AUA Students Visit Thermal Power Plant

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YEREVAN, Armenia — On July 14, students in the American University of Armenia (AUA) Basics of Sustainable Energy course, taught by Adjunct Lecturer Armen Danielyan, visited Armenia’s newly built Thermal Power Plant.

This AUA undergraduate course aims to equip students with knowledge about energy and its role in the Armenian economy and life. Despite the challenges related to taking condensed summer courses, the students in this course were in class at 9 a.m. To complement what they learned in the classroom, the students took a field trip to the newly built Thermal Power Plant in Yerevan’s Shengavit District. Earlier in the course, students visited AUA’s own rooftop solar panels. 

After completing the safety protocols for visitors to the power plant, the students were given a guided tour of the plant. They observed the facility and explored a range of topics, from understanding sources of energy loss to the integration of solar power into the electric grid. The site visit was very productive in terms of learning about how the power plant functions, but it also increased the students’ understanding of the complexity of Armenia’s electricity system that keeps the lights on and personal devices charged. 

Maria Miskaryan (BSDS ’24) expressed her thoughts on the site visit, “Visiting Yerevan’s Power Plant was an eye-opening experience that allowed me to observe the impressive infrastructure and technological advancements powering a large segment of our city. It was very informative and deepened my understanding of the challenges of the energy sector.”

Danielyan summed up, “The tour gave students an opportunity to see the detailed structure and complexity of the plant through the number of pipes, compartments, devices, and parts that have to function in unison. This would have been much harder to explain in the classroom.”

The students were very thankful for this highly informative site visit and expressed their appreciation to the staff working at the power plant.

Founded in 1991, the American University of Armenia (AUA) is a private, independent university located in Yerevan, Armenia, affiliated with the University of California, and accredited by the WASC Senior College and University Commission in the United States. AUA provides local and international students with Western-style education through top-quality undergraduate and graduate degree and certificate programs, promotes research and innovation, encourages civic engagement and community service, and fosters democratic values.