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additionally very welcomed in areas were grid-connections
are discouraged due to nature-preservation policies or due to
some specific environmental or some other reasons.
Economic aspects: According to the local utility
representatives, in the remote mountainous areas an average
electricity distribution is 1.2 consumers per square
kilometer, and there are hundreds of places similar to our
selected case study. Hence, the conventional grid-connected
energy source cannot be expected in the foreseeable future.
On the other hand, the introduction of the RES in the these
remote communities would result in the people returning to
the region, re-starting agriculture, possibly eco-, and cattle
breeding, and contribute to the increase in the overall living
and economic conditions. In addition, the development of a
successful sector of renewable energy sources could in the
long run contribute to diversification of energy production,
decreased import of energy and significant reduction of the
pollution from the energy sector. Furthermore, employment
and all associated issues are today one of imperatives of the
Croatian economic and social policy. Using RES provides
new jobs openings, investment in rural areas, and retention
of the income within local communities.
Social aspects: Migration to the neighboring cities or
even abroad is the reality of the places like Busevic, which
is especially the case with the younger population.
However, the inhabitants in the visited households stated
that if they would gain electricity, the other members of
their family would return to live there. Hence, these cases
are good examples how the introduction of electricity could
help stop the depopulation. Not to underrate the fact that
this RES incorporation would “spread news” to the
neighboring communities and contribute to their
environmental education. However, presently the level of
knowledge, technological and practical, is quite low and an
important part of the undertaking should concern the
education as well. Only then, the wider introduction of RES
and possible engagement of nearby local SME could be
expected. Local administration seems to be very interested
and eager to do, at local level, whatever is needed to help
the realization of such projects.
VI. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper we have analyzed the potential for wider
application of photovoltaics for electricity production in
mountainous locations in Croatia. Being sparsely populated
and with many houses/small communities distant from the
grid lines these areas are good candidates for such
application despite high prices of PV modules. The
performance and costs of a small PV off-grid system is
analyzed by detailed and realistic computer simulations. It
has been found that, by using existing subsidies and
incentives for RES offered to these areas (up to 80% off
from commercial prices), the cost of a PV system for local
communities should be below than 1600 € per 1 kWp,
which would mean price of electricity of about 0.32 €/kWh
during the warranty lifetime of PV modules (20 y).
Satisfying basic needs for electricity by PV would open new
opportunities for sustainable socio-economic development
in isolated rural regions of Croatia.
Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the
EU FP6 project RISE-INCO-CT-204-509161, and Ministry
of Science and Technology of Croatia. Authors would like
to thank A. Pavic, R. Oreskovic and N. Pavlus for providing
and M. Ferk for collecting some of the data used in this
paper.
VII. REFERENCES
[1] Statistički Godišnjak (Statistical Information) 2005, Zagreb, Croatia,
published by Central Bureau of Statistics of the Republic of Croatia,
Zagreb, Ilica 3. Editor: J. Gelo, ISBN 1330 335X.
[2] Strategija prostornog razvitka RH (Strategy of teritorial development
of Republic of Croatia), Ministry of environmental protection,
phisical planning, and consruction, Republic of Croatia , Department
for territorial planning, Zagreb, Republike Austrije 20, Croatia
(http://www.mzopu.hr/default.aspx?id=3662)
[3] J. Schmid, "Minigrids for rural development and economic growth,"
Renewable Energy World, pp. 192-197, July-August. 2003.
[4] Global Meteorological Database for Solar Energy and Applied
Meteorology, www.meteonorm.ch
[5] PVSYST, software package for the study, sizing, simulation and data
analysis of complete PV systems, University Geneva,
www.pvsyst.com
[6] RETScreen International Clean Energy Project Analysis Software,
http://www.retscreen.net
[7] Zakon o područjima posebne državne skrbi (Law about regions of
special govermental care ), Narodne novine (Official gazette) No.
26/03 ,
[8] Hrvatska Banka za Obnovu i Razvitak (Croatian Bank for Rebuilding
and Development (HBOR), http://www.hbor.hr/; specifically
http://www.hbor.hr/kre_programi_080.asp
Uros V. Desnica was born in Islam Grcki, Croatia, on July 25, 1944. He
graduated from the University of Zagreb. From 1968 with R.Boskovic
Institute, the largest scientific Institute in Croatia,. From y. 1993 in the
highest scientific position, scientific adviser. Leader of numerous domestic
and international projects, Ph.D. theses, etc. Presently also leader of WP4
in RISE Project. List of his publications contains altogether more than 190
items (from which about half are papers cited in Current Content Database).
About 70 of entries are directly connected with the utilization of solar
energy . FP6 expert evaluator. Co-founder (1979) and editor (1982-85) of
the Journal "Sunceva energija" (Solar energy). Co-founder (2004) and a
member of Governing board of NGO Center for renewable energy Sources
– CERES.
Dunja Desnica-Frankovic was born in Nova Gradiska, Croatia, on
December 03, 1942. She graduated from the University of Zagreb, from
which she also took her PhD degree. She has worked at the Faculty of
Veterinary Medicine, Zagreb, University of Lowell, MA, USA, University
of Konstanz, Germany. She is currently with R. Boskovic Institute as a
senior scientist. Her main scientific interest concerns materials science,
semiconductors physics, and nanosized materials. She has published a
number of scientific papers, among them 60 CC papers.
Mario Rakic was born in Zagreb, Croatia, on September 29, 1981. He is a
student at the Faculty of natural Sciences and Mathematics at Zagreb
University. He is involved in semi-conductors physics, along with the
research in techniques. He has submitted 4 patents. At the moment he is a
participant in RISE project at R. Boskovic Institute.
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