АУТОР / AUTHOR(S): Dejan Doljak 
DOI: 10.46793/CSGE5.29DD
САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:
The New Energy Sector Development Strategy of Serbia aims to boost the use of renewable energy sources (RES) by 2040, with wind and solar accounting for a considerable share of overall electricity output. With the adoption of the Law on the Use of RES in 2021, investor interest in wind farms and solar facilities has increased, as indicated by the number of submitted requests for connection to the transmission system, whose installed capacity is 24 GW. Despite high interest and favorable yearly insolation conditions, the total capacity of network-connected solar power plants in Serbia surpassed 100 MW for the first time in May of this year. Ground-mounted photovoltaic power plants (PVPPs) account for half of all installed solar capacity in Serbia. Further development of PVPPs could pose a threat to land, as well as to protected natural and cultural values if their spatial distribution is not properly planned.
This paper examines some of the most important factors for selecting solar PV sites and how they can be integrated into the assessment model. All factors were divided in two main groups: 1) constraints (sloped terrain, densely populated areas, forests, flood zones, protected natural and cultural heritage, etc.), and 2) evaluation factors (solar irradiation, air temperature, terrain slope and aspect, soil, distance from surface waters, and proximity to roads, electricity infrastructure and places of consumption). The novelty of this study is reflected through the incorporation of ecological production values of different soil types into the model. In this way, high-natural-fertility soils can be preserved for agricultural use or agro photovoltaic projects, while others can be utilized for developing PVPPs.
The integration of all these factors in the GIS environment enables the development of a spatial offer that maximizes the efficient utilization of solar energy with minimal conflict with other activities or protected areas. Mapping the optimal locations for PVPPs would not only serve to improve recognition of national and local solar potential, but will also allow for the prioritization of solar projects in order to meet the energy and climate targets on time.
КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:
renewable energy; solar energy; constraints; evaluation factors; photovoltaic
power plant
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
The study is part of the author’s PhD research results, which were financed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia.