PVMax project expected to bring rooftop solar to 3,000 buildings in Croatia

Croatia has launched a project called PVMax, which is expected to result in the deployment of rooftop solar systems on over 3,000 buildings in the country, with a total installed capacity of some 100 MW. Investments in these solar power plants are expected to reach about EUR 66.8 million.

The PVMax project, worth EUR 1.98 million, will be implemented by the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA) and financed from the European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) program, which is managed by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

Public calls are expected by the end of October

The ELENA funds are intended for preparing the necessary documentation for rooftop solar systems, and they will be transferred to end-users. Public calls are expected by the end of October, and will be open for the entire duration of the project, according to REGEA Director Julije Domac.

Solar systems are expected to be installed by the public sector, citizens, as well as the commercial sector, wherever electricity is consumed, according to a presentation of the project.

Domac also said that the objective of the project is the development of a market for renewable energy in Croatia. For his part, Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development Tomislav Ćorić said that PVMax is in line with Croatia’s low-carbon development strategy and its goal to switch to renewable energy sources by 2050.

Croatia’s installed solar capacity per capita is just 17 W despite its considerable solar potential

Despite its considerable solar potential, Croatia’s installed solar capacity per capita is just 17 W, compared with Germany’s 500 W, Italy’s 300 W, and Slovenia’s 100 W, according to local media.

According to earlier estimates, the potential for solar energy in Croatia is 6.8 GW, of which 5.3 GW for utility-scale photovoltaic plants and 1.5 GW for rooftop solar systems.

Croatia’s biggest solar power plant, of 3.5 MW, was put in operation last year on the island of Vis. The zero-subsidy project was developed by state-controlled energy company Hrvatska elektroprivreda (HEP Group).