2025-10-03
On the roof of the Ilija M. Kolarca Endowment building, one of the most important cultural institutions in Serbia, a solar system for the production of electricity was installed, with which this institution took another step towards a sustainable future.
In his will, Ilija M. Kolarac left a bequest to learned Serbs to protect the Endowment and to ensure that the people benefit from it permanently. Kolarč's bequest is based on three pillars of the Endowment: science, culture and knowledge, so by implementing this project, the Endowment shows by example that through conservation and synergy, it is possible to find the best sustainable solutions based on these pillars, and that the bequest is respected.
This energy project was realized through a modern model of energy service contracts (Energy Performance Contracting). The endowment had no investment costs, the entire business is paid for from the realized savings, and everything is in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and the principles of the circular economy.
The project includes the complete process: from design, financing and installation of the system, its maintenance and guaranteed energy production during the duration of the contract. In addition to the aforementioned energy activities, the project also included complete hydro rehabilitation of the dilapidated roof, which had been leaking for years, with which the Endowment solved an important infrastructural issue.
The system is guaranteed to produce more than 30,000 kWh of electricity per year. This gives an immediate saving of about 4,500 euros per year on energy and will bring financial savings of at least about 900 euros per year, so over 15 years a total benefit of at least 12,000 euros is expected. The CO₂ emission will be lower by about 30 tons per year.
"This year, the Kolarca endowment renovated more than 500 m² of space. If we add to that the arrangement of the roof surfaces, after which the project of installing solar panels on the entire Kolarca complex was carried out, then we know that a large and important job has been done. Not only will the Kolarca endowment have a significant saving in electricity, which is certainly a priority for us, but we have also significantly stepped into the green agenda, doing everything to show awareness and responsibility in the field of energy as well. If it were not for our partners who understand and support the most important, independent cultural endowment that has been in existence and has been working continuously for 148 years, we would not have installed solar panels and repaired the roof today. Like the Endowment itself, this is an investment in the future," he said Aleksandar Peković, director of the Ilija M. Kolarac Foundation.
In the year when the Endowment officially submitted its candidacy for inclusion on the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage List, this project also confirms its commitment to sustainable values and responsible social development.
Source: A day in Belgrade