Posted on : 12/8/2018

In the period from 12th to 15th November 2018, a study visit to Croatia on the topic of energy management in the public sector was organized for representatives of three designated four self-government units which are, in accordance with the Law on Efficient Use of Energy, obliged to introduce the energy management system. The following representatives of cities of Leskovac, Niš, Novi Sad i Bačka Palanka participated in the study tour:

1. Aleksandra Sojilković, energy manager of the City of Leskovac;

2. Dragan Videnović, advisor in Local economic development unit of the City of Leskovac; 

3. Keti Gavrilović, advisor in Local economic development unit of the City of Leskovac;

4. Aleksandar Petrović, advisor in Local economic development unit of the City of Leskovac;

5. Ljubiša Mladenović, advisor in Local economic development unit of the City of Leskovac;

6. Aleksandar Ašonja, director of Energy Agency of NovI Sad i energy manager of the City of Novi Sad;

7. Rade Pekez, associate in Energy Agency of Novi Sad;

8. Ivan Knežević, associate in Energy Agency of Novi Sad;

9. Branko Andrejević, energy manager of the City of Niš;

10. Marko Cvejić, associate for energy management, City of Niš;

11. Ana Fekete, energy manager of the Municipality of Bačka Palanka.

The aim of the visit was for professionals from local self-government units to be acquainted with practices in energy management and utilization of the Energy Management Information System in the Republic of Croatia, more particularly at the level of municipalities, cities, and counties.

The study visit to Croatia was organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) within the project “Removing Barriers to Promote and Support Energy Management System in Municipalities throughout Serbia”.

The development path of the energy management system in Croatia was launched nine years ago within a similar project, ”Removing Barriers to Energy Efficiency in Croatia”, implemented by the UNDP Country Office in Croatia. For the purpose of this project, UNDP developed a specialized information system, i.e. the Energy Management Information System (EMIS) which was later assumed by similar UNDP projects world-wide. Following the implementation of local adjustments, these information systems are now successfully used in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Ukraine, and Armenia.

The participants spent their first day of the study tour at a working meeting in Zagreb. The meeting was hosted by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Protection – Ekonerg, in the premises of which a meeting was also organized with representatives of the Agency for legal transactions and brokerage (APN). The APN Department for systematic energy management implements the EMIS on behalf of the state of Croatia. The participants were addressed by Iva Fakin, APN assistant director, who presented work of APN, development of the EMIS and results of its implementation in Croatia, the mobile EMIS application, and Croatian experiences in implementation of energy efficiency projects financed from the Croatian Fund for environmental protection and energy efficiency. The participants were also addressed by Danilo Kosorić, EMIS administrator, who spoke about technical aspects of the on-line metering and data transfer to EMIS, and conveyed Croatian experiences in establishment of these advanced functions of the system. 

Following the APN representatives, the participants in the meeting were addressed on behalf of the host by Krešimir Brckan, director of the Department for maintenance management systems, who delivered a presentation on Ekonerg Institute. This institute used to operate within Croatian Electric Power Industry (HEP); following its separation, it excelled as the leading research, designing, and consulting company focused on energy and utility infrastructure, as well as environmental protection. Company Ekonerg was presented by Krešimir Brckan, manager of the Department for maintenance management systems. The core activities of the company are research, designing, construction, development of measuring systems, laboratory analyses, management, maintenance, and decommissioning of large plants. Besides, the company has a developed IT sector which is active in development of various IT systems, among others the energy consumption monitoring and management systems.

Having in mind that company Ekonerg is the main designer of the EMIS system, the participants in the study tour took the opportunity to have an interactive discussion with IT experts Hrvoje Tonković and Arsen Torbarina on concrete issues in relation to implementation of the energy management information system. A separate topic in the discussion related to entering and monitoring of data in relation to solid fuel consumption in public facilities, for which the town of Leskovac has developed its own methodology.

On the second day of the study tour of Croatia, the participants visited Koprivnica, more precisely the department of the Sjever University in Koprivnica. They were welcomed on behalf of the City of Koprivnica by Ksenija Ostriž, Deputy Mayor, who emphasized that Koprivnica is exceptionally active in utilization of EU funds for financing of projects in the area of energy efficiency and renewable energy sources, which is why she could offer a lot of useful information to Serbian guests. The working meeting was continued with the address of Jurica Perko, who delivered a presentation of the Regional energy agency Sjever. The Agency was founded in 2009 as a public, independent, and non-profit institution, within the programme Intelligent Energy Europe, by the cities of Koprivnica, Varaždin, and Virovitica, with the aim to provide support, consultations, and services in the area of energy to all stakeholders in northern Croatia. The very establishment and the first three years of work of the Agency were financed by the EU. At the moment, financing of regular activities of the Agency is enabled though city budgets of the founding towns. The Agency also earns separate income through providing its services at the free market. The core activities of the Agency include implementation of projects in the area of renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and rational use of energy, as well as environmental protection. Activities implemented by the Agency comprise development, preparation, and implementation of national and EU projects; energy audits of buildings in the public and private sector; thermovision audits; composition of plans for analysis of systematic energy management; composition of energy balances, sustainable energy development action plans, different programmes, and studies; advisory services and technical assistance to the public and private sector; organization and implementation of national and international educational workshops, seminars, and conferences in relation to renewable energy sources, energy efficiency, and rational use of energy, and raising of public awareness on energy efficiency and renewable energy sources. The participants were also addressed by project leaders Boris Kuharić and Zvonimir Perko who presented the project of innovative models for financing of local energy projects through the revolving fund, and the project of introduction of electric cars in Koprivnica. After the meetings, the participants in the study tour visited the premises of Sjever University, which were subjected to full energy rehabilitation and on which various energy efficiency measures were applied, both on the building envelope, and thermo-technical and electric installation. The University buildings used to be military barracks, while nowadays these are modern facilities in energy efficiency class A. After the tour of the campus, the participants had the opportunity to see the electric vehicle charging system, while they were also organized a demonstration ride in the electric vehicle owned by the city of Koprivnica. The visit was concluded by the tour of the first passive house in Koprivnica which falls in energy efficiency class A++ and the Green quarter, a complex of highly efficient residential facilities, the so-called “Šparne hiže” in energy class A+. Construction of these facilities was financed by the town of Koprivnica, while the flats within them are intended for the market.

On the third day of the study tour, the participants visited city of Varaždin, more precisely the central complex of the Sjever University. The guests were welcomed by Nikolina Hojsak, Senior officer with the Office for EU funds, development projects, and cooperation with the economy. Having welcomed the participants, she briefly presented the Sjever University, which is the youngest state university in Croatia, founded in 2015, which also comprises the departments in Varaždin and Koprivnica. Both towns ceded buildings formerly used as military barracks to the University; after detailed reconstruction and energy rehabilitation, they were transformed into buildings in which lectures are held within basic and doctoral studies. Besides the representative of the University, the meeting was also attended by Filip Kišiček, representative of the company Mipcro d.o.o. This company conducted energy rehabilitation of the University building in Varaždin according to performance contracting model (ESCO project).  He explained the legal framework for implementation of ESCO projects in Croatia to the guests from Serbia, and presented the so-far results in implementation of this model of financing of energy efficiency projects. Attention of the participants was particularly kindled by the presentation of concrete experiences in implementation of public procurement procedures for purchase of energy services, implementation of works, monitoring, and verification of savings, as well as issues in practice and manners to overcome them. After the presentation, the participants visited the buildings which were subject to energy rehabilitation, and ascertained effectiveness of this manner of financing of energy efficiency projects in the public sector.

Presentations:

1. Systemic energy management in the public sector of the Republic of Croatia, Iva Fakin, Iva Fakin;

2. Mobile application of the Energy Management Information System, Iva Fakin;

3. Remote reading of energy and water consumption, Danilo Kosorić

4. Presentation of Ekonerg, Krešimir Brckan 

5. REA Energy efficiency projects, Jurica Perko;

6. REA Systemic energy management, Jurica Perko;

7. Innovative financing models for financing energy efficiency projects – energy revolving fund, Boris Kuharić;

8. Total cost of electrical vehicles, Zvonimir Perko.