A new roadmap for the Balkan+ region on nearly zero public buildings hopes to facilitate broader and vital discussions among policymakers and experts in the region.
Public buildings are responsible for almost 30-60 percent of energy consumption in the Balkans+ region, making them one of the largest energy consumers. On their path to join the EU, the Balkan countries need to implement the nearly zero-energy building (NZEB) concept for the public buildings introduced by the European Union.
In the last decade, many NZEB projects in Europe have been successfully completed, providing valuable insights and lessons for future efforts. The Balkans+ region has a unique opportunity to draw upon other countries’ experiences and best practices. A sub-regional road map entitled ‘Towards a nearly zero-energy pathway for the public buildings sector in the Balkans+ region’ was published with this in mind.
It is essential to define NZEB at the national level
The report specifically explores the potential for NZEBs in both, new constructions and existing public buildings in the Balkans+ region and offers recommendations for achieving alignment with the EU acquis on energy efficiency standards for public buildings. It specifically concerns Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Republic of Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.
With potential energy savings in public buildings reaching up to 50 percent, various interventions could lead to substantial reductions in energy use. These savings could result in lower energy costs and increased energy security.
Recommendations for scaling up include improving general awareness of the benefits of energy efficiency investments and available options, collecting and improving the quality of data, building administrative and market capacities and increasing access to financing. Furthermore, necessary fuel shifts for buildings must be understood, specifically the required large-scale rollout of heat pumps or other alternatives.
Large portfolio of energy efficiency projects in the region
Energy efficiency is one of priorities of UNDP – Slovak Ministry of Finance partnership in the region. This road map comes out as part of the wider efforts. A large part of the support is used for auditing the condition of buildings and preparing investment and financial plans for renovations. Several studies have already been carried out on the renovation of buildings and other renewable energy sources through the Resource Mobilization Facility under Public and Private Finance for Development programme. One of the projects, for example, includes the decarbonization of Pljevlja in Montenegro.
Roadmap: Towards a Nearly Zero-Energy Pathway for the Public Buildings Sector in the Balkans+ Region was published as a follow-up to the successful 1st UNDP Knowledge Symposium on Energy Efficiency in Buildings held in 2023, hosted by UNDP Serbia. The symposium was supported by the governments of Slovakia, Germany and Japan under UNDP’s Climate Promise. You can read more about the symposium here: https://bit.ly/MFSR_EEimpact.
