SECO Project: Smart Energy Municipalities - 2019 - 2024 in Albania

Albania is new territory for me. Although I've often worked in the Balkans, I've never travelled to the 'smaller' countries such as Albania, Macedonia, Montenegro etc. before. I very much hope that the pandemic situation will allow me to travel to this country in 2022. I've heard a lot about this country and in Western Europe it's also considered a secret holiday tip.

However, Albania faces major challenges, particularly when it comes to the security of its energy supply. Hydropower generation, which accounts for 99 % of domestic electricity production, is vulnerable to seasonal rainfall and climate change. The answers are:

a) the improvement of energy efficiency in different contexts and the

b) better distribution of energy sources through to the strengthening of renewable energy resources

These are key objectives set out in Albania's 'National Strategy for Development and Integration 2015-2020'. Albania's aspiration to join the EU underpins these reform efforts, in particular the promotion of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources.

In the course of decentralisation, the country's 61 municipalities have gained in importance and are equally obliged and responsible for implementing the new energy policy. However, energy management systems are largely absent at municipal level. There is a lack of technical expertise and awareness among decision-makers and the population is limited. This is where the project 'Smart Energy Municipalities - 2019-2024' financed by the 'Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs' (SECO), in which it primarily supports the municipalities in various energy areas.

My job is to create a communication strategy to help spread information about energy efficiency. The main objective is to raise awareness and at the same time encourage behavioural change. Stakeholders also need to be regularly informed about the project's progress and measures, which is why I am also responsible for stakeholder collaboration.

In this project I am responsible for the GFA-Serbia as a consultant since December 2021.