The government should decide whether they need industry or not
For Armenia the massive use of solar energy is a necessity. Technical sciences PhD Vahagn Hamazaspyan together with his colleagues works on improving the use of solar energy. According to the scientist, due to the solar energy it is possible to prepare food, reproduce agricultural goods, receive hot water and electrical power and even open solar cafes.
Thus, approximately 20 years ago, in 1993, with the leadership of Vahagn Hamazaspyan a group of scientists started to conduct research and inventions, which could reduce the consumption of electrical power by 40-60%. Because of this successful project the scientist is trying to find funding now in order to rent a space and also continue his inventions.
“Because of the USSR convention 150 Armenian plants jointly lost their resources of financing and consuming their goods. And the use of solar energy could really boost the economy and take the latter out of the crisis.
We have been talking about this for the past 20 years,” said V. Hamazaspyan. According to him, it is no accident that the leading countries of the world are focused on developing solar energy.
They invest immense funds in these activities and they offer unbelievable perks for investors. According to the scientist, for example, the US is planning to reach the level of its alternative energy to 20% by 2020 and the EU had envisioned 30%. In this regard, Russia, China and other countries are also spending funds. “I don’t believe that the leading economies of the world would spend that much money in something that is assumed to be good just for environment,” said Hamazaspyan. He mentions that in 2008 during the G8 summit in Japan the Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel stated that by 2020 the world market of solar energy in EU will amount to 40 trillion USD.
“It is a market where each state may have its participation, search and find its place. As of Armenia, then Armenia can also participate in this process,” said Hamazaspyan and added that it’s necessary to develop solar energy both in Armenia and even in NKR. The scientist mentions that in the agricultural sector the production of solar energy will facilitate not only the production of ecological agricultural goods but also save electrical power by 40-60%. The use of solar systems will also bring a lot of use to machinery, radio electronics and in other sectors.
“Technologically and technically we are ready to launch the development of solar production in Armenia. A number of organizational matters have been solved in different climatic sections of Armenia. We even prepared a hymn and flag for the use of solar technologies,” said Hamazaspyan and added that in the meantime they have a serious of matters with the legislative and executive authorities of Armenia. As they don’t have legislative support, they cann0t organize a massive production of solar systems. According to him, the solar technologies that they are offering have a high quality and beat the competition in the world. The scientist mentions that with their device, the scientists of Germany, Israel and Switzerland conducted certain tests and gave a very high opinion. “We have finished all the technical and technological problems and are ready to launch a production of such solar devices that can beat any competition in the world.
The authorities should just make a political decision whether they want industry to develop in Armenia or not,” said Hamazaspyan. According to him, Armenia doesn’t have any other option to develop this industry because we don’t have communications and buy gas and oil at expensive prices. We don’t have any seaports. “We don’t have these opportunities. Whatever we do is going to cost us a lot but we can get certain results and reach goals because we are offering interesting solutions to these problems. The authorities have to understand whether they need production at all or not. I cannot understand this,” said Hamazaspyan and added that he had a feeling that the government of Armenia doesn’t wish to develop industry in the country. According to him, this can have two reasons. It may first be the command coming from abroad or only certain category of people can be in charge of this business.
“I am an independent scientist and don’t have such inclinations. I am not in politics but these efforts and activities can take Armenia out from the crisis and provide sustainable economic development. When we view the processes taking place in our lives – migration, unfavorable environment, corruption we realize that people are lacking jobs and sources of income; they are hungry. If people had jobs and had the opportunity to take care of their families we wouldn’t have this environment, which we are trying to struggle against,” said the scientist and mentioned that although the society is discontent with the current authorities but they always have victory during election in part because of bribery. “I think the government now functions with the logic that is characteristic to the leaders with low level education. I have become a scientist at early ages of my life and have taken on various high posts during the Soviet era. What the government now is doing is that they are avoiding solving problems. It is merely impossible to lead the country in a wrong decision the way they are doing,” said Hamazaspyan.
According to his observation, under these circumstances, the best option would be if president Serzh Sargsyan gathered all the Armenian scientists from around the world and organized discussions in order to find out the ways out of the situation… “I as a scientist continue working here. Of course, there are more realistic options for me. I as a patriotic person stay here but our work needs to be expanded today because the longer we stretch time the more outdated our inventions and technologies will become. The government shouldn’t hinder our efforts,” said Hamazaspyan.
He also informed that currently negotiations are held in Kazakhstan in regard of organizing the productions of solar products. According to him, the advisor to the Kazakh president has found him and discussed matters regarding the construction of a factory of solar devices. Besides, the cooperation of Armenia and Switzerland is being discussed and the Swiss party expressed willingness to provide funding and the Armenian side should only issue its permission to the project. However, he mentioned that in this regard he had sent a letter to the Armenian government back in December 2012 but he had received no response.
“They have probably set my letter aside,” said the scientist and added that the Swiss were surprised to learn that we had such a goal but never used it. “Everything is politics. The associates of the factory are saying that they are tired of not working and the people, who are leading it, are thinking what devices to sell in order to make money for khash and barbeque. This means that the country is destroyed,” said Hamazaspyan. In his words, today no scientist would go to work for some oligarch. “They are judging us based on our property and we judge them based on their brains capacity. That’s the reason why they don’t help us,” he said.
By Lusine Movsisyan
