Solar Energy Potential in Pannonian Part of Serbia and Croatia

Renewable energy sources have their share in the energy balance of almost every country, but not as much as they should compared to the given energy potential, although they allow the application of clean technologies and pollution reduction, reduce energy dependence on fossil fuel markets and enable the development of new technologies and supporting infrastructure that create new jobs. The primary interest of society as a whole is a rational energy use. With increasing population and growing demands for energy production and consumption, as well as the fact of the limited fossil fuel resources whose utilization leads to environmental pollution (the emergence of the greenhouse effect and global warming) there is an interest in increasing the participation of renewable energy sources (RES ) in energy sector. The total potential of RES in Vojvodina Province is 1293 ktoe/a, 34 ktoe/a of which (i.e. 2.6% of the total potential) lies in solar energy utilization. Possible thermal energy production from RES in Vojvodina Province is around 44.890 TJ/a, where 1400 TJ/a can be obtained from solar energy. Possible electricity production from RES in Vojvodina Province is around 2266 GWh/a, and solar energy has no participation in this production according to the Energy balance of Vojvodina Province. Total possible energy production from RES in Croatia is estimated to 1046 ktoe/a in 2010, 12 ktoe/a of which (i.e. 1.2% of total possible potential) with expected growth to 2112 ktoe/a in 2020, 126 ktoe/a of which (i.e. 6.0% of total possible potential) and around 3502 ktoe/a in 2030, 331 ktoe/a of which (i.e. 9.4% of total possible potential). Due to the incentive scheme for RES electricity production in Croatia, this market is growing rapidly and the expected installed electrical RES capacities in Croatia in 2030 are 3055 MW mainly in wind power plants (2000 MW) due to the limited wind potentials mainly not located in Slavonia. Although there are no local data available in Slavonia, we can expect at least 50% of biomass and biogas power plants planned capacities in Croatia and around 20% of waste, geothermal and photovoltaic power plants summing up to over 1850 GWh/a with minimal participation of solar energy of not more than 3%. A share of RES in the energy balance of the country has its own energy, socio-economic and environmental benefits. RES provides application development and deployment of new technologies and supporting infrastructure, and therefore enables possibilities for new jobs, which directly contributes to economic development at local, regional and national level