Slovenia’s GEN-I installs its 1st solar power system in Croatia

Slovenian electricity and gas trader GEN-I, in cooperation with agricultural cooperative PZ Gospoja owned by the Toljanić family, has installed its first solar power system in Croatia, according to a press release from the company.

The 20.52 kW solar power system, worth over HRK 178,000 (around EUR 24,000), has been installed on the grounds of the Vinotel Gospoja hotel in Vrbnik on the island of Krk. The rooftop solar power system was built under a turnkey project.

The PZ Gospoja’s solar power plant’s expected annual production is 25,240 kWh of green energy, with an estimated reduction of CO2 emissions of 10,558 kg annually. A return on investment is expected within a 10-year period, while the annual savings are projected at about HRK 14,000 (about EUR 1,880). The solar power system is projected to result in savings of HRK 418,000 (about EUR 56,200) over a 30-year period.

According to the press release, the project demonstrates that GEN-I Group’s green energy focus is expanding to Croatia, after the company installed 500 solar power systems in Slovenia. GEN-I is the leading buyer of electricity produced from renewable energy sources in Slovenia, with a market share of over 40% and power purchase agreements with over 1,000 plants, according to the company’s website.

“As the first electricity supplier in the region to have offered micro solar power systems, we have redefined the electricity self-consumption market,” said Robert Golob, President of the Management Board at GEN-I, adding that PZ Gospoja is a good example for other entrepreneurs as well, especially in the tourism industry, which has high electricity costs in the summer and good facility locations in terms of exposure to sunlight.

The solar power system is expected to be tested and put into operation soon, after which solar power systems will be installed on other facilities owned by the Toljanić family, with construction planned for completion in the first half of 2019, GEN-I said. The cooperation should also involve installing an electric vehicle charging station that would be available to Vinotel Gospoja’s guests, according to the press release.

Baška municipality developing 5 MW solar power plant on Krk

Also on the island of Krk, the municipality of Baška is developing a 5 MW Barbičin solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant valued at HRK 80 million (around EUR 10.8 million), local media reported.

The construction of the PV power plant is planned on a piece of land only partially owned by the municipality, while the largest portion is in the state hands.

According to Baška Mayor Toni Juranić, the Barbičin PV power plant could launch production by the end of 2019 if the ownership issues are resolved in the way Minister of State Property Goran Marić has announced, which would entail transferring construction rights from the state to the local government.

The island of Krk aims to be energy independent by 2030.