According to Serbian newspapers, five heating plants are considering having part of the heating energy produced from renewable sources through the Program of Renewable Sources in Remote Heating and Cooling in the Western Balkans. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Austrian government have set aside 4 million euros for grants for this purpose. Heating plants in Pancevo, Bor and Novi Sad are considering the use of large solar facilities instead of gas or coal, while those in Valjevo and Sabac are considering using heat pumps, which would use the heat from waste water treatment facilities. Head of the project Bojan Bogdanovic said that world practice shows that the energy mix should be diversified and that heat should be provided from as many different renewable sources as possible, adding that this will enable more secure delivery of heating, allowing the heating plants to choose which energy source to use in real time.
This also saves money, as the prices of producing heating energy vary throughout the heating season. Solar facilities can cover up to 50 % of the total energy needs of a system. Solar panels would be accompanied by reservoirs where water would be heated to 90 degrees until October, making it ready for a safe and economical start of the season.
