Many people in the Balkans have long been suspicious of artificial cooling methods. In some areas away from the tourist hotspots, people even avoid chilled drinks and ice cream for fear of catching a cold.
Scorching summer temperatures like this week are changing that attitude, analysts say, showing data. That’s good news for air conditioning makers. But it raises concerns about the impact of rising consumption on a fragile power grid.
On July 16, the Kosovo energy company KESCO warned its customers to limit their electricity consumption because it had to import electricity worth one million euros every day from its neighboring countries.
A month earlier, a surge in consumption during a heatwave probably contributed to a major power outage in Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania and most of coastal Croatia, causing disruption to businesses and the failure of traffic lights.
“The strain on the electricity grids caused by the ongoing heat wave in the region contributed to the occurrence of this damage,” said the head of the Greek transmission system operator ADMIE, Manos Manousakis, at the time.
In the long term, the countries need to strengthen their grids and increase the production of renewable energy, experts say. Bosnia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Serbia rely on coal to generate electricity.
Albania uses hydropower, but relies on imports when rainfall is low in summer. Customs data show that imports of air conditioning units in Kosovo have increased by 400 percent in the last five years.
Once reserved for banks and companies, they now hum in the residential buildings of the capital Pristina.
(Reuters)
