Опыт ОФ «САМР Алатоо» в утеплении домов жителей сельской местности

СAMР Alatoo Public Foundation’s Experience in Insulating Rural Homes

The project “Expanding Access to Energy-Efficient Technologies for Rural Communities of the Kyrgyz Republic”, implemented by the СAMР Alatoo PF with the support of the PVSYST Foundation (France) in the Issyk-Kul region, aims to create comfortable, warm, and environmentally friendly housing in rural areas.

For many rural families, winter still means cold homes, high consumption of coal and firewood, and, as a result, a heavy burden on household budgets. The project offers systemic solutions that help change this situation in a sustainable way.

Over the past year, project specialists worked in the village of Barskoon. At the first stage, two residential houses were monitored. Using data loggers, temperature and humidity levels indoors were recorded, while thermal imaging surveys helped identify the main building structures through which heat was being lost. This data formed the basis for analysis and the selection of effective insulation solutions.

At the second stage, the project team carried out comprehensive thermal insulation of walls, floors, ceilings, and foundations, replaced windows, installed ventilation systems, and provided mechanical protection of façades. This integrated approach ensured not a temporary improvement, but a long-term effect.

The first monitored house is a single-story adobe home with a total area of 120 m², inhabited by a large family. Prior to the project, the house had no insulation, experienced high indoor humidity, and during the 2024–2025 heating season the family consumed around 4 tons of coal.

Based on technical calculations, the house was insulated with 8 cm thick foam panels on the walls, extruded polystyrene on the foundation with artificial stone cladding, basalt wool on the ceiling, and insulation of the floor. Wooden windows were replaced with plastic ones, a ventilation system was installed, and the façade was reinforced and finished with travertine. For the adobe structure, an additional moisture drainage belt was installed to protect the walls from excess humidity.

The second house is a two-story brick building with a total area of 300 m², which also initially had no insulation. Within the project framework, the walls were insulated with foam panels, the foundation was insulated, the ceiling was treated with basalt wool, a ventilation system was installed, the cement base was restored, and the façade was protected with mesh reinforcement. Despite its large size, the thermal insulation significantly improved the home’s energy efficiency and created a more stable and comfortable indoor microclimate.

To make such solutions more accessible for rural families, the project covered 50% of the costs for materials and works through a revolving fund mechanism.

СAMР Alatoo PF specialists will continue monitoring the insulated houses to document real “before and after” changes. According to preliminary forecasts, already in the first heating season coal consumption is expected to decrease by 25–40%, indoor temperatures will become more stable, and humidity levels will drop thanks to the installed ventilation systems. This means not only financial savings for families, but also a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and an overall improvement of the environmental situation in the region.