Clean, reliable energy is an important factor for any village or areas development. Despite this, 1.2 billion people had no access to electricity and 2.8 billion people relied on traditional biomass for cooking and heating in 2016 according to the International Energy Agency. One of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals states that by 2030 everyone should have access to clean, sustainable energy. In light of this, the aim of this project was to design a methodological approach to appraise the
energy situation in a Kyrgyz mountain village in order to make it possible for that village to work towards the energy targets of the Sustainable Development Goals in a clear, focused way. To do this, two surveys – a questionnaire and an observational survey - were developed that included all energy related topics such as reliability, affordability, availability, quality and
cleanness of energy as well as energy efficiency, and percentage of renewable energies. The advantage of these surveys as a profiling method is that it is able to be used across a wide range of landscapes, energy situations and demographics. With it a clear picture can be painted as to what the energy situation is and what steps would have to be taken to ameliorate
the situation.
The surveys were tested in a pilot run in a village called Jergetal, where the researchers spent ten days interviewing 16 households and taking notes and pictures on the state of the buildings and any energy efficiency measures or renewable energy technology. The survey results showed that while all the households had access to electricity, the heating
and cooking was mainly done with fire fueled by coal and dung bricks. The houses were not insulated and no renewable energies were being used. The main reasons for this was lack of information and lack of funds. According to the evaluated surveys, next steps would be to work on energy efficiency, doing courses in insulating houses with local materials and teaching villagers how to build energy efficient stoves. The survey itself will be handed over to the local partners for further developing and testing.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
1.1 Energy goals
1.2 Energy profiling
1.3 Research question, aims and scopes of the thesis
1.3.1 Partnering Organizations
1.4 Overview
2 Background
2.1 Kyrgyzstan: general information
2.2 Energy situation in Kyrgyzstan
2.2.1 Energy distribution
2.2.2 Energy usage
2.2.3 Renewable Energies
2.2.4 Energy efficiency
3 Survey
3.1.1 Survey development
3.1.2 Survey location
3.1.3 Survey execution
3.1.4 Data evaluation
4 Results
4.1.1 Other results
4.1.2 Energy efficiency courses through CAMP Alatoo
5 Discussion
6 Conclusion and Outlook
6.1.1 Method
6.1.2 Survey
6.2 Outlook
6.2.1 Method
6.2.2 Survey
Project Objectives and Focus Areas
The primary aim of this project was to design a comprehensive methodological approach to appraise the energy situation in a Kyrgyz mountain village, enabling the community to align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regarding energy. The research specifically seeks to bridge the gap between energy needs and the implementation of targeted improvement projects by developing a standardized survey method that can be adapted for rural contexts.
- Development of a dual-method survey (quantitative questionnaire and observational analysis).
- Assessment of current energy infrastructure, reliability, and consumption patterns in rural Kyrgyzstan.
- Evaluation of barriers to implementing energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies.
- Proposing actionable steps to improve the standard of living through better energy management.
- Field testing of the methodology through a pilot run in the village of Jergetal.
Excerpt from the Book
Building
An average house in Zhergetal will be built out of bricks made of kirpitsch (see Figure 13 and Figure 12). Kirpitsch is a mixture of clay and straw, mixed and pressed in a form, roughly 12 x 15 x 25 cm. These bricks are then left to dry for two to five days. After the walls are made the cracks are filled with clay, then the walls are whitewashed on both the inside and outside. Usually there is no further insulation, though often carpets are hung on the walls to help against the cold.
The average floor consists of wooden boards placed 30 to 50 cm above the ground. There too no insulation is added except carpets. The ceiling is similar to the floor: wooden boards, then an open space under the roof. Though everyone said that there was nothing above the boards, some of the ceilings looked like they had a layer of clay on top.
The roof is made of wooden beams, usually about 12 x 15 cm, then the older and poorer houses had eternit plates on top, the newer and richer ones had switched to metal sheets (see Figure 14: roof structure).
Chapter Summary
1 Introduction: Provides the context of global energy poverty and outlines the thesis goal of creating an energy profiling method for rural Kyrgyzstan.
2 Background: Examines the geographic, political, and historical energy landscape of Kyrgyzstan, highlighting the heavy reliance on hydropower and traditional biomass.
3 Survey: Describes the design and execution of the qualitative interview and observational survey methodologies applied in the village of Jergetal.
4 Results: Presents findings on the living conditions, building materials, heating, and cooking habits of households in Jergetal.
5 Discussion: Critically analyzes the effectiveness of the survey instruments, noting challenges such as repetitive questions and language barriers.
6 Conclusion and Outlook: Summarizes the validity of the developed profiling method and provides recommendations for future implementation in other regions.
Keywords
Kyrgyzstan, energy profiling, mountain village development, sustainable development, survey method, renewable energy, energy efficiency, traditional biomass, hydropower, rural energy access, Naryn region, CAMP Alatoo, AGOCA, energy strategy, household survey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this thesis?
The work focuses on developing a methodology to profile the energy situation in rural Kyrgyz mountain villages to enable data-driven, targeted energy strategies.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers energy infrastructure, affordability, reliability, energy efficiency in buildings, fuel sources for heating and cooking, and potential for renewable energy adoption.
What is the main objective or research question?
The research asks how to effectively profile energy use in rural communities to facilitate appropriate energy projects, with the goal of creating a reproducible survey method.
Which scientific method was employed?
The researcher developed a dual-method approach combining qualitative semi-structured interviews with households and an observational survey of building conditions and energy equipment.
What does the main body address?
It covers background information on Kyrgyzstan's energy sector, the design and execution of the survey in Jergetal, and a comprehensive analysis of the resulting data.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The primary keywords include Kyrgyzstan, energy profiling, mountain village development, energy efficiency, and renewable energy.
Why did the survey in Jergetal include an observational component?
The observational component allowed the researchers to bypass subjective participant opinions and independently verify the state of housing, insulation, and heating infrastructure.
What were the main energy challenges identified in the pilot village?
The village faced significant energy losses due to a lack of insulation (kirpitsch construction), reliance on traditional, inefficient fuel sources, and outdated soviet-era electrical transformers.
- Citation du texte
- Elizabeth Haab (Auteur), 2017, Energy profiles for Kyrgyz mountain villages as a basis for a targeted energy strategy, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/935832
