Energy efficiency is a term, increasingly used in everyday business and public sector, and the same represents one of the novelties that should make a significant difference and improve the quality of life. Currently, there are many seminars and conferences in Bosnia and Herzegovina with this topic. However, we are not yet convinced the same has shown its true importance. Mostly when discussing this topic, the discussion remains at the point that energy efficiency as a way of thinking and functioning represent an extremely useful milestone and that it requires more investments and proper implementation in the future.
The importance of energy efficiency clearly stems from the relatively new rules of the European Union in the form of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, which has introduced some innovations in addition to existing rules, and all Member States have to transpose the Directive into their national laws by 10 March 2020.
Therefore, EU Member States are required to adopt long-term renovation strategies with an aim of providing a highly efficient and fully decarbonized construction sector by 2050 as well as provisions linking financing to renovation along with other provisions to maximize the impact in this area. It should not be neglected that this Directive indirectly affects countries in the EU accession process, as they will need to adopt strategies in this area that will determine which position they will take in case of a renovation in the future, if their energy efficiency policies are to be implemented in line with EU policy.
The Republic of Srpska has adopted an Energy Efficiency Action Plan until 2018, so a new plan has to be prepared and the same will be aligned with the goals for the next three years. Local communities are also adopting a three-year Energy Efficiency Action Plan, and recently such an Action Plan has been adopted for the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On the FBIH Environmental Fund’s website, the most recent news on energy efficiency dates back to 2017, which is not commendable, but in the Republic of Srpska the Environmental and Energy Efficiency Fund nevertheless has a much more active role in this regard. The public was informed that the training program for persons performing energy audits of buildings had been completed and that the participants successfully passed the exam, as well as that the Fund had allocated funds for the improvement of energy efficiency with regard to the project of modernization of heating and equipment of the hospital ” Sv apostol Luka” in Doboj . This kind of news indicates this field is not completely neglected in our society, and those who are better informed about this sector could certainly point some other striking examples. Like so, the City of Sarajevo has opened the Office for Energy Efficiency of the City of Sarajevo as one of the measures defined in the adopted Energy Sustainable Development Action Plan (SEAP), which aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 20% by 2020 through informative and actual project measures. As part of that project, a brochure of 200 EE tips on how to utilize energy more efficiently, live better quality and pay less was also published.
Even though the energy efficiency from the point of view of any person in RS/BIH definitely does not retain the same importance as some other issues (or even existential issues) it nevertheless fulfils a significant role and the practical energy efficiency requirements may very soon knock on our door as one of the desirable requirements. In addition, what might sound tempting to us remain definitely the fact that energy efficiency is one of the modern forms of savings – and who in our area is immune to it?
