Solar energy as the foundation of sustainable development with particular emphasis on the Republic of Croatia

U diplomskom radu je analizirana tehnologija za prikupljanje solarne energije, te njezinu pretvorbu u električnu energiju na razini svijeta, na razini Europske unije i na razini Republike Hrvatske. Svaka ova razina je analizirana u kontekstu tri dimenzije, i to u kontekstu socijalne, ekonomske i ekološke dimenzije. Ovaj diplomski rad se sastoji od 8 temeljnih poglavlja. Cilj istraživanja je omogućiti detaljniji pregled pojma održivog razvoja i njegovog povijesnog razvitka, te je uz to pojam izvora energije razdijeljen na 2 dimenzije, i to na obnovljive i neobnovljive izvore. Nakon toga je detaljnije opisana solarna energija, te razvitak tehnologije za njezino iskorištavanje. Nakon detaljnije analize solarne energije kao zasebnog oblika obnovljivog izvora energije, prikazan je pregled industrije iskorištavanja tehnologije za prikupljanje solarne energije, strategija razvoja iskorištavanja ove tehnologije, prikazan je pregled zakonodavnog okvira, te detaljniji prikaz nastalih učinaka iskorištavanja solarne energije na ekonomskoj, socijalnoj i ekološkoj razini. Na kraju rada detaljnije je analizirano poslovanje dvije najveće solarne elektrane u Republici Hrvatskoj, solarne elektrane Kanfanar 1 i solarne elektrane Stankovci. Podaci dobiveni za ove dvije solarne elektrane su dobiveni u suradnji s tvrtkom “Soltech d.o.o.” iz Zagreba. Podaci koji su se koristili su većinom sekundarni podaci koji se odnose isključivo na solarnu energiju, a koji su dostupni u knjižnicama Grada Zagreb, Nacionalnoj i sveučilišnoj knjižnici, te knjižnici Ekonomskog fakulteta u Zagrebu.This paper analyzes the technology for use of solar energy and transforming that same solar energy into electricity in three levels - global, European union and the Republic of Croatia. Every of the three previous listed levels is observed through economic, social and environmental dimension. This paper consists of 8 main chapters. The main purpose for research is to allow more detailed overview of the term sustainable development, aswell as the term energy sources, which separated into non-renewable and renewable energy sources. After this description of the previous two terms, the fourth chapter focuses more on solar energy as one of the most important energy sources of renewable energy and there is an analysis of the technology for use of solar energy. The fifth, sixth and seveth chapter focuses on the industry of use of solar energy, the strategies for more efficient development on the technology for use of solar energy, analysis of the legislative framework which plays a very important role in use of the technology for gathering solar energy, aswell as a overview of economic, social and environmental impact that the use of the technology for gathering solar energy has on the global dimension, the European union dimension and the dimension of the Republic of Croatia. In the end of the paper there is a consise overview of two of the largest solar power plants in the Republic of Croatia, solar power plant Kanfanar 1 and solar power plant Stankovci. The data that was used in this analysis was provided in association with “Soltech inc.”. The data that has been used in writing this paper is mostly secondary data that is available in the Zagreb City Libraries, the library of the Faculty of economics and business in Zagreb and in the National and university libriray