Karpoš municipality invests in geothermal heating

Local authority of a district in the capital city of Skopje extended the project for autonomous heating in primary schools. Stevčo Jakimovski, head of the Municipality of Karpoš, presented the sixth completed system, based on geothermal pumps, in school Vera Ciciviri – Trena. All six facilities were refurbished and got thermal shells and new windows, reducing energy consumption by 60%, he said.

The investment in the school from the local government amounts to MKD 4.5 million (EUR 73,000) and it is estimated it will be returned in three years, according to Jakimovski. “The Municipality of Karpoš, as a major power consumer, will probably have the right from June 1 to secure supply on its own on the market. In that case, the electrical energy costs in schools and all facilities the local authority has will drop by three times,” he stressed.

The implementation of the energy efficiency project in the last school is expected to bring down heating costs to EUR 8,000 a year. Four more primary schools will get own heating based on renewables, according to project schedule. Jakimovski announced the launch of a makeover of 14 residential buildings’ shells in September, after their tenants associations applied for funds.