First Sod for the Construction of Photovoltaic Installation for Electricity Production

The first sod for the construction of photovoltaic park at the University of National and World Economy was made by the Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov and Andrey Stoychev from the construction company Prostream Group.

The event was attended by guests from state and municipal institutions as well as by the the UNWE Managing body, the Vice Rectors and the Assistant Rector Prof. D.Sc./Econ./ Kiril Stoychev who is responsible for the implementation of the project on behalf of UNWE.

The construction activities of the photovoltaic installation will be carried out by the construction company Prostream Group and the construction supervision will be carried out by the company Bureau Veritas Bulgaria.

The Rector Prof. Dr. Dimitar Dimitrov gave a symbolic start to the construction activities saying: "The UNWE is one of the first universities in Bulgaria which pays serious attention to the green energy implementation and the first one which signed a contract for the construction of photovoltaic installation for the production of independent and cost-effective electricity. It is extremely modern taking into account the energy crises that have hit us in the recent years. Along with the photovoltaic system we will also have a new modern covered parking lot", emphasized Prof. Dimitrov. He also highlighted the specifics of the contract with Prostream Group. "It is an ESCO contract which means that the University does not pay the full amount for the execution of the public procurement but the costs are paid through the electricity price.

On behalf of Prostream Group Andrey Stoychev, Project Manager, greeted the initiators of the project: "Once again, the UNWE Managing body has proven as a pioneer in the modern thinking because it is the first ESCO contract signed for a project of this scale with a higher education institution. It is the beginning which will turn the UNWE into the first green university in Europe. Andrey Stoychev further emphasized on the importance of achieving a balance between the renewable energy sources, energy efficiency and the economic viability of the processes. "At Prostream Group, we strive for this balance. Our professionalism, dedication, and commitment will guarantee the successful and timely completion of the project", said Andrey Stoychev. At the opening ceremony attended also Georgy Georgiev from Prostream Group, responsible for the specific project of constructing the photovoltaic system at UNWE.

The project implementation consists of two stages and has a budget exceeding 2 million BGN. During the first stage a roof-mounted photovoltaic installation and a parking lot photovoltaic system will be designed and constructed to generate electricity. In the subsequent stage, monitoring of the achieved results, maintenance and repayment of the investment based on the generated electricity will be carried out. These responsibilities will be undertaken by Prostream Group.

At the opening ceremony it was presented a visualization of the project, which turns the UNWE into the first Bulgarian university with a photovoltaic park, contributing to the achievement of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals /SDGs/. It was not a coincidence that the event took place on World Environment Day and was followed by the official launch of the new Sustainable Development Network SDSN Bulgaria, whose mission is to mobilize scientific and technical expertise from the academic curcles, civil society and the private sector to support practical solutions to sustainable development problems at local, national and global scales.

Prostream Group has a history of over 25 years as it was founded in 1995.

Prostream Group provides high-quality technological equipment with various applications in the energy sector, industrial sector, water supply, and water treatment. Their product range includes industrial products for the water sector, electric drives, and motors that meet reliability requirements even under extreme working conditions.