Client: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)

Dates: 2009 - 2010

Country of assignment: Serbia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, and Macedonia

Description of actual services provided:

EBRD launched the WeBSEFF facility in the Western Balkan countries of Bosnia, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro on January 2, 2009, with Encon Services as the Project Consultant. The WebSEFF's general objective was to assist with the design, launch, and implementation of a successful Sustainable Energy Credit Line Facility in selected countries of the Western Balkans. The Facility provided credit lines to Participating Banks (PBs) for debt financing for energy efficiency projects and small renewable energy projects implemented by private entities (in industry or in buildings used for commercial services). In addition, the Facility ensured that local financial institutions became familiar with appraising and financing energy efficiency and small renewable energy investment projects and that local engineers had the technical expertise to identify and prepare feasible projects. As a result, the Facility was expected to initiate a self- sustaining market for investment in sustainable energy projects in the Western Balkan countries when the Facility was successfully implemented.

The Facility was implemented in two Components: Component 1 - Private sector industrial companies implementing energy efficiency projects; Private companies implementing renewable energy project.  Component 2 - Private companies implementing energy efficiency measures and/or renewable energy measures in buildings used for commercial services. 

Encon's activities included:

• Marketing of the Facility and ensuring that the widest range of stakeholders are informed about the Facility and its benefits
• Ensuring that pipelines of eligible Sub-projects are developed under the Facility
• Providing help in developing Sub-projects for industrial energy efficiency, renewable energy, and commercial service sector buildings Sub-projects
• Undertaking Energy Audits and/or Rational Energy Utilisation Plans (REUPs) in case of industrial energy efficiency and/or stand-alone renewable energy project, and Simplified Energy Audits  (SEAs) in case of energy efficiency and/or renewable energy Sub-project in commercial service sector buildings, and assisting the developers of Sub-projects, with formulation of loan applications to Participating Banks
• Establishing an efficient tracking, monitoring and reporting system to ensure accurate data and standard forms are utilized