Written by Marin Petrovic, ENOVA-Consultants and Engineers, Bosnia and Herzegovina

In recent years, people more often talk about the quality of life which is closely associated with a set of appropriate actions and measures aimed at preventing the pollution of the environment. Among the measures that contribute to a higher quality of life, at least in the aspect of environmental protection and health, as well as reducing energy consumption, are energy efficiency improvement measures.

About 40% of final energy is consumed within the building sector, out of which the residential sector accounts for 26.8%. Therefore, appropriate measures are needed in order to reduce unnecessary energy consumption and rationalize the use of available sources in this sector. Construction of buildings and modes of heating used earlier were careless about energy savings. As a result, inefficient use of energy in combination with the trend of steady growth in energy prices is increasingly burdening low income households.

Two dominant and closely related problems the world faces today are the lack of uncertainty in energy supply on the one hand, and environmental pollution and climate change as a result of excessive energy consumption on the other hand. One of the ways to reduce negative impacts and positively influence sustainable development is the efficient use of energy. Energy efficiency makes us less vulnerable to energy shortages, reduces pollution and directly affects the improvement of living conditions.

Residential Energy Efficiency for Low Income Households (REELIH) is a project implemented in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2013 by Habitat for Humanity International in cooperation with Enova Consultants & Engineers, local consultancy company, with the financial support from USAID. REELIH is the first project in Bosnia and Herzegovina aimed at increasing energy efficiency in the residential sector while reducing energy consumption and emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere. Given the complex economic and social situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which largely restricts the implementation of appropriate energy efficiency measures, a special focus of the project is to assist households with low incomes in improving their standard of living through establishment of a sustainable financial model.

The main focus of the project is the people. People's lives are taking place at the local level. That is why the energy efficiency measures are best implemented at the local level and thus directly affect the quality of life of individuals in society. All our efforts are focusing on combatting energy poverty so that families should get warmer homes and save money on their heating bills as a result of the retrofitting of their buildings.

In order to share experience gained in contacts with various stakeholders both at the national and European level, we have decided to launch a corresponding website to encourage further exchange of experience among all relevant stakeholders in the residential energy efficiency. The website will provide homeowner associations and other stakeholders with practical information on how to commence the implementation of certain energy efficiency measures.

Because we all want to get warm homes!

Marin Petrovic, PhD in Mechanical Engineering joined REELIH Bosnia and Herzegovina team in 2013 through Enova Consultants & Engineers. Currently, he works as a Consultant in Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Sources, as well as an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering Faculty of the University of Sarajevo. Marin has 12 years of working experience in commercial and academic sectors in Western Balkan countries as well as in Ireland on several research projects with the completion of a PhD degree at University College Dublin, Ireland. He has planned and successfully implemented more than 50 projects, published 1 university book and 12 papers in scientific journals, participated in 10 scientific conferences.