Building smart energy systems on Croatian islands by increasing integration of renewable energy sources and electric vehicles

In the Croatian territory of Adriatic Sea there are 49 inhabited islands with a total population of 124,955 people according to the census from 2011. Many studies and analyses showed that inhabited Croatian islands can all meet their energy needs from locally available renewable energy sources. Studies have been done for the islands of Krk, Unije, Losinj in the North Adriatic, and Mljet, Lastovo and Korcula in the south Adriatic Sea. Building the smart energy systems on the Croatian islands has become crucial in order to increase penetration of renewable energy sources and make local transport more sustainable. In the first part, the paper presents results of modelling of energy systems in Croatian islands with a high share of renewable energy sources, energy storage, hydrogen and electric vehicles. In the second part, the paper brings results of proposed financial mechanisms and strategies for building smart energy systems.