Prishtina, July 1, 2009 – Minister of Energy and Mining, Justina Shiroka – Pula, Deputy Minister of Energy and Mining, Blerim Rexha and other collaborators inaugurated the realization of the Project “Use of Solar Energy” in the Psychiatric and Neurologic Clinics of the University Clinical Center of Kosovo. This ceremony was also attended by Jusuf Ulaj, Director of the UCCK, Director of the Psychiatric Clinic, Gentian Qala.

On this occasion, Minister Pula said that this Project aims to promote the use solar energy for the sanitary water heating, with due regard to the improvement of energy efficiency in the Psychiatric and Neurologic Clinics.

“The Project shall enable hot sanitary water supply for around 230 patients and clinical staff, to a maximal temperature of 60oC. 42 solar panels have been installed in a general surface of around 100 square meters. Two boilers for hot sanitary water have also been installed, with a volume capacity of 3500 liters, which can store water into two tanks with a capacity of 3500 liters each”, said Minister Pula.

She added that the Ministry of Energy and Mining (MEM) is interested to assist the UCCK in improving the working conditions and announced that the installation of solar panels shall also continue in other clinics. This project is also in line with the realizations of EU Directives.

The Director of UCCK thanked Ministry of Energy and Mining for the assistance provided in the improvement of the working conditions in the health center, respectively the heating of sanitary water through solar panels. He said that this will be to the benefit of many patients and staff of the Psychiatric and Neurologic Clinics.

Installed solar panels are German made and their energy absorbing power is over 500kWh/m2 per year.

The use of the solar panels in these clinics shall enable an annual energy saving of around 90MWh per year. Installation of solar panels in the UCCK is funded by the Energy of Energy and Mining.