Ecological energy in Croatia

[Raul]

First time I went to Croatia, I was surprised to see many solarenergy plates on the roofs of houses.

Here in Belgium you can't see any (but it's almost every day cloudy or raining).

Did your governement encouraged this?


And what about windmills to produce energy? You can see plenty here, but I didn't come across one in Croatia.
You've got strong Bora winds, so it's an easy way to produce energy.

[z00ey]

1. no, the government doesn't encourage solar panels, but there is a lot of sunshine and we use them primarily to heat water (central heating and bath water). Pure electricity from panels is more or less unheard of, except on some locations on the seaside where you cannot get power from the mainland.

2. hmm, windpower... there are several studies about the Bura (not Bora, Bora is italian), and they differ 180 degrees... from what I've observed, in Netherlands, Spain near Portugal and California (all of which I either lived at or travelled through and experienced the weather), the winds are not only STRONG, but primarily are STEADY... Bura is not steady, au contraire, it blows with "refuli", meaning "gusts"... it can fall to 2-3m/s and blow up to 40 or more m/s in a blink... what that does to the generator and aelerons in the long run?
Also, the wind on the Croatian coast changes direction during the day (from NE during the night/morning, round S to the W/NW in the evening). This also hampers the windmills, as their rotating system must be perfected too.
Finally, the electricity consumption on locations such as distant islands (Lastovo, Vis, Dugi, Zirje and such) is greatest in the summer, and the power cables are not strong enough to supply it from the shore. The other strong wind that blows steadily, Jugo, is much stronger and of longer duration (in days) during winter, when it is not needed on those distant islands.

IMHO, the implementation of windmills on Pag, facing bura, is a flop, and will just do wrong for alternative energy supporters in Croatia

[EMIZZZZAGREB]

These windmills can rotate to take the wind, renewable energy is something I have a passion for, and Croatia as well as other countries should invest more in that area.

The Croatian government did have preliminary talks about using ethanol produce from local corn, that’s a start I guess.

[ivo]

emizzzzagreb said:

These windmills can rotate to take the wind, renewable energy is something I have a passion for, and Croatia as well as other countries should invest more in that area.

Yes Kornati with windmills. What a nice idea.

[EMIZZZZAGREB]

I’m far more concerned about there still being a good planet to live on for our future generations than I am about people who complain about how a few windmills causing visual and noise pollution.

Look at the weather, its hotter in the uk than in the Balkans, is that normal? No, we are and have been for the past 200 years screwing this planet up.

Its time for all countries to slow down this irreparable damage to our enviorment. Renewable energy and clean nuclear energy as used in France is the way forward. So Ivo get with the times, get rid of your dirty old yugo and give back a little.

[gmh]

I'm also a fan of renuable green energy, however I would be happy for croatia to stay away from nuclear reactors.
Wind I would think is perfectly viable here, and certainly a major investment in solar energy would be well worth while. In Australia, many people run their complete households from solar and wind energy and some even sell power back to the main grid!
The set up costs are large, but the government actually has a grant system for people in remote regions. Could do with something like that here. Ethanol from corn is a solid concept, and I believe there is a dutch firm which is modernising production facilities around osijek to create all sorts of byproducts.
Did you know you can actually make a form of plastic from corn starch? I used to have a pen made of the stuff.
In western oz, they are now building tidal generators. I think it only works in regions where there are large tidal differences though. After coming back from Florence, I'm all for getting innercity electric vehicles in Zagreb. It's the perfect city for it. I already have an electric tricycle and am toying with the idea of making my renault 4 electric.
Does Croatia have Hydro electric plants already?

[EMIZ]

Its not a dutch firm, its a kosovan firm, and they are mafiaso, stay away.

[Ribaric]

The anti-nuclear argument , at least for me, has never been made clearly. It's "green" but suffers from the fear of what lunatics may do with the spent fuel rods.
I don't see how countries lacking alternative natural resources will have a choice - apart from not being able to get hold of the uranium.

As for the bura, it'll do nothing one minute, and blow the windmill down a minute later.

[z00ey]

Let me elaborate on the wind renewable energy in Croatia:

1. the best positions are on islands, both for bura and for jugo and/or maestral

2. the islands are linked by underwater power cables with the mainland

3. the powercables allow enough power to the islands in winter, but not nearly enough in summer

4. strong and steady winds on the seaside occur in winter, while in summer the winds are much weaker and rotate with the sun

5. the real power of windmills is in numbers (the more windmills on one particular location the better and cheaper power)

6. windmills with full 360 rotation are expensive, windmills with 30 degrees rotation, like the ones on the Atlantic, are cheap (this kinda kicks summer maestral out)

7. gusts of wind are not usable, its like if you shift your car from 5th gear right down to 2nd, you wouldn't get power, you would rather explode your gearbox (this kinda kicks bura out)

8. winter energy consumption on outer islands is low, and getting the wind produced energy back into the mainland grid is questionable (this kinda kicks winter jugo out)

Don't misunderstand me, I'm totally pro renewable energy. Not in every case though.

The renewable fuel production in Slavonia is one that is a good project. It is not actually ethanol, but a biodiesel type of fuel, made out of oliferous beet. It is supposed to be used in public transport vehicles, so it would have a steady supply and demand. Since so many fields are not cultivated, this could pump the agriculture a bit like the tobacco did some 20 years ago.

[ghostwriter]

I honestly can't see a windmill standing up to our winds. ;D I mean they are capable of closing our bridge... how the hell would a windmill take it?



Solar is very smart and windmills if they could build one strong enough! Also alternative building materials to make homes more efficent with heat and cooling.

[EandJ]

There is a small Hydro plant in Krka national park. Croatia is perfect for this type of energy. Lots of water and very steep reliefs.

Windmills have many problems, like expensive to build and maintain. They would be useless most days and then damaged under strong bura.

Sorry to say it but using part Nuclear is the only way to reduce greenhouse gases by a meaningful level. It is efficient, uses very little fuel, produces very little (although problematic) waist. It produces no greenhouse gasses, no Sulphur dioxide.

All others Ecological sources are expensive ways of scratching the surface, when coal and oil are so cheep.

[alsdoubles]

Hydrogen power plants. That's what we want. The Turks (Turks?) are working on them. Can't waite, I'd buy one, and a car that didn't suffer from all the things cars suffer from.

[Ribaric]

There are couple of dozen buses operating in London which use only hydrogen as a fuel source. The emissions consist of water and heat (steam). The heat produced is significant and reduces the input/output efficiency of the powerplant to a level far below that of a diesel engine. I'm not sure about the advantages of sending that much heat energy into the artmosphere but at least it is "green" - at least at the vehicle level.
There's a BIG drawback (apart from costs at the current level of development). It appears you need a lot of oil-powered (usually) energy in order to manufacture the hydrogen into a storable and useable form. Not so green then?

Room temperature fission is the answer - All we have to do is invent a way to do it. Hey EMIZ, you sound like a clever bloke, get to it my son!

[whynot]

Does Croatia have Hydro electric plants already?

GAV,
First Hydro Electric Plant was built in 1895 on river Krka (Skradinski buk) know today as HE Jaruga.
Then 1906 another on river Krka, then HE Ozalj, HE Kraljevac, HE Ozalj 2, HE Vinodol etc. to metion just a few. The newest ones are HE Dubrava and HE Djale.
There are 21 operational HE in Croatia today.

Hope this gave you an answer to your question. ;D

[Ghost]

I don't see what is wrong with using plant oil to run auto's.


Soybean oil... such as that...

I don't think it is that dirty to use?