First PV system in rural BiH installed thanks to crowdfunding campaign

The first photovoltaic (PV) system in a rural area in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) has been installed on the roof of the Visitor Center Pecka near the city of Mrkonjić Grad thanks to an online crowdfunding campaign that attracted donors from the country, the region, and all over the world.

During the crowdfunding campaign, which was completed two years ago, 226 individuals and organizations donated a total of USD 6,687 for installing solar panels and thermal collectors at the visitor center in the village of Pecka.

The money raised was sufficient to install solar thermal collectors for 300 liters of water and part of the planned PV panels for electricity generation, as was the goal of the crowdfunding campaign, the organizers said.

The entire planned PV system requires a total of USD 13,000

Deploying the entire planned PV system, with a capacity of 5.4 kWp, requires a total of USD 13,000, and the second phase of the project should be implemented with the support of associations and businesses.

The initiative, titled Solar Pecka, was launched by the Visitor Center Pecka from Mrkonjić Grad and environmental organization the Center for Environment (CZŽS) from Banjaluka.

Solar Pecka shows that sustainable citizen energy projects are feasible in BiH

Solar Pecka is a pioneering project which demonstrates that sustainable citizen energy projects in BiH are feasible despite numerous financial, technical, and regulatory challenges, says Nestor Ruiz, coordinator for the Solar Pecka initiative at the CZŽS.

According to him, BiH has enough sunshine, and it is now obvious, too, that its citizens have the will for such projects. He added it is now time to call for regulatory changes that would make citizen energy available across the country.

An excellent example of a solution for harmful energy sources such as small hydropower plants

Jelena Ivanić, coordinator for the Save the Blue Heart of Europe campaign at the CZŽS, says that Solar Pecka is an excellent example of a solution for harmful energy sources such as small hydropower plants.