What is energy efficiency? How can we help consumers better understand and achieve greater energy efficiency? How can I reduce the costs of my business with the help of energy efficiency? How can I save energy and take better care of my environment? These are all questions that have been asked by legislators and consumers in the last few years, all of whom understand how important energy efficiency is and how much each individual can contribute to it.
The questions became even more topical with the adoption of the new Energy Law, and we tried to answer some of them at a workshop organized by the Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Mining and Energy for the implementation of the new Energy Law, National Energy Efficiency Action Plan and Directive on Renewable Energy Sources (TAEERES). On that occasion, tools, instructions, manuals, websites and other materials available in the European Union, and serve to facilitate the work of participants in the process of implementing energy efficiency policy.
The expert team presented the results of the TAEERES project research, which provided a huge amount of information on what is available in the European Union and how it can be used to implement energy efficiency policies. The conclusion is that there are many materials channels, as well as on different levels of complexity, so that they can be used by everyone - from experts and creators of energy efficiency policy, through those who should implement it, to end-users and consumers. In particular, there are manuals and sophisticated tools created for state administration and local authorities, then those that can be used by energy producers and other industries, small and medium enterprises, as well as very simple instructions intended for citizens who have yet to "become" energy efficient. Only if all partners follow how the process takes place and constantly improve the segments in which problems occur, it is possible to implement the policy of energy efficiency and rational energy consumption consistently and efficiently.
"The key task before choosing measures is to determine the priorities of energy efficiency policy in Serbia, in order to select adequate materials based on that” said Dr. Monique Vogt, the project expert. Explaining the novelties of the Law on Energy Efficiency and Rational Use of Energy, Branislava Lepotić Kovačević, said that the Directorate for Energy Efficiency has been established and will institutionally deal with defining, achieving, and monitoring the realization of energy efficiency goals.
"The goal is to use the tools in the most efficient way to achieve the desired results, and therefore when choosing tools, we should focus on those that will lead us to it with the least risk and the greatest profit," said Mirjana Stamenic, project coordinator.
The support of the European Union to energy in Serbia is worth more than 830 million euros for the period from 2007 until today. Energy is in the focus of the EU because it has an extremely large effect on all other sectors in society. EU projects in the field of energy reduce dependence on fossil fuels, increase the use of renewable energy sources, as well energy efficiency.