Two years ago, RES Croatia organized its first conference dedicated to solar energy and the development of solar projects in Croatia. SUNNY DAYS 2021 on Hvar had a packed hall where more seats were requested. The turnout of 250 participants only confirmed that the use of solar energy is one of the most important topics in Croatia, as well as in the countries of the region and the EU. Especially after last year’s energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, it has become a symbol of the fastest way to energy self-sufficiency. Although its development in Croatia is slower than expected, the number of solar power plants on the roofs of households and companies is increasing daily. According to national energy company HEP data, in the first two months of 2023, the number of solar power plants increased compared to the same period last year by 1,162 power plants, and data from the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development say that in the last two years, 74 energy approvals for solar power plants were issued in total power 1,121 MW. Requests for the installation of solar power plants in our country and in the rest of Europe have experienced a real boom in the last year.
Therefore, it is not surprising that there is a huge interest in the new conference dedicated to the better and faster development of solar projects – SUNNY DAYS conference on the 25th – 26th of May 2023 at the Bluesun Hotel Elaphusa in Bol on the island Brač, Croatia. So hurry up and reserve your spot today! You can register HERE. The importance of this event was recognized by SolarPower Europe, and the conference is under the auspices of this European organization for the development of solar energy. Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, will participate.
| THURSDAY, 25 May 2023 | |
| 14:00 - 17:00 | Registration at the Elaphusa hotel reception |
| 17:00 - 18:00 | Welcome drink & snack |
| CONFERENCE HALL BRAČ | |
| moderator: Marko Perožić, Deputy Editor In Chief, TV Bloomberg Adria | |
| 18:00 - 18:30 | OPENING CEREMONY AND WELCOME SPEECHES |
| Maja Pokrovac, Managing Director, Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia | |
| Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO, SolarPower Europe | |
| Prof. dr. sc. Sandra Voća, Vice Dean for Teaching and Study Programs University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture | |
| Katarina Marčić, Municipality Mayor of Bol | |
| Mate Šimundić, President of County Assembly, Split-Dalmatia County | |
| Karlo Ressler, Member of the European Parliament /video speech/ | |
| Ivo Milatić, Envoy of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia | |
| 18:30 - 18:45 | Presentation: THE ROAD TOWARDS 2050 IS PAVED WITH SOLAR ENERGY |
| Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO, SolarPower Europe | |
| 18:45 - 19:45 | panel 1: THE ROLE OF PUBLIC POLICIES FOR STRONGER DEVELOPMENT OF PV PROJECTS |
| Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO, SolarPower Europe | |
| Ivo Milatić, Envoy of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia | |
| Tonči Glavinić, Advisor to the Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets | |
| Ivica Jujnović, Head of the Service for Financing and Support of Road Infrastructure Projects, Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure | |
| Mladen Pavić, State Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture | |
| moderator: Maja Pokrovac, Managing Director, Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia | |
| 20:00 | Dinner |
| from 22:00 | Sunny Days party |
| FRIDAY, 26 May 2023 | |
| CONFERENCE HALL BRAČ 1 | |
| moderator: Blaženka Leib | |
| 10:00 - 10:15 | Presentation: RENEWABLE ENERGY POLICIES AND RENEWABLE ACCELERATION AREAS |
| Ignacio Asenjo, DG ENER, European Commission | |
| 10:15 - 11:15 | panel 1: „GO-TO" AREAS |
| Dalibor Hatić, General Director, Oikon - institute of Applied Ecology | |
| Iva Hudan, Advisor to the Minister of Physical Planning, Construction and State Assets | |
| Tomislav Čeko, Head of Forestry Sector, Ministry of Agriculture | |
| Ivica Rovis, Chief Adviser to the Minister of of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure | |
| moderator: Nikola Pletikosa, Project Manager, Encro | |
| 11:15 - 11:35 | Coffee break |
| 11:35 - 11:50 | Presentation: AGRI-PV AS A WAY OF DUAL USE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND |
| Mislav Kontek, Technology Development Manager, EnergoVizija | |
| 11:50 - 12:50 | panel 2: AGRI-PV PROJECTSS FOR AGRICULTURAL AND ENERGY PRODUCTION |
| prof. dr. sc. Marko Karoglan, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Agriculture | |
| Mario Turković, CEO, EnergoVizija | |
| Ante Merčep, CEO, Croatian Green Energy | |
| Darko Grivičić, Chairman of the Supervisory Bord, Croatian Chamber of Agriculture | |
| Lana Bačura, Head of Service for Development of Agriculture and Forestry Competitiveness, Ministry of Agriculture | |
| moderator: Goran Beinrauch, Gospodarski list | |
| 12:50 - 14:30 | Lunch |
| 14:30 - 14:45 | Presentation: PRODUCTION AT THE PLACE OF CONSUMPTION - PRODUCE AND CONSUME YOUR OWN ELECTRICITY, IT IS ALWAYS MOST FAVOURABLE |
| Ines Ban-Kolić, PV Support Specialist at E.ON | |
| 14:45 - 15:45 | panel 3: PRODUCTION AT THE PLACE OF CONSUMPTION |
| Mate Rebić, Partner, Struya | |
| Matej Cvitanović, Specialist in the Network Access Department, HEP-ODS | |
| Zdravko Ivčić, Project Development Manager, HELB | |
| Miloš Kostić, CEO, MT-Komex | |
| Josip Kožul, Chief Operating Officer, Emerus | |
| Domagoj Badanjak, CEO and Co-Founder, AleDo TECH | |
| moderator: Toni Lončar, Minergy | |
| 15:45 - 16:00 | Presentation: THE ROLE OF ENERGY STORAGE IN THE ENERGY TRANSITION |
| doc. dr. sc. Ninoslav Holjevac, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing | |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | panel 4: HYBRID SYSTEMS AND STORAGE OF PRODUCED ENERGY |
| Goran Fržop, Project Manager RES, TEC OI | |
| Igor Šumonja, Head of Grid Users and Connections, HOPS | |
| Željko Šmitran, CEO, Ind-Eko | |
| Ivana Chaux-Jukić, CEO, Active Solera | |
| Marin Cerjan, Executive Director for Power and Gas, Petrol | |
| Karla Janeš Mesarić, Business Development Balkan Region, Rimac Energy | |
| moderator: dr. sc. Josip Tošić, Toska | |
| CONFERENCE HALL BRAČ 2 | |
| moderator: Regina Zubanović | |
| 10:00 - 10:15 | Presentation: THE EXPECTED CONTRIBUTION OF THE NEW SLOVENIAN LAW TO UTILITY SCALE SOLAR |
| Nina Hojnik, Director, Slovenian Photovoltaics Association | |
| 10:15 - 11:15 | panel 1: REGIONAL SITUATION IN PV PROJECTS |
| Danijela Isailović, General Manager, RES Serbia | |
| Nina Hojnik, Director, Slovenian Photovoltaics Association | |
| Ramiz Kikanović, Member of the Management Board, Operator for renewable energy sources and efficient cogeneration, BiH | |
| Ivan Mrvaljević, Director of the Directorate for Development and Investment, EPCG, Montenegro | |
| Igor Aleksandrovski, Managing Partner, Law firm Apostolska, Aleksandrovski & Partners | |
| moderator: Saša Ćeramilac, Al Jazeera | |
| 11:15 - 11:35 | Coffee break |
| 11:35 - 11:50 | Presentation: PPAs AND FINANCING INVESTMENTS INTO RES |
| Stefano Miriello, Policy and Business Development Advisor, RE-Source Platform | |
| 11:50 - 12:50 | panel 2: ENERGY CHALLENGES IN INDUSTRY |
| Richard Pascal, TotEm | |
| Marko Lasić, CEO, KOER | |
| Tomislav Ćurković, CEO, Encro | |
| Miroslav Božić, Advisor To The Board at Croatian Sugar Industry J.S.C. | |
| Nataša Putak, Go-to Market Expert, Energy Infrastrukture Solutions, E.ON | |
| Velimir Vilović, Board Member, NEXE | |
| moderator: Tomislav Sadrić, Law firm Batarelo, Dvojković & Vuchetich | |
| 12:50 - 14:30 | Lunch |
| 14:30 - 14:45 | Presentation: HOW TO FINANCE SOLAR POWER PLANTS, FROM 1 kW to 1 GW? |
| prof. dr. sc. Neven Duić, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture | |
| 14:45 - 15:45 | panel 3: FINANCING PV PROJECTS |
| Svitlana Pyrkalo, EBRD | |
| Slađana Ćosić, Head of the EIB Group Office in Croatia | |
| Ante Krečak, Head of Project finance, Erste bank | |
| Darijan Radić, Specialist in the Solar Financing | |
| moderator: Ivan Kovačev, Intercapital investment banking | |
| 15:45 - 16:00 | Presentation: ENERGY COMMUNITIES - THE KEY TO STRENGTHENING THE ROLE OF CIVIL ENERGY IN THE EU ENERGY TRANSITION |
| dr. sc. Marko Mimica, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture | |
| 16:00 - 17:00 | panel 4: ENERGY COMMUNITIES |
| Damir Miljević, Member of Managing Bord, RESET, BiH | |
| Zoran Kordić, Chief Executive Officer, Green Energy Cooperative | |
| Saša Petrović, Project Manager, Energy Cooperative ELEKTROPIONIR, Serbia | |
| Ester Maijs, Junior CoP Manager, Energie Samen | |
| Stanislas d'Herbemont, Development Manager, REScoop European federation of citizen energy cooperatives | |
| moderator: dr. sc. Marko Mimica, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture | |
| CONFERENCE HALL KORČULA | |
| 14:30 - 16:00 | Round table: AGRI-PV PROJECTS FOR AGRICULTURAL AND ENERGY PRODUCTION |
| moderator: Mislav Kontek, EnergoVizija | |
| SATURDAY, 27 May 2023 | |
| 8:00 - 18:30 | Networking trip |
At the conference, we will talk about the role of public policies for the stronger development of solar projects, the importance of spatial planning of areas for solar power plants, “Go-to” areas that should represent locations for faster development of RES projects, the benefits of solar energy projects in agriculture, hybrid storage systems produced energy, the financing of new projects, the important role of local communities… The conference gathers representatives of ministries, state institutions, academia, the economy, the banking sector, county and local communities, and NGOs – to jointly analyze obstacles and propose the best ways for their resolution.
The SUNNY DAYS conference is an incentive for the development of a clearer and better synergistic approach in preparation for a stronger realization of the great potential of solar energy. It brings new information and examples of good practice, opens the way to new ideas, and connects stakeholders of the energy transition at all levels.
After two conference working days, don’t miss the excursion on Saturday, May 27th. Travelling around the island of Brač is an excellent opportunity for networking!
Here is what we have prepared for you:
08:30 Departure from Bol
09:15 Arrival in Pučišća:
– visit the Stonemasonry School – the only one in this part of Europe that teaches stone processing with ancient Roman hand tools
– tour with a presentation and expert guidance from a school representative
– walk to the small chapel – visit an exhibition of miniatures made of Brač stone
11:15 Departure to Škrip:
– visit the Olive oil Museum – tasting of olive delicacies
– visit the Island of Brač Museum
13:00 Departure for Vidova Gora – the highest peak on the Brač island and the highest peak on the Adriatic islands
13:35 Arrival at Vidova Gora
14:20 Departure for OPG Gažul where lunch is at 15:00
17:30 Departure for Bol
18:00 Arrival in Bol
