REPLACE campaigns in KAGoP region started in February 2021 and have since then involved citizens and professionals in the topic of sustainable heating and cooling.
In May 2021, the info hub in the municipality of Gjorce Petrov was officially introduced to the citizens. SDEWES-Skopje in cooperation with representatives of the Energy Efficiency Sector in the municipality made this corner available to all interested parties and will assist with the initiatives to replace the existing inefficient heating and cooling system with environmentally friendly solutions. Representatives from the residential sector shared onsite existing examples of houses and buildings where such replacement campaigns would be useful. Beside the official opening in the municipality of Gjorche Petrov, an info hub was established in the municipality of Aerodrom earlier in April, and a virtual info hub is operating.
In June 2021, the first of three webinars was organized on the “Overview of sustainable technologies and examples of good practices for replacement of heating and cooling systems”. Attended online by about 20 participants e.g. from municipalities, non-governmental organizations, the energy agency, and private companies, the SDEWES team nevertheless did not want to exclude the opportunity to organize an onsite event where participants can face to face exchange experiences and be up to date with the state-of the-art sustainable heating and cooling systems. On June 25, 2021 SDEWES-Skopje organized the second webinar from the REPLACE campaigns by inviting the prominent expert and professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Zagreb, Croatia, prof. Dr. Neven Duic to emphasize the need for decarbonization of the heating sector at national level, focusing on the region that is part of the REPLACE project. This event was attended by more than 30 key stakeholders, representing the KAGoP region, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Environment, City of Skopje, Energy Agency, UNDP, MANU, FEEIT, BEG MEPSO, EBRD, as well as non-governmental organizations and companies in the field of RES heating and cooling. The event will be continued online in a second part in order to promote the REPLACE project, its effective campaigns and tools to a broader audience.
By the end November, the third webinar is planned to be completed, presenting the REPLACE your heating system calculator as well as the heating matrices for a quick and easy check of suitable technologies to a broad audience, with an emphasis on consumers as well as on intermediaries. And more campaigns are coming, like an open day for best practice examples or the possibility to take part in feasibility studies with the REPLACE calculator.