The Western Balkans countries are at a critical juncture in its energy transition journey. The region’s heavy reliance on coal and other fossil fuels not only contributes significantly to environmental degradation but also poses health risks to its population. Despite the region’s high potential for renewable energy, particularly solar and wind, the uptake of green energy solutions has been slow due to fragmented policies, inadequate infrastructure, and limited financial incentives. The green energy transition in the region will require massive infrastructure investments and significant policy and regulations reforms. This transition also must be inclusive of the communities living in the WB.

In this regard, in 2023 OSF-WB engaged two teams of regional experts to analyze the policy and technical aspects of the WB countries in their path towards just and green energy transition.

The two comprehensive policy reports developed by the regional experts highlight the strategic relevance, current situation and the bottlenecks for effective integration and expansion of solar photovoltaic (PV) technology in the Western Balkans (WB6). The policy paper discusses the historical top-down approach to renewable energy, recent growth in distributed generation, and the need for clear regulations and transparent policies to support solar energy expansion. It emphasizes the importance of implementing EU Directive 2019/944 and involving local governments, civil society and citizens in the energy transition. The technical paper focuses on the technical integration of distributed PV generators (DG-PVs) into the WB6’s distribution electric networks (DENs), noting the socio-economic benefits and technical challenges. It advocates that DEN should make use of the Hosting Capacity method to estimate DG capacity and proposes measures to improve network readiness for increased DG-PV integration. Both papers aim to foster evidence-based policy discussions and regional cooperation to advance a sustainable, decentralized energy ecosystem in the WB-6.

Building on these insights in the technical infrastructure of the energy sector of WB6 and the policy recommendations, the next phase of the project will narrow down on specific policy and technical recommendations while intensifying advocacy efforts to ensure their adoption and implementation across the Western Balkans.

The project objectives are: 1) Prioritize recommendations that constitute our collective advocacy vis-à-vis governments and other relevant actors; 2) Deepen analysis in one/two very specific components of the last year reports to support our evidence-based advocacy during this year and beyond.