In the first of a series of interviews with members of the Advisory Board of WISE Serbia, Balkan Green Energy News published a conversation with our director Ankica Barbulov, founder of Negawatt Solutions and an expert in the field of energy efficiency.
Ankica shared her experience in the development of ESCO projects, which are crucial for improving energy efficiency and implementing green technologies in Serbia. Throughout her career, Ankica has worked on popularizing the ESCO model, which was first introduced in Slovenia in 2012 when Slovenian energy companies and technology manufacturers recognized the need to improve energy efficiency. Although the Slovenian market was relatively small, it quickly became clear that this model needed to be applied in Serbia as well. Ankica was among the first people to convince companies that the Serbian market had the potential for this approach.
Although the sale of ESCO services in Serbia became possible only in 2013, when the Law on Efficient Energy Use was adopted, Ankica and her team managed to secure the first projects in 2016, thus opening the door for the development of the ESCO market in Serbia.
Ankica also reflected on the importance of women’s roles in the energy sector, emphasizing how through the WISE Serbia network she mentors young female engineers, helping them recognize their potential and become leaders in the industry.