August the 27th, 2022 - Precisely how much does Croatian solar panel installation cost, and how much can really be saved by going to the trouble of having them fitted?

As Poslovni Dnevnik writes, with just how much sun Croatia receives on an annual basis, residents deciding to go for Croatian solar power installation could save thousands and thousands of kuna a year if they decided to take the leap and get their power directly from the sun. Since the government removed VAT on it, everyone appears to be going a little crazy about Croatian solar panel installation, as reported by RTL.

"Just by the number of emails arriving, we can see that the interest in Croatian solar power installation has increased and that there will be more of such things to come," said Jasmina Novak, Solvis project manager.

Because of this, the machines working in the production of these panels are rarely ever turned off. The only producer of photovoltaic modules in all of the Republic of Croatia sold its solar panals to Google, and now they're having to pass on smaller jobs to others because they simply can't manage it all on their own anymore, such is the level of interest.

"We're raising the sector by forwarding these smaller inquiries to our partners, who then process the inquiry on a turnkey basis, from project to realisation, and that is working very well for now," explained Novak.

They hope that the Croatian Government's measure to abolish VAT, which will make solar panels cheaper in general, will also work well. What currently costs 35,000 kuna will then cost 26,250 kuna to buy and have installed. People's pockets are far more shallow than the once were, and with inflation continuing to bite and prices continuing to spiral, it's likely that there will be more and more interest for solar panels as time goes on.

For more on solar panels and other Croatian eco energy plans, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

ZAGREB, 24 May 2022 - Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Nataša Tramišak handed over 35 grant agreements worth €24.7 mn for projects to increase solar and geothermal energy capacities as part of the Energy and Climate Change Programme.

The funds have been secured within the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (2014-2021).

Ninety-two applications were received for this competition.

The projects that were agreed to and signed today are designed to increase solar energy capacities and geothermal energy production capacities for heating, Tramišak said and added that the call for project applications was intended for local government and the public sector.

She believes that there are numerous geomorphological possibilities that can be used for heating.

"The journey ahead will be a long one but we have the resources and experience," she added.

The new European Commission Financial Framework has foreseen more than €2 billion just for our country to increase its energy efficiency.

She said that the EU plans to decrease the use of fossil fuels but also increase the use of renewable energy sources.

State-secretary in the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Energy Mario Šiljeg underscored that Russia's attack on Ukraine has accelerated the EU's aspirations toward decarbonization by 2050.

He emphasized that Croatia stimulates energy from renewables and sustainable sources. That is important with regard to decreasing dependency on Russian energy sources but also in the fight against climate change. He said that Croatia has strong geothermal potential.

He pointed out the importance of the European Commission's RePowerEU which was recently released and comprises four main activities: saving energy, diversifying energy imports, replacing fossil fuels and accelerating the transition to clean energy.

According to the EC's plan, Croatia's Janaf oil pipeline company will be given international importance, and capacities at the LNG terminal on Krk Island should also be increased.

For more, check out our politics section.

May the 18th, 2022 - The Medulin solar power goal has been given a very welcome spring in its step in the form of a cash injection worth 3.06 million kuna in total.

One of the Republic of Croatia's (many) natural riches is the sheer amount of hours of unfiltered sunshine it gets on an annual basis, and one way in which Croatia could save an incredible amount of money, time and contribute in a very positive way to protecting the environment would be to continue to invest heavily in its solar power capacities. The Medulin solar power aim will certainly be launched thanks to this latest sum.

As Morski writes, based on the application of the Municipality of Medulin for the "Energy and Climate Change" programme, the Ministry of Regional Development and European Union (EU) Funds recently passed a decision on financing a project proposal entitled: "Increasing the capacity for solar energy production in public facilities of the Municipality of Medulin" in the amount of 3.06 million kuna. The Municipality of Medulin provided 287,889.00 kuna from its own funds for the project.

The project foresees the installation of seven photovoltaic power plants on the roofs of multiple buildings across Medulin, and each of the installed FNEs will be connected to the existing electricity network, with the aim of consuming most of the electricity produced at the facility and the eventual handover of "surplus" electricity which has also been produced back to the public electricity network, local portal Istra24 has learned.

The realisation of this praiseworthy project will enable the production of 0.234 MW from solar energy alone, resulting in savings and a better approach in regard to climate change and environmental protection. The newly installed capacities of the Municipality of Medulin for the use of energy from renewable sources will contribute to an increase in solar energy production by 330.42 MWh/year, while annual CO2 emissions will be reduced by as much as 52.41, according to a statement from the Municipality of Medulin.

For more, make sure to check out our dedicated lifestyle section.

October 13, 2021 - Solar energy in Croatian cities will be promoted thanks to the Good Energy tour, held for the second time in October and November this year. 

The Green Energy Cooperative (ZEZ) announces that, in cooperation with the European initiative Covenant of Mayors, the Association of Cities, and the Island Movement, it will conduct a Good Energy tour for the second time in October and November to promote solar energy in Croatian cities, reports Jutarnji List.

The first edition of the tour was held in autumn 2020 when the cooperative visited 11 Croatian cities in continental Croatia and Istria, and this year will include 12 new cities in northern and central Croatia (Čakovec, Ludbreg, Prelog, Zaprešić, Ivanić-Grad), Slavonia (Slavonski Brod, Pleternica, Slatina) and the coast and islands (Zadar, Cres, Mali Lošinj, Hvar).

"With 0.5 percent of electricity obtained from the sun, Croatia is at the bottom of the European Union in terms of using its solar potential. The Good Energy Tour is one of the initiatives we want to encourage its greater use. That is why we gave priority in choosing the host cities of this year's edition to cities that have stood out in their application for our public call for their commitment and readiness to invest further in solar energy, especially in the context of achieving the goals of the European Green Plan."

The cost of installing a home solar power plant, installation conditions, necessary documentation, opportunities for co-financing, association with fellow citizens to exchange energy, as stated in the notice, are just some of the valuable information that citizens will have the opportunity to learn first hand at free training on solar energy in the host cities of the Good Energy tour.

"The use of solar energy is no longer a matter of the distant future. Home solar power plants are affordable and usable in every part of Croatia, and we want to help citizens realize them in a way that will be maximally profitable for them," said the Green Energy Cooperative.

They also state that the campaign is locally focused to bring the opportunities related to the use of solar energy closer to as many citizens as possible through direct communication and encourage understanding of solar energy as a local resource that can be a carrier of Croatian cities. In addition to training on the installation of domestic solar power plants, the Green Energy Cooperative will support 12 host cities in the development and investment in solar energy projects through advisory activities as part of the tour.

They invite all citizens interested in participating in the free education to pre-register via the application form. The first cities that ZEZ will visit as part of the tour are Čakovec on October 19, Ludbreg on October 21, and Prelog on October 26, and detailed information on training in each city and tour schedule can be found on the website of the Green Energy Cooperative www.zez.coop.

The Croatian Parliament passed the Electricity Market Act on 1 October, an essential law in the green transition that transposes all the provisions of Directive (EU) 2019/944 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 June 2019 on standard rules for the internal market in electricity and amending Directive 2012/27 / EU (OJ L 158, 14.6.2019).

Adopting the Law on Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration, which has passed the first reading, is also expected and is adopted following Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on access to energy from renewable sources. The proposal for this law should be adopted by the Government of the Republic of Croatia at the end of October 2021, and its entry into force is expected by the end of November 2021.

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