Energy efficiency in Serbia

Smart energy management

European union produces one fifth of electrical energy from renewable sources. Serbia is still very far from that number but some good results are visible - a telecommunication equipment powered by sun and wind energy, new possibilities for project financing, energy passports for every building. The introduction of energy management in local communities will contribute to the overall cost reduction and improvement of the condition of the environment


By MARKO ANDREJIĆ (marko.andrejic@wavemagazine.net)
from Belgrade, SERBIA
Translation: MILENA OTAŠEVIĆ


According to the newest data released by the European Commission (EC) at the beginning of July, one fifth of electrical energy consumed last year in the EU was provided by renewable resources. According to the Comission's estimate providing that this rate of development is continued, by the year 2020 we could get 35 to 40 per cent spent in the EU from renewable resources.

The consumption of electricity last year amounted to 3.042 TWh (terawatt hours). Out of that number 608 TWh was from renewable sources or 19.9 per cent. Most of it was from water power plants - 11.6, wind power produced 4.2 per cent and 3.5 per cent of electricity came from biomass, it is said by CTK Agency. At the same time, total of 62 per cent of facilities for production of electricity that have been built last year in the EU is powered by renewable resources. Most of it are wind power plants - 37 per cent, and photovoltaic devices (for solar energy) with 21 per cent.

To same effect, company Telenor opened on June 16 the first hybrid base station in Serbia. The difference between that one and a standard base station is that the hybrid station is powered by renewable resources.

- At the location solar panels and a wind generator were set up so that the telecommunication equipment is being powered by sun and wind. But this base station is not only powered by renewable resources but is also attached to the electrical grid. Of course, that energy is used only if the renewable resources aren't providing enough. One more difference when compared to standard base stations is in the battery cooling system. Batteries are dug into the ground and thus situated on a lower temperature than the one in the room and in that way energy for the cooling system is saved. Those are some of the differences that save energy - explains for WAVE magazine Ivana Vranjican, Environmental manager in Telenor.

According to her words the preliminary analyses talk about an estimated electric power savings of somewhat 20 per cent for the cooling system. The base station itself will produce energy from the renewable resources that amounts to 30 to 50 percent of total necessary for operating. The estimated decrease in electric power usage is around 300 kWh per month. This also has as a result the decrease in carbon-dioxide production and the analyses predict it is going to be around 2.6 tons per year.

- The idea for building such a base station started in September 2008. In October we officially started an internal project within our company and entered the analyses phase and research which took about 4 months, so we could know which location and which solutions are the best for this power system. Then we started the design phase, getting the permissions for construction and getting the equipment. The construction itself began at the end of 2009 and assembling the equipment was in April 2010. Official opening was on June 16 and for that we had the support of Ministry of environment and spacial planning - Minister Oliver Dulic officially opened the station - says Ivana Vranjican.

Sources of financing

It happened by chance that the same day when Telenor's hybrid base station was opened, the Central-European Development Forum - CEDEF, in cooperation with the Agency for energy efficiency of the Republic of Serbia and the city of Zrenjanin as a host, organised a round table on the topic "Funding projects of energy efficiency in cities and municipalities". The discussion emphasised that the funding of such projects is ever more available even though the percentage of donations in this area has been brought to the minimum. Considering the fact that the projects in this area pay out on their own a great number of international development institutions as well comercial banks are ready to finance them.

- One of the prerequisites for improving energy efficiency in Serbia is introducing energy management in cities and municipalities. This helps reduce costs and improves the environmental conditions in them - said Bojan Kovačić, deputy director in the Agency for energy efficiency of the Republic of Serbia.

Corporate social responsibility

Company Telenor organised previously, on March 24 in Belgrade, a round table on the topic of corporate social responsibility. Among other things, the attitude was expressed that CSR gains a completely new dimension in the context of sustainable business if we take in consideration climate changes, reduction of emission of gases and energy efficiency. It was said that those companies which want to raise the awareness about this issue need to go directly to their employees and customers. This represents a new approach to entrepreneurship that would bring this problem closer to citizens together with the motivation to do something about it themselves.

As examples of good practice Telenor presented through Climate Change Program, they emphasised - realisaton of recycling program, increasing the number of video conferencing and reducing the number of airplane flights, working in a green office, involving employees in environment protection activities. In this way other companies were given a nudge - how a responsible company can behave and in what way can they introduce products and services that are environmental friendly.

Energy passport for every building

Starting January 1st next year, every building in Belgrade including those that are still under construction, will have to have energy passport. This document will state how much energy the building spends and how much it saves. The owners who do not have the energy passport will not be able to sell or rent their buildings and new buildings won't be able to get the necessary permissions.

Acording to "Blic" daily, the Ministry for environmental protection and spacial planning formed working bodies that will publish Rules and regulations about energy efficient buildings. They will state certain characteristics a building has to posses in order to get the energy passport and the current estimate is that only 10 per cent of buildings in Belgrade could get this document.

Energy passports will be issued by licensed companies working on engineering or construction and whose employees possess a certificate of the Engineering Chamber of Serbia. Depending on overall consumption and savings, passports will be of different categories - A to G.

Results for the upcoming generations

Energy saving, that is energy efficiency and its results are visible for a longer period of time and it is most probable that only some future generations will be able to testify about the effects of the activities that individuals, organisations and companies undertake today. It seems that in Serbia there is still not a high level of awareness of this issue but also that more is being done to educate people and to try to change some bad habits. Maybe it is exactly that that is a small step for a man but a big one for humanity.



(Published: 12.07.2010.)