As part of the project “Promotion of Energy Efficiency and Use of Renewable Energy Sources in the Bačka Region”, implemented by the Regional Development Agency Bačka and supported by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, representatives of the media from Vojvodina had the opportunity to visit successful examples of sustainable energy practices in the Zlatibor region, including the City of Užice and the Municipality of Čajetina, during a two-day field trip on June 16 and 17, 2025.

On the first day of the visit, the delegation visited the Energy Advisory Center of the City of Užice, where Svetlana Drakul, Head of the Department for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, presented long-standing experience in implementing local subsidies for energy renovation of family houses and apartments.

This support model has been helping reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in households for over a decade.

Several projects of the Regional Development Agency Zlatibor were also presented, focusing on improving the use of renewable energy sources and green energy transition. Projects such as “Green Energy Transition” and “Thematic2Green” were highlighted as examples of a strategic approach to sustainable regional development.

On the second day, the focus was on specific infrastructure projects. In Priboj, the delegation visited the city heating plant, where Marko Janjušević, director of the public utility “Toplana Priboj”, presented the district heating system powered by wood biomass as the main energy source.

This model, successfully applied for years, demonstrates the economic and ecological benefits of switching to locally available renewable energy sources.

At the final point of the study visit – in Zlatibor – a newly installed solar energy system with a capacity of 50 kWp within the Public Utility Company “Zlatibor” was presented. Srđan Pantović, director of the company, and Dragana Rosić, public relations associate, also introduced the participants to the integrated waste management system in the Municipality of Čajetina, which includes waste separation at the source and composting, achieving high standards of ecological sustainability.

The media study visit to this region showed that local governments and public companies in western Serbia are successfully implementing energy efficiency measures and promoting the use of renewable energy sources, serving as inspiration and a model for similar initiatives across the country.