Croatia's solar energy transition is gaining pace at the regional level. Istria County, in the country's north-west, has begun installing photovoltaic systems on public buildings, with the first of an initial four systems now commissioned: a 100 kW installation on the roof of the health centre in Umag, at the tip of the peninsula, according to Istrian regional energy agency Irena, not to be confused with the International Renewable Energy Agency.
Two more sites join the rollout
The installation will allow the health centre to cover a substantial share of its electricity needs, a goal shared by the three further systems tendered in May 2026, whose construction is now beginning. Technicians have also started installation work at the Teaching Institute of Public Health of Istria County, mounting a 69.01 kW rooftop system.
The retirement home in Novigrad, on Istria's west coast, will likewise cover part of its electricity demand with rooftop solar in future, with the system designed to reach 92.64 kW. Before installation begins, part of the existing surface will be refurbished to prepare it for the array, with the work scheduled to start in mid-September 2026. The fourth system in the first tranche of the public-building solarisation programme will be built at the children's creative centre in Pula.
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Reducing grid consumption
Istria County is investing a total of €332,400 in the four systems, which have a combined capacity of 280.65 kW. The electricity generated will primarily cover on-site consumption, helping to reduce grid offtake, energy costs and the greenhouse gas emissions associated with power use.
Zadar County is also moving ahead with the Apollo project, approved in 2024, with the first installations planned for schools, municipal buildings and other public facilities. The project has a total volume of €2.26 million, of which €1.92 million comes from EU funds. The systems are due to be completed by mid-January 2027, according to Marina Dujmović Vuković, director of the Zadar County development agency Zadra Nova, speaking to the Croatian platform E Zadar.
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Surplus benefits the energy community
Here too, the priority is to use the solar electricity locally wherever possible. The systems will therefore be sized not only according to the technical conditions on each roof but also to match consumption within the building. Any surplus, however, will not simply be sold onto the grid via the exchange, but used within energy communities in other public buildings. (su)
