Justification
"Central Balkan" National park was established in 1991 as a protected natural site (national park), then under the current Law on Nature Protection and since 2000 in implementation of the Protected Areas Act is declared as National Park. As such, it is managed by the Ministry of Environment and Water, through its regional body ? CBNP Directorate through the implementation of the Council of Ministers adopted Management Plan for the period 2001-2010. The National Park covers a territory of 717 km2, including parts of 5 Districts, 9 municipalities and 32 lands. According to the data from 2005 there are 368 000 inhabitants living near the park around.
In pursuance of the Law on Biological Diversity and in accordance with the two main environmental Directives of the European Union - Directive 92/43/EEC for the Preservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora and Directive 79/409/EES for Conservation of wild birds during the 2007 decisions of the Council of Ministers adopted: Protected Area for conservation of wild birds "Central Balkan" and Protected area for preservation of habitats "Central Balkan" - elements of the Natura 2000 network.
In the park there are 35 more infrastructure sites owned by different persons or organizations that provide the execution of various activities in the mountains - tourism, farming, maintenance of water facilities, monitoring, protection and control of the protected area. Only 8 of them are electrified, and for the rest of it is practically impossible because of the remoteness of the sites from the settlements, the necessary large investments and complex process due to the exclusive state ownership of the territory and its conservational status. Lighting and providing hot water in these objects have traditionally been done by firewood, often derived from the nearest forest in the parks and by electrical generators working on liquid fuel. Over time, these ways to provide energy created depth issues related to depletion of timber resources in the areas of facilities, noise and harassing local air pollution and, of course, increases costs.
To solve this problem in a sustainable way that ensures the conservation of biological diversity, peace and quiet and not in conflict with the objectives, systems and standards of the National park, Civil Society "Central Balkan - Apriltsi" with this pilot project proposal and for demonstration purpose will implement the use of energy from wind and sun to provide lighting and hot water in four sites, 2 of which owned by Directorate of Central Balkan NP, and the remaining 2 - long run by of Sheep owners Cooperation ?Bazov dial? -Apriltsi.
The project is aimed at solving specific problems identified in practice relating to energy security of sites in the park, such as high operating costs of limited natural resources. In a regional context, the project will demonstrate what can and should combine the objectives of nature conservation - the economic development of sustainable local development and the practical science - with education to solve specific environmental problems and involving local people.

Location
All the sites in the project proposal are in the territory of Central Balkan National park with the following GPS coordinates:
- Control Information Point ?Smesite" - B 42 75 11.47, L 25 01 32.93;
- Demonstrational dairy "Bazov dial" B 42 74 87.84, L 24 89 13.85;
- Demonstrational dairy "Polenitsi" B 42 75 06.45, L 24 86 73.15,
located in the Northwest region, Lovech District, Municipality Apriltsi, Apriltsi town land.
- Control Information Point) "Sladkata voda" B 47 28 69.36, L 34 01 54.55
located in the Southeast region, Stara Zagora District, Municipality Pavel bania, Taza village land.

All sites are within protected area and protected zone - Central Balkan National Park.

Project Target Groups
Target groups that will directly benefit from the project
- Members of Civil Society "Central Balkan - Apriltsi" which will get the opportunity to experience their ideas into practice and demonstrate appropriate to their owners and other users of the sites in NP.
- Officials of Directorate of Central Balkan NP and members of Sheep owner?s cooperation "Bazov dial?, which used everyday the sites and will benefit from improved hygiene and living conditions in them.
- Directorate of Central Balkan NP that through the implementation of the project will ensure the philosophy of the Management plan of the protected area in the following aspects:
- Management of the park in a regional context will win by demonstrating the ability to combine conservation with sustainable development;
- Biodiversity will benefit from the creation of systems that use alternative energy sources and will minimize harmful effects on the environment in the Buildings and facilities zone of the park;
- Visitors management will benefit from the diversification of tourist attractions in the NP - tying demonstration dairies with mountain ecotourism and interpretation related to alternative energy sources and their role in protecting the natural environment.

Target groups who will benefit indirectly from the project
- Farmers and workers in sites for which the proposed technologies in the project are applicable for use.
- Visitors of the park - about 60 000 per year - by the effect of the use of RES and development of visitor attractions in the project demonstration sites.

Goal and expected impacts
The main goal of the project is to Contribute to promoting the use of renewable energy sources to produce electricity and hot water systems through demonstration sites located in Central Balkan National park and to demonstrate the effectiveness of their work in that altitude and weather conditions.

Impacts:
? Installation of 3 hybrid systems for the production of electrical energy from the sun and wind;
? Installation of 4 systems for heating water using solar energy;
? Decreased 10 times the amount of fuel oil used in the sites;
? Decreased by 20% quantity firewood in the sites;
? Widespread experience in the use of RES in the park among 50 owners and users of facilities in the protected area.

Objectives and expected results
1) Reduction of CO2 discharged into the atmosphere by 624 kilograms per year. / prevented due to burning of 780 litters of gasoline/;
2) Reduce the use of wood by 10 m3 per year;
3) Successful demonstration of the users of the sites in parks and such in the around the park area for the use of solar and wind power and benefits of this.

Major activities
1) Preparation of specifications for the supply and installation of the systems;
2) Choice of suppliers selected systems;
3) Preparation of the sites for installation of the systems;
4) Installation of the systems using renewable energy sources, namely:
? Demonstrational dairy in Gorni Polenitsi area - installation of solar hot water system and hybrid system to produce electricity from sun and wind;
? Demonstrational dairy in Bazov dyal area - installation of solar hot water system;
? Control information point "Smesite" - installation of solar hot water system and hybrid system to produce electricity from sun and wind;
? Control information point ?Sladkata voda "- installation of solar hot water system and hybrid system to produce electricity from sun and wind;
5) Presentation of the project and promote the results.

Partnership with GEF SGP proposals/projects
The project will gladly work in cooperation with all SGF funded projects related to the use of renewable energy sources throughout the country.

Sustainability
1. Financial sustainability:
After completion of the project, Central Balkan NP Directorate and Sheep owners? Cooperation "Bazov dyal? will assume full management of installed equipment related to their maintenance, repair and provision of supplies, according to the ownership of the sites.
2. Integration processes in long-term:
The results of the project will be used in developing the topic of energy efficiency and use of RES in the park in the updated Management Plan 2011-2020 of the National Park, which is to be made in the next 1-2 years.
3. Human Resources
The project will build capacity among key members of Civil Society "Central Balkan - Apriltsi" Sheep owners? Cooperation "Bazov dyal? - in Apriltsi and the staff of Central Balkan NP Directorate and in other members of the local community and users of sites in the park, on the use of renewable energy sources to ensure the further expansion of the use of these technologies in the park and the region.

Project Budget
Total budget of the project, BGN: 120 110 BGN
Amount applied for from GEF SGP, BGN and % of total budget: 59 850 BGN, 49.83 %