Bosnia: Solar Water Heaters

Solar water-heating systems will lead to lower carbon emissions, less pollution and better economic opportunities in the Tuzla area. Photo: courtesy of Flickr

The town of Tuzla in Bosnia is now is now leading the way in proving the effectiveness of solar energy thanks to the backing of the Solar Water Heater project.

The town has one of the most air-polluted climates in Bosnia and Herzegovina as a result of poorly regulated emissions from the town's coal-fired power plant and local chemical plants.

The economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina is still recovering from the war and unemployment is high (official unemployment figures are at least 40 percent). There is a highly skilled local labor force, but little history of entrepreneurialism as a result of the previous Communist administration. As a result, widespread problems such as pollution go unaddressed by communities that lack a starting point for action.

The aim of the Solar Water Heaters project was to stimulate a demand for cheaper and cleaner energy from households, public buildings and small businesses that require constant supplies of hot water. This would then be matched this with an increased supply of renewable energy products by encouraging small businesses and entrepreneurs to set up production facilities. So far, solar collectors have been installed in the Banja LLidza Medical Centre, a meat processing company and four private residences.

"This is the first and very significant step in use of solar energy for water heating," said Dr. Enes Tokic, the medical center's director. "We will in the future expand this system, which will provide its energy and economic savings, and will surely significantly reduce air pollution."

The awareness campaign — consisting of news items in local TV and print media — has successfully created a thriving market for the heaters, so much so that the initial pilot project in Tuzla has led to a new production facility in the nearby city of Gradacac. This factory is currently supporting three families with full-time jobs and apprenticing 15 previously-unemployed youth from the area. After three months of intensive training, they will have the skills to build solar collectors and open their own businesses.

The project has demonstrated that renewable energy has a bright future in Bosnia. It has shown that solar heaters are an affordable option for the majority of the community, that they reduce energy costs for households and businesses and that they have the potential for creating significant numbers of jobs in the emerging “green technology” market. All that plus reduced air pollution!