astronomy

Solar power in Armenia

Solar power in Armenia is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Solar power in Armenia rather than just read about it. In short: Solar energy is widely available in Armenia due to its geographical position and is considered a developing industry. In 2022 less than 2% of Armenia's electricity was generated by solar power.

Key takeaways

Solar power in Armenia belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Solar power in Armenia to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Solar power in Armenia from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Solar energy is widely available in Armenia due to its geographical position and is considered a developing industry. In 2022 less than 2% of Armenia's electricity was generated by solar power. The use of solar energy in Armenia is gradually increasing. In 2019, the European Union announced plans to assist Armenia towards developing its solar power capacity. The initiative has supported the construction of a power plant with 4,000 solar panels located in Gladzor. Solar power potential in Armenia is 8 GW according to the Eurasian Development Bank. The reason for this is that average solar radiation in Armenia is almost 1700 kWh/m2 annually. One of the well-known utilization examples is the American University of Armenia (AUA) which uses it not only for electricity generation, but also for water heating. The government of Armenia is promoting utilization of solar energy. In 2018 the amount of solar power produced in Armenia increased by nearly 50 per cent. Government figures show that Armenia's solar power average is 60 per cent better than the European average. In March 2018 an international consortium consisting of the Dutch and Spanish companies won the tender for the construction of a 55 MW solar power plant Masrik-1. The solar power station is planned to be built in the community of Mets Masrik of the Gegharkunik region entirely at the expense of foreign investments. The expected volume of investments in this generation facility will be about $50 million. Construction of the plant was expected to be completed by 2020. In May 2019 the deadline for start of financing the Masrik-1 solar power plant construction project has been extended by 198 days.

Potential According to the Ministry of Energy Infrastructures and Natural Resources of Armenia, Armenia has an average of about 1720 kilowatt hour (kWh) solar energy flow per square meter of horizontal surface annually and has a potential of 1000 MW power production. In the capital Yerevan, the average solar energy flux is equal to 1642 kWh/m2. Armenia's area cannot be considered as homogeneous from the perspective of available solar energy: the difference between the amount of solar energy reaching the ground in different places in the country can be up to 20% in the summer, and 50% in the winter.

Photovoltaics As of April 2019 ten 1 MW strong solar stations are installed. Solar and wind stations account for less than 1% of total installed electricity generation capacities. In April 2019 it was announced that German company Das Enteria Solarkraftwerk will build a 2 MW strong solar station near Shorzha at lake Sevan by end of 2020. Currently 9 solar PV plants (total installed capacity – about 7,02 MW) have been put into operation. Seven companies (totally 31,5 MW) have been licensed for the construction of the solar PV plant with up tp 5 MW installed capacity. As of February 20, 2019, technical terms were given to 907 autonomous energy producers with capacity up to 500 kW (total capacity 12,9 MW), 854 of which have already been connected to energy system (total capacity 10,3 MW). Example of buildings equipped with solar panels are the American University of Armenia generating enough power for the elevators and other uses, and the UN House in Armenia. A 55 MW utility-scale solar power plant will be built near Mets Masrik in Gegharkunik province, requiring an investment of about $50 million. International tender was won by consortium of the Netherlands’ Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) B.V and Spain's FSL Solar S.L. that are expected to commission the plant in 2020. There are defined tariffs for generating electricity using solar energy. In November 2016, Public Services Regulatory Commission of RA made a decision to set the price of electrical energy from photovoltaic systems to 42.645 AMD/kWh. Consumers are allowed to install solar panels with total power of up to 150 kW, and may sell any surplus to electricity distribution company Electric Networks of Armenia (ENA).

Thermal solar

In Armenia, solar thermal collectors, or water-heaters, are produced in standard sizes (1.38-4.12 square meters). Solar water-heaters can be used for space heating, solar cooling, etc. In order to generate heat, they use solar energy from the Sun. Modern solar water֊heaters can cause water to boil even in winter․ Solar thermal collectors are used throughout the territory of Armenia. One building using solar thermal collectors is AUA, which uses solar cooling and ventilation systems. The biggest solar water-heater in Armenia is located at Diana hotel in Goris, which has 1900 vacuum tubes that provide hot water for a swimming pool with 180 cubic meter volume, and for 40 hotel rooms.

Obstacles One of the main factors preventing the development of solar energy in Armenia is the installation cost.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Solar power in Armenia

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Solar power in Armenia claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Solar power in Armenia before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Solar power in Armenia ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Solar power in Armenia

In research: Solar power in Armenia appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Solar power in Armenia in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Solar power in Armenia is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Electric power in Armenia, Energy in Armenia, Renewable energy, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Solar power in Armenia outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Solar power in Armenia” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Solar power in Armenia in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Solar power in Armenia means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Solar power in Armenia out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Solar power in Armenia in simple terms?

Solar energy is widely available in Armenia due to its geographical position and is considered a developing industry. In 2022 less than 2% of Armenia's electricity was generated by solar power.

Why does Solar power in Armenia matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Solar power in Armenia?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Solar power in Armenia.