Zagreb on track to reach almost 20 MW of solar on public buildings

Zagreb operates solar power plants with a total capacity of 2.43 MW on public buildings, and an additional 16 MW is set to be installed on roofs, according to Mayor Tomislav Tomašević.

In 2021, the capital city of Croatia presented the Sunny Roofs program for the installation of photovoltaic plants with a combined capacity of 50 MW. Implementation began three years ago with the Solarization of Institutions of the City of Zagreb (SOLIZAG) project.

It was worth EUR 1,1 million. Within SOLIZAG, power plants were installed on eight city buildings – swimming pools Utrina, Svetice, and Jelkovec, kindergarten Trnsko, psychiatric hospital Sv. Ivan, homes for the elderly Trešnjevka 1 and 2 and waste management utility Čistoća. They have a total capacity of 1.6 MW.

The city currently has 2.43 MW of solar power plants in operation on public buildings

“In total, we currently have 2.43 MW of solar power plants in operation on public buildings owned by the City of Zagreb. It is three times the capacity we found in June 2021, only 0.7 MW,” Tomašević stated.

Currently, a total of 16 MW of solar power plants on city-owned buildings have been contracted or are in the process of being contracted. A firm has been selected for the design and construction of 10 MW of solar panels on approximately 200 city buildings, with implementation set to begin this year.

The mayor describes it as the largest investment in the solarization of public buildings in Zagreb’s history. In his view, it is a key step toward the goal of a more energy self-sufficient city.

Residents of Zagreb have a digital platform for assessing the solar potential of their roofs

In addition to the investments, commercial projects are being developed through the company Zagrebački Sunčani Krovovi. The PVMax project, supported by the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA), is also underway for 41 MW in total on company buildings. So far, 6 MW has been installed.

Residents of Zagreb can assess the solar potential of their roof on a digital platform. It also calculates the cost-effectiveness.

Croatia’s capital is also participating in the Climate City Contract, which unites 100 cities committed to achieving climate neutrality by 2030. As part of the initiative, Zagreb is preparing a climate neutrality plan, expecting to adopt it this year.

Marking Earth Day, Mayor Tomašević visited one of the PV plants built within the SOLIZAG project, at the Svetice swimming pool complex. He was accompanied by his deputies Danijela Dolenec and Luka Korlaet.