The second consecutive Balkan Solar Summit was held in Banski Dvor in Banja Luka, and judging by the reactions of the audience, professional public, lecturers and sponsors - expectations were exceeded and good foundations were laid for the next edition that awaits us on 27 and 28 February 2025. years.
You can find the event agenda at the link https://solarsummit.ba/
The conference, which lasted for two days, brought together more than 50 speakers and about 500 participants from the power system community. This important event was attended by representatives of SCC as well as some of the founders of this company. During the conference, opinions were exchanged on topics key to the future of the energy field, and the focus was on the directions of actions in the coming years. It is expected that this meeting will contribute to a better understanding of challenges and opportunities in the energy field in the region.
Director of the "Balkan Solar Summit", Ervin Leko, pointed out that this is the second time the summit is being organized, and that the focus is on renewable energy sources, the sun energy especially.
"Unlike last year, the program was improved, because we made progress and got real experts from the energy sector from the surrounding countries - the people who are panelists and moderators are people from the energy sector who have experience in this" said Leko.
Minister of Energy and Mining in the Government of the Republika Srpska, Petar Đokić, said that this summit is one of a series of activities that are being carried out in the Republika Srpska and the Federation of BiH, with the goal of decarbonization by 2050.
"We are active in that process. We have passed all the necessary laws, and we are making great strides in the promotion of green energy. People from the world of science are gathered here who are working on the promotion of green energy," emphasized Đokić.
Minister for European Integration and International Cooperation of the RS, Zlatan Klokić, stated that they support this summit, which has not just a regional, but an international character.
"We have people from all over Europe and the world here today. It is a great honor and pleasure for me to speak about renewable energy sources this year as well. I hope that we will get new experiences at the summit and new projects," said Klokić.
Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Relations in the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Staša Košarac, emphasized that the message is very clear about how important energy is for Serbia and Federation of BiH.
"The Republika Srpska has fulfilled all its obligations that are currently defined, and the Federation of BiH is one stage in delay, but I hope that they will also fulfill all the obligations that the EU asked for. This is proof of how important energy is for us. Let's not forget that in 2022 we exported electricity for almost a billion KM, when everyone else in the region had problems with the procurement of electricity. Banja Luka and RS are a place where energy policies are understood," said Košarac.
Consideration of security challenges related to the use of renewable energy sources and the use of batteries as a system stability factor is a key topic in the modern energy sector. With the increasing introduction of renewable energy sources, such as solar and wind power plants, the question arises of how to effectively manage variable electricity production and maintain the stability of the energy system.
The introduction of new technologies in the energy sector often aims to reduce CO2 emissions and influence the reduction of the negative impact on the environment. This is especially important in the context of the combat against the climate change and the transition to more sustainable forms of energy production and consumption.
New technologies, such as renewable energy sources (solar, wind power, hydropower), energy efficiency, electric vehicles, advanced energy management systems, as well as technologies to reduce emissions in industry and other sectors, have the potential to significantly contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions.
For example, increased use of solar and wind power plants instead of fossil fuels for electricity production can significantly reduce CO2 emissions in the atmosphere. Likewise, switching to electric vehicles instead of vehicles with internal combustion engines can reduce CO2 emissions in the transport sector, which are just some of the ideas.
The use of batteries, as a means of energy storage, could play a key role in solving these challenges. Batteries make it possible to store excess energy produced from renewable sources during periods when production exceeds demand, and then release that energy when needed, thus maintaining stability in the system. Overall, properly managing the security challenges related to renewable energy sources and the use of batteries for system stability is critical to progress towards a more sustainable and reliable energy system in the future.
These were just some of the topics covered during the conference, providing an opportunity to exchange ideas and best practices among experts in the energy sector.
The director of the Summit, Milena Mijatović, thanked all the participants for their trust and pointed out:
"We will immediately start with the plans for the next Summit, because this year we learned a lot about topics that are important to raise discussions. We are sure that this event was needed by the regional stakeholders, since it made huge interest both this year and last year. It is up to us, as true Game Changers, to continue pushing the boundaries.”
