Although Serbia has a large solar potential, the path from scientific assessments to the actual construction of solar power plants is still slow and full of obstacles. The biggest problem is that while individual households are gradually installing panels on their roofs, apartment buildings are almost completely excluded from the energy transformation. Vladan Šćekić points out that tenants of apartment buildings cannot use the energy produced directly – it must first be supplied to the grid, which leads to additional costs (grid fee, excise duty, VAT) and reduces the profitability of investments. The return on investment in houses takes 5-7 years, while estimates for housing cooperatives range up to 20 years. Scientific research shows that southern Serbia has exceptional conditions for solar power plants – for example, the potential of the roofs in Vranje is estimated at around 49 GWh per year, which corresponds to the total production of solar power plants in the whole of Serbia in 2023. However, there is a lack of cooperation between science and institutions, and plans on paper are rarely implemented in practice. Problems also manifest themselves in bureaucracy, insufficient staffing of distribution areas and restrictions on the distribution of generated energy (e.g. surplus from a cottage cannot be used in a city apartment). Subsidies exist, but they are hampered by many obstacles, so it is often better for citizens to do it without them. Moreover, experts warn that the expansion of solar power plants must also respect environmental limits to avoid the destruction of agricultural land and natural resources. In conclusion, it can be stated that without clear rules, fair distribution and the inclusion of scientific knowledge in strategies, Serbia's solar potential will remain untapped.
The article by Vladislav Stojičić was originally published with the support of the project Enhancing the Capacities of Serbian Independent Media in Informing about the Green Transition Challenges by Rešetka.
