Today starts international conference SUNNY DAYS 2023 in Bol, Brač! The sponsors of this event dedicated to solar energy project development are the European Commission, the Government of the Republic of Croatia, SolarPower Europe, the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and State Property, the Ministry of Agriculture, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, and the European Investment Bank. With 400 registered participants, you can join and be part of the conference on May 25th and 26th, and you can register HERE.
Sponsors, partners, numerous sponsors, and great interest in participating in the conference confirm that the use of solar energy is the most important topic for achieving energy self-sufficiency more quickly. Croatia and neighboring countries have significant potential for solar energy utilization. In fact, the untapped solar potential in this region is among the best in Europe! However, the share of realized solar projects in Croatia is still below 1 percent. The European Union’s goal to achieve 45% renewable energy by 2030 will result in significant growth in solar projects. However, it is crucial to implement measures that ensure this growth can happen, such as resilient power grids, streamlined permitting processes, a skilled workforce, resilient supply chains, and a stable regulatory environment that can attract investors. How can we change everything necessary to accelerate and empower the development of solar projects in line with national and European goals? That is just one of the questions that will be discussed at the SUNNY DAYS conference. The contribution of agrovoltaics power plants to achieving energy self-sufficiency and how they can help agriculture mitigate the effects of climate change is a topic of special importance at the conference. After the Agri-PV – projects for agricultural and energy production, there will be a professional roundtable for further education and addressing all questions that farmers may have on this topic.
Solar energy has great potential for energy and economic development, aiding decarbonization and reducing energy import dependency. Although its development in Croatia is progressing slower than expected, the number of solar installations on household and commercial rooftops is increasing day by day. To achieve energy self-sufficiency by 2030, we need around 2500 MW of solar power plants capable of producing 3 TWh of electricity per year.
The European Commission advocates for the development of special “Go-to” areas where permits for renewable energy projects will be issued within one year, and this is one of the topics at the conference. Mapping these areas for Croatia has been initiated by OIEH, and they will speak about it on the panel. Financing large and small renewable energy projects is ready to be supported by all financial institutions in Croatia, with larger investments highlighted by institutions such as EBRD and EIB sharing their experiences in financing solar projects in Croatia and the region.
In the European Union, nearly 66% of electricity generated from solar power plants was produced on-site, confirming that this sector significantly contributes to the development of solar energy projects. Therefore, the development of on-site solar installations is another topic at the conference.
An important part of the conference is dedicated to energy challenges in the industry. Last year, the industrial and entrepreneurial sectors faced the hardest blow from the energy crisis, and they are increasingly turning to purchase green energy through Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) contracts – long-term contracts for direct renewable energy procurement from producers. These contracts, according to the EU, play a crucial role in the development of renewable megawatts and new renewable energy projects. Moreover, they help industries meet climate goals and achieve carbon neutrality. You will learn about their preparation, implementation, and the benefits they bring at the SUNNY DAYS conference.
The development of solar energy will also require accelerated grid connection of new power plants and the development of network capacities ready to accommodate them. The readiness of Croatia and countries in the region for accelerated development of renewable energy projects will be discussed by participants of the panel on regional solar energy development, coming from Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Macedonia.
The implementation of energy storage systems, which can help address various issues related to surplus energy production, will certainly assist in the faster development of solar projects. The importance of energy storage in the energy transition and how hybrid systems can participate in solar power projects are questions that will be answered at the conference.
Ultimately, everyone should benefit from green energy, and citizens need to be informed about how they can participate in the energy transition and the benefits it brings. They have been actively working on establishing independent energy communities and devising ways to power their homes with green, clean, and affordable energy. Successful energy communities from Croatia, the region, and Europe will share inspiring stories about their activities at the conference.
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 |