The City of Bijeljina remains committed to energy efficiency. After completing both phases of the works to improve energy efficiency at the branch of the Primary School ‘Sveti Sava’ in Batković, funded by Swiss Caritas and the City of Bijeljina, heating using a heat pump has been introduced in this school. The total value of the works amounted to BAM 201,149.03, with the City of Bijeljina contributing around BAM 100,000.00.
 
“It is crucial for us to fulfil the three E’s - ecological acceptability, economic efficiency, and energy efficiency, and that remains our ongoing goal, both concerning individual and multi-family residential buildings, as well as other buildings throughout Semberija. The heat pump alone would not be sufficient here to obtain an energy efficiency certificate; it was necessary to carry out works on the facade, replace windows in the school's gym, and other related tasks. The progress achieved through these efforts is significant, and we genuinely want our children to have the best possible conditions to achieve the best results,” said Mayor Ljubiša Petrović on this occasion.
 
He also added that the City of Bijeljina is committed to continuing the renewal of school buildings, because the situation on the ground indicates that numerous primary and secondary school buildings need to be renovated as soon as possible. For this purpose, significant financial resources will be allocated this year, and he announced that a list of schools to be reconstructed this year will be published soon.
 
Representatives of Caritas and the City Department of Social Affairs have visited all schools in the previous period to determine the needs for reconstruction and prioritize which buildings should be addressed first. Based on the collected data, there are already plans for this year to install heat pumps in addition to the existing solid fuel boilers in the Primary School ‘Ćirilo i Metodije’ in Glavičice. This approach aims to achieve greater energy efficiency and reduce air pollution, along with the renovation of the facade by incorporating insulation materials.
 
Fuad Imamović, the project manager for energy efficiency at Swiss Caritas, reminded that Caritas, in collaboration with the City of Bijeljina, last year, repaired the school in Brodac using the same approach. He stated that this is a continuation of successful cooperation.
 
“This marks the completion of the energy efficiency retrofitting process, following the insulation of the annex and gym, replacement of windows in the gym, and the insulation of the roof slab on the main school building. Subsequently, a heat pump was installed, rendering the coal-fired boiler, which consumed approximately 60 tons of coal in previous years, unnecessary. This move reduces carbon dioxide emissions to zero and cuts energy costs, making this investment expected to pay off in around 6 years,” concluded Imamović.
 
Principal of Primary School ‘Sveti Sava’ in Bijeljina, which also includes the branch school in Batković, Vladimir Vulović, expressed gratitude to Caritas and the City of Bijeljina for recognizing and choosing this particular school for the implementation of the project.
 
“Our school was previously heated using coal, costing us about BAM 11,000 annually. I am confident that the introduction of the new heating system will significantly ease the financial situation of the school. Additionally, the ecological aspect of this project is precious to us, as it will have favourable effects not only on our 118 students and school staff but also on the entire local community,” said Vulović.
 
The City of Bijeljina and Swiss Caritas have signed an annex to the cooperation agreement on improving energy efficiency, officially announcing the continuation of collaboration in this area. An amount of 100,000 convertible marks will be allocated from the city budget for this purpose in 2024.