Energy independence and investment in green energy production are increasingly in focus after the increase in energy prices and the negative impact that this increase has had on the economy and citizens.
The European Commission increased its ambitions and set the goal that by 2030 renewable energy must cover 45% of total electricity production, while by 2050 the whole of Europe must be climate neutral. In order to achieve the goal by 2030 , the EU is ready to invest 300 billion euros in renewable energy sources.
In the EU, the current average of the use of renewable sources is about 22%, while in Croatia it is about 30%, above the EU average. However, only a small part of that 30% of produced renewable energy comes from solar power plants, which are insufficiently represented, even though Croatia, as a Mediterranean country, is a very suitable area for that. The Croatian coast has about 2,600 hours of sunshine per year, which is 7.1 hours per day on average. Despite this, Croatia is at the bottom of the list of European Union members in terms of energy produced from photovoltaic cells.
The costs for solar power plants are decreasing – since 2010 , they fell by 85%, to less than one euro per watt of power. The efficiency is continuously increasing and currently reaches up to 26%, which means that 26% of the sun’s radiation is converted into electricity.
What are the biggest obstacles to achieving greater energy efficiency and why investing in solar power plants pays off even without subsidies, we asked Luka from the company Forte Solar, which helps clients design projects, install and maintain solar power plants and panels:
“Until now, investors have often waited for tenders for state subsidies, which has slowed down investments, although the investment in solar power plants is definitely worth it even without subsidies. The payment term for some projects starts as early as 3 years, and power plants have a guarantee of up to 25 years, with a note that practice has shown that power plants work for up to 35-40 years.
Additionally, it is good news that from 1.1.2023 the Income Tax Act changes, which will allow up to HRK 10,000 per year in income from solar power plants without opening a company for the sale of electricity.
Until now, the regulation was so flawed that if you delivered 1 kWh more to the grid than you withdrew, you would be penalized with a lower purchase price and other obligations. This is also good news for those who have a cottage, but so far they have not had significant consumption at the location, so the power plant has not paid off for them.”
And just as solar power plants and panels help achieve greater energy efficiency, so FIRA helps entrepreneurs create greater financial efficiency.
In order to be able to fully focus on his business, Luka chose FIRA for the digitization of financial processes, so today he uses the FIRA application for creating offers at the beginning of the project, converting the offer into an invoice with one click, and automated monitoring of account collection with open banking. Be like Luka and optimize your business today – we are waiting for you!
