18.09.2019.
The Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund has published today the Public Call for co-financing photovoltaic power plants on family house rooftops. The total of HRK 20 million has been provided to the citizens for solar energy generation. “The goal of this programme is to allow the consumers to produce their own energy and provide some sort of energy independence,” said Dubravko Ponoš, director of the Fund.
Recent adjustment of the legal framework facilitates the implementation of generation of energy from renewable sources (RES), while the overarching goal is enabling an increase in the use of RES at national level through a number of measures. The programme of co-financing for family houses includes the systems in the grid and independent systems, i.e. both the households connected to the power grid and the so-called “off grid systems”. “Depending on the location, the citizens can be granted 40, 60 or 80 percent of co-financing for these systems and supervising engineer services, meaning up to a maximum of HRK 75,000.” said Ponoš, adding that the current number of such systems in Croatia is not significant. He is hoping, however, that the programme of financing will help to increase their number considerably. “Co-financing by the Fund allows the citizens to have a shorter period of return on investment; although the initial investment is quite high, it is cost-efficient in the long-term, and I’m convinced the citizens will recognise this,” concluded Ponoš.
The applicants must be owners or co-owners of family houses that are legal, with more than 50% of surface area intended for living, having no more than three residential units, and the gross construction area not exceeding 600 m2. With the application, the citizens also have to enclose the main design drawn up by a licensed electrical engineer. Engineering oversight of the works is mandatory for safety purposes.
The application process for co-financing of the so-called micro solar power plants started on 18 September at 9:00. The applications may be sent by registered mail, or delivered personally to the Fund, and the Call will be open until the resources are used up, or no later than by the end of the year. The programme is planned to continue next year. After closing the public call for the citizens, a similar call is planned next year for lessors and family holdings, and similar programmes should be available to the companies and units of local self-government.
Below is the link to the Application Guide for this Public Call, as well the Application form.