For years, many in the Balkans region have been skeptical of artificial cooling methods, often avoiding even chilled drinks and ice cream out of fear of catching a cold. However, the blistering summer temperatures seen in recent weeks are shifting these attitudes, according to analysts and data. While this change is beneficial for air-conditioning suppliers, it is also raising concerns about the growing strain on the region’s fragile power grid.
On July 16, Kosovo’s energy supplier, KESCO, issued a warning to customers, urging them to limit power consumption as the company was forced to import €1 million worth of electricity per day from neighboring countries. This situation underscores the region’s growing dependency on air conditioning during heatwaves and the consequent pressure on the power infrastructure.
Just a month earlier, during another heatwave, a surge in electricity consumption likely contributed to a major power outage that affected Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania, and much of Croatia’s coast. The outage disrupted businesses and even shut down traffic lights across these areas. Manos Manousakis, head of the Greek transmission operator ADMIE, highlighted that the stress on the power grids due to prolonged heatwaves was a significant factor in the occurrence of such disruptions.
Experts warn that, in the long term, Balkan countries will need to strengthen their power grids and increase domestic renewable energy output to cope with rising demand. Currently, Bosnia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Serbia rely heavily on coal for electricity production. Albania primarily uses hydropower but has to rely on imports when rainfall decreases during the summer.
A particularly telling sign of the changing attitudes towards air conditioning in the region is the 400% increase in air-conditioning unit imports in Kosovo over the past five years, according to customs data. Once reserved primarily for banks and businesses, air conditioning units are now a common sight in apartment buildings across Pristina.
As temperatures continue to rise and demand for cooling solutions grows, the region’s power grids will face increasing challenges. Strengthening these grids and expanding renewable energy sources will be crucial steps in ensuring that the Balkans can adapt to the demands of a warming climate.
