USAID Enterprise Energy Efficiency – 3E Pilot Project Proposal No. B3-2 Bihac Cultural Center Complex Site Visit Report and Pilot Project Proposal Evaluation

The project involves three separate buildings: the Cultural Center, the Cantonal Museum, and an Art School. The buildings were constructed in the 1960s and are not thermally insulated. The estimated annual heat energy consumption for the Cultural Center is 250 MWh, while the estimated annual heating cost is 38,000 KM ($29,000). The Cantonal Museum and the Art School have an estimated annual heating cost of 22,000 KM ($17,000). The recommended measures for the project include thermal insulation of the outside walls and top floor ceiling, replacement of wood-framed windows and repair of aluminum-framed windows, installation of a biomass boiler, heating substation, and distribution piping to adjacent buildings, and installation of a Monitoring and Verification System. The façade of the building is made of 35 cm thick brick walls, and the top ceiling slab is made of reinforced concrete and is covered by a tin roof. The original windows are two separable, back-to-back, single-pane in wood frame windows, which allow outside air and dust to infiltrate the building and are a poor barrier to outside noise. The project aims to introduce the practice of energy management by monitoring energy consumption and verifying projected energy savings. A monitoring and verification system will be installed to monitor energy consumption, indoor and outside temperatures, and record data on an hourly basis. The system will enable easy overview and analysis of data, identify cases of excessive energy consumption, and allow timely investigation and removal of its causes. The benefits of the project include demonstrating practical energy savings, usage of renewable energy, and improved thermal comfort through new windows, thermal insulation, biomass heating, and energy monitoring. The project also aims to promote the application of these measures through achieved energy and financial savings and improved comfort to motivate citizens and governments to save energy and invest in energy efficiency measures. Additionally, the project aims to motivate local governments to financially support such projects and stimulate the local economy by implementing measures that will benefit local companies. The project has a total cost of $350,000, with a confirmed co-funding of $250,000 from UNDP and USAID 3E. The project will be implemented over a period of 188 days, during which time the thermal insulation of the outside walls and top floor ceiling, replacement of wood-framed windows and repair of aluminum-framed windows, installation of a biomass boiler, heating substation, and distribution piping to adjacent buildings, and installation of a Monitoring and Verification System will be completed. The project will demonstrate the effectiveness of energy efficiency measures in reducing thermal losses and improving thermal comfort in buildings.