available and the knowledge of appropriate methods is hardly known.

Project Status and Plans 2004
In 2002 and 2003 first retrofittings of rural buildings have been carried out in Kyrgyzstan in cooperation with Swiss and Kyrgiz partners and accompanied by professional training courses in Bishkek. New insulation methods have been developed with the following guiding principles: they should be well adapted to the Kyrgiz environment, materials should be based on local resources, the technologies and applications should be simple, not prone to errors and should offer an opportunity for the house owners to do a considerable part of the work themselves.
In 2004, a demonstration building will be built, introducing the technology of straw bale construction as a possibility to build new energy efficient houses. Straw is a natural building material with excellent insulation qualities and the use in straw--bale houses as roof and wall insulation is a  well  proven and elaborate  technology. Again,  hand in hand with the construction of the pilot house, training courses on straw bale constructions will be held at the Kyrgiz State University of Construction, Transportation and Architecture, KSUCTA, in September in Bishkek. Additionally, it is planned to introduce an internet platform - especially designed to meet the conditions of developing countries - to make use of an electronic knowledge transfer. Thanks to the E-learning platform preparation courses and follow-ups can be offered on the internet and experts from all over the world can be involved. Furthermore, a centre for competence, the “Centre for Energy Efficient Buildings”, CEEB, will be established at the KSUCTA, serving also as a coordination office for expertise and technical support and  to ensure necessary measurements and testing for newly developed insulation materials.

Contact:
University of Applied Sciences
Institute of Energy
Prof. Armin Binz
Fichtenhagstrasse 4
CH-4132 Muttenz/Switzerland

Tel. +41 61 467 44 94
Fax +41 61 467 45 43

a.binz@fhbb.ch
www.fhbb.ch/energie

Kyrgyz State University of Construction,Transportation and Architecture
KSUCTA Dept “Heat – Gas Supply and Ventilation”
Prof. Erkin Kaparovich Boronbaev
Maldybaeva street 34 "b"
720020 Bishkek/Kyrgyzstan

Tel. +996 (312) 42-14-86
Fax +996 (312) 54-51-36

bcarlbro@kuacgb.bishkek.su
http://www.ksucta.elcat.kg/ 

CAMP, Central Asian Mountain Partnership
Regula Imhof
338 Frunze str.
720011 Bishkek/Kyrgyz Republic

Tel. +996 (312) 68 09 28
Fax +996 (312) 66 06 25

camp@elcat.kg
www.camp.kg