New European Bauhaus Prizes 2023

Concept category

Identify the award category for which this concept is being submitted
Reconnecting with nature

Email user
dinodurmisevic98@gmail.com

Basic information
Concept title
Solar Power plant - Fojnica/Sarajevo

Full Concept Title
Solar Power Plant near Sarajevo that will help the city air pollution to decrease, by Rennergy doo.

Please provide a short, catchy description of your concept to be used in communication towards the public
Rennergy is a startup found in 2022, from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that will impact the whole concept of creating electricity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Due to the fact that the country relies on coal and wood for heating, and coal for electricity production, the cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina are among the most polluted in the world during the winter months. Bosnia and Herzegovina has the fifth highest death rate from air pollution, and this is especially emphasized in the capital.

What was the geographical scope of your concept?
Local

Where was your concept implemented?
Member State(s) and Western Balkans
Bosnia and Herzegovina

If relevant, insert names of region(s)/municipality(ies) involved
Central Bosnia Canton
Sarajevo Canton

Does your concept address mainly urban or rural issues?
It addresses urban-rural linkages

Does your concept refer to a physical transformation of the built environment or other types of transformations (hard or soft investments)?
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)

Has your concept benefited from EU programmes and/or funds?
No

Has your concept won an EU prize with a monetary value awarded?
No

On whose behalf are you submitting the application?
As an individual
Social Media accounts (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc.)
- URL: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dino-durmi%C5%A1evi%C4%87-b63a80183/
In case my concept is selected as a finalist of the NEB Prizes 2023, I agree to share the name (individual and/or organisation’s), email address, website and social media accounts indicated above with other NEB Prizes finalists. I also agree to publish the name (individual and/or organisation’s), website and social media accounts indicated above next to the public description of my concept in the channels of the European Commission
Yes

How did you hear about the New European Bauhaus Prizes?
Social Media

Description of the concept
Please provide a summary of your concept.
Rennergy is a startup found in 2022, from Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, that will impact the whole concept of creating electricity in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Due to the fact that the country relies on coal and wood for heating, and coal for electricity production, the cities of Bosnia and Herzegovina are among the most polluted in the world during the winter months. Bosnia and Herzegovina has the fifth highest death rate from air pollution, and this is especially emphasized in the capital of Sarajevo. During the winter months, Sarajevo has worst air pollution than Delhi, Lahore, Wuhan or many other cities known to have highly polluted air. Through developing a network of solar power plants in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and raising awareness through different projects (social media, podcasts, blogs), we will try to change the state of mind in this country, that the solar electricity production is harmful for people or wildlife. Bosnia and Herzegovina produces electricity by burning lignite, a low-quality coal that pollutes the environment, which is abundant throughout the country in outdated coal-fired power plants. Pollution is also contributed by the use of coal, wood and other plant materials used for heating, as well as poor thermal insulation of buildings. Residents who live near some of the five coal-fired plants say their friends, family members and neighbors have died from cancer and cardiovascular or respiratory diseases they attribute to or believe were exacerbated by pollution from the nearby plants. Health workers testify to increased rates of respiratory problems in areas near thermal power plants.

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with 5 key words.
Solar Energy

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
Air pollution

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
Renewable Energy

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
Electricity

Please indicate the main themes of your concept with key words
Life standard

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept in terms of sustainability and how these have been met. Please highlight how the concept can be exemplary in this context.
Through developing our concept, we will meet the needs of both current and future generations to come. By starting a movement, and raising awareness about the negative consequences of the current trends of producing electricity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and promoting solar electricity production, we will move this country to becoming more sustainable than before. Also, by selling electricity to commercial/industry consumers, we will affect them and their business sustainability, and make them move towards having a 3Ps model (People, Planet, Profit), since it is not still developed well in Bosnia and Herzegovina. As a source of energy, nothing matches the sun. It out-powers anything that human technology could ever produce. Only a small fraction of the sun’s power output strikes the Earth, but even that provides 10,000 times as much as all the commercial energy that humans use on the planet.
We will positively impact job creation, less electricity will be lost by producing it through solar power, it has no sound, and it will not affect people, nature or wildlife on any possible way. Solar energy has the least negative impact on the environment compared to any other energy source. It does not produce greenhouse gases and does not pollute the water. It also requires very little water for its maintenance, unlike nuclear power plants for example, needing 20 times more water.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept in terms of aesthetics and quality of experience for people (through design, positive emotions and cultural benefits) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the concept can be exemplary in this context.
When it comes to aesthetics and quality of experience for people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, there is much we can do. As I have already mentioned, current state-of-mind of the people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially from rural areas, is that the electricity production from this low quality coal is less harmful for them and their livestock for example, than the solar power plants. This needs to be changes especially in the next 10 years, as we all need to contribute to the fact that Bosnia and Herzegovina is starting to becoming a European Union member state, and we all need to make this country as sustainable as it can be. We will raise awareness about this through social media projects, possible podcasts with experts from solar power industry. Also, we will try to make joint projects firstly with local authorities and then maybe with the country authorities towards promoting solar electricity creation.

Please give information about the key objectives of your concept in terms of inclusion (ranging from accessibility and affordability for all to inclusive governing systems, design for all principles or new societal models) and how these have been met. Please highlight how the concept can be exemplary in this context.
From the first project that will be implemented and start producing electricity in the summer of 2023, we will start the inclusion of solar energy importance within the society in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Methods of inclusion that we will use I have mentioned in the answers above. Also, besides those methods, we will provide support in terms of advises, consulting and needed information to all possible clients that want to do the same, since this is our goal. To increase the overall solar network in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Please explain the way citizens benefiting from or affected by the concept and civil society have been / will be involved in the concept and what has been / will be the impact of this involvement on the concept.
1. Clean energy: Solar power is a clean and renewable energy source that does not produce any greenhouse gas emissions or air pollutants. This can help to improve air quality and reduce the country's carbon footprint, which is beneficial for the environment and public health.
2. Energy independence: By producing its own energy, Bosnia can reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and foreign energy sources. This can help to improve energy security and reduce the country's vulnerability to fluctuations in energy prices.
3. Job creation: Building and operating solar power plants can create jobs in construction, engineering, and maintenance. This can help to boost the local economy and provide employment opportunities for the people of Bosnia.
4. Cost savings: Solar power can be more cost-effective than traditional energy sources in the long term. This can help to reduce energy costs for households and businesses and make energy more affordable for low-income households.
5. Environmental protection: Solar power plants can help to reduce the need for fossil fuels and therefore decrease the negative impacts of mining, drilling and other activities associated with them. This can help to conserve natural resources and protect natural habitats.
6. Education and awareness: Building and operating solar power plants can help to raise awareness of the benefits of clean energy and the importance of reducing dependence on fossil fuels. This can help to educate the public and promote a culture of sustainability.
7. Distributed Generation: Solar power plants can be built on a small scale, which means that they can be located closer to where the energy is needed. This can help to reduce transmission losses and improve the efficiency of the overall energy system

Please explain how different stakeholders at various levels (local, regional, national, European) were engaged in the design and development of the concept. Please highlight what the added value of their engagement was
We have different stakeholders but currently only at the regional level. Consultancy company that develops our feasibility study and writes a step-by-step plan to us, is from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Another stakeholder we will use is the construction company that will develop the construction side of our solar power plant in Turkovići, Fojnica. Third stakeholder is on the regional level, and that is the supplier of the Photovoltaic panels, Invertors, Cables, and everything else we need to start our solar power plant. Different companies on a regional level will work on a project in Bosnia and Herzegovina. We will also tend to spread our network for further projects.

Please explain which disciplines and / or knowledge fields were reflected in the design and development of your concept. Please explain how representatives of these different fields interacted with each other, and what the added value of this process was
Management of the company, securing a sustainable future, and ensuring long-term benefits and growth. My knowledge and experience of working already in an International energy consultancy company has helped me in this project. Also, the consultancy company I have used for this project has already regional experience in developing solar power plants. Construction company we are connected with also has knowledge of putting all of the pieces together to make the plant start functioning and producing electricity. At the end, suppliers that came from a regional level, only work with Photovoltaic panels and all additional equipment. Everyone interacts very well on a daily basis, and the added value of the process was that all of us increased our connections further more on a regional level, especially Rennergy which is a startup, and it is very important to us.

Please explain the innovative character of your concept when compared to mainstream actions in the field of the concept.
Solar power plants may be a mainstream in the countries of European Union, but in Bosnia and Herzegovina it is still not a case, even though we have one of the highest solar potentials in the world. Innovative character is that we will be highly engaged in the community, through live projects, social media and joint projects with the authorities, to raise awareness about solar electricity, and what can we benefit from it. I am sure that Rennergy can start one great story, and in the next 10 years, make Bosnia and Herzegovina a country known for the solar electricity production, sustainability and promoting environment protection.

Please which elements of your concept could be replicated or transferred to other places, groups of beneficiaries and contexts. This may involve, for example, aspects of the methodology, technology, processes, products, learnings, etc.
All elements of the concept can be replicated or transferred to other places. This includes methodology, technology, proceses, products, learnings and so on. I do not think this is bad at all. On the contrary, this is something Rennergy will thrive for. We will always share our experience, knowledge and information with possible new startups in the energy industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which is very undeveloped at the moment. We are all working together toward a mutual benefit.

Please explain what kind of global challenges the concept addresses by providing local solutions
As a renewable source of power, solar energy has an important role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and mitigating climate change, which is critical to protecting humans, wildlife, and ecosystems. Solar energy can also improve air quality and reduce water use from energy production. Because ground-mounted photovoltaics (PV) and concentrating solar-thermal power installations require the use of land, sites need to be selected, designed, and managed to minimize impacts to local wildlife, wildlife habitat, and soil and water resources. As long as there is sunshine, solar energy can be deployed anywhere. This is particularly useful for remote regions with no access to any other source of electricity. There is a vast amount of people around the world with no access to electricity. Independent solar systems could be deployed in those regions and improve the lives of millions of people.

Please attach the development plan of your concept. This plan should detail the plans you have for the further development and implementation of your concept, with a particular attention to the steps envisaged in the year following the application. The plan should also include envisaged results and benefits from the concept for direct and indirect beneficiaries. The results and benefits should be specified in relation to the objectives of the concept, and to what is expected in the context of the respective category

Fojnica, BH - Solar power plant project.docx
Please attach at least one high resolution image or visual representation of your concept to your application.
If you would like to upload additional documentation, please upload or write below
- Rennergy d.o.o. - Business Plan 2023.docx
By submitting your application you confirm that you are the copyright owner of the images provided and that they can be used by the European Commission for the purposes of promoting the New European Bauhaus on all platforms (websites, print, social media and other).
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that you are not in in one or more of the exclusion situations foreseen under Article 136 of the Financial Regulation.
Yes

By submitting this application, I declare that I am not related to the entities subject to EU restricted measures under Article 29 of the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and subject to Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU)1, and entities covered by Commission Guidelines No 2013/C 205/05), which are not eligible to participate in any capacity.
Yes

By ticking this box, you declare that all the information provided in this form is factually correct, that you assume sole liability in the event of a claim relating to the activities carried out in the framework of the contest, that the proposed concept has not been proposed for the New European Bauhaus Prizes in any other category or strand and that it has not been subject to any type of investigation, which could lead to a financial correction because of irregularities or fraud.
Yes

By submitting your application, you guarantee that you are the author or have the rights to proceed with the application and to authorise the use of the concept, initiative, and that you have obtained any necessary consents, licenses or assignments from third parties and included copyright notices when necessary.
Yes

By submitting your application, you understand that all the applications that meet the eligibility requirements will be shared for the purposes of the selection processes, and notably published on the secured platform prizes.new-european-bauhaus.eu and for the purposes of the promotion of these on the New European Bauhaus website and/or other European Commission communication channels. In this sense, the applications would be widely available. Applicants should ensure that they present their concepts, concepts, in such a way that they could be shared without giving rise to intellectual property related concerns. If your submission is selected as one of the finalists, it will additionally be shared for the purpose of the public vote that will take place. The European Union is granted a licence to use and share your application with the general public and the official external experts for the purposes of the selection process, including the voting. The European Union has the right to use the images and visual materials and the description provided in the application for communication purposes related to the contest and beyond. Rights granted comprise the right to store, reproduce, display, publish and communicate or distribute copies in electronic or digital format, including, but not only, through the internet. Unless you have disclosed your name, the European Commission has no obligation to share your name when using or disseminating your contribution to the public. The European Union cannot be held responsible in case any submitted concept, concept is found to infringe third party’s rights. The European Union shall be neither responsible for the use that third parties may do of the applications or related content.
Yes

By submitting your application, you acknowledge that you read and understand that the ‘Guide to Applicants’ of the NEB Prizes 2023, available online in the website of the NEB Prizes 2023, is an integral part of this application form and that it must therefore be observed when completing and submitting your application.
Yes