The Minister of Mining and Energy, Zorana Mihajlovic, said today that Serbia consumes four times more energy than the EU average, throwing away the annual production of one thermal power plant, because it does not deal enough with energy efficiency.
“On the other hand, we hear a lot about the use of renewable energy sources (RES), and we do not see real results, and our goal is for both the economy and citizens to produce energy and place it in the network,” said the Minister at the Serbian Chamber of Commerce who presented draft laws on renewable energy sources and on energy efficiency and rational use of energy.
She pointed out that the main goal of the new laws is to enable the economy and citizens to produce energy from renewable sources and to increase energy efficiency at the level of EU countries.
“With these laws, we want to be at the EU level in terms of energy efficiency in ten years, and at the same time work on reducing energy consumption. With these laws, we set renewable sources as our strategic goal because we want a green Serbia,” said Mihajlovic.
She added that the current share of RES in the total production of electricity is about 24 percent, with the largest part being large hydropower plants, while power plants that use wind, solar and biomass energy participate about four percent, and that the goal is to have at least 50 percent of energy in 2050 coming from renewable energy sources.
“One of the novelties is that consumers will be able to be energy producers, install solar panels on their houses or buildings, and on the one hand reduce their costs, as well as place excess energy in the network. We are also introducing auctions as a new model incentives, which will bring greater competition to producers,” said Mihajlovic.
According to her, energy efficiency is expected to become a national movement and the goal of the new law in this area is to enable citizens to use incentives to increase energy efficiency.
“Currently, there is a budget fund that has 1.2 to 4.2 million euros a year for municipalities and their projects, and the new law will enable citizens to get involved. The administration in the ministry will have fifteen million euros in the first year, after which the budget will be used. Our intention is to use this law to enable citizens to replace doors and windows, to improve the insulation of facades and to make greater progress in the field of energy efficiency,” said Mihajlovic.
Advisor to the President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Miroslav Lutovac, said that with the new law on renewable energy sources, a real boom in the construction of solar panels is expected.
“I expect that, in addition to the economy, citizens will also find their interest in using these technologies and that micro-production will be an important generator of energy production from RES,” he said, eKapija reports.
