Energy independence is the hot topic these days, especially considering the visible increase in energy prices and supply problems. Energetics is growing in importance, and the application of microsolars and household use is in ever-widening development. Electricity, gas and oil derivatives have been rising in price in recent months, and the consequences will hit citizens and entrepreneurs the most, for whom this would cause major financial problems. The offer on the market related to these technologies is also changing; there are more and more options, and the legal regulations are becoming simpler.
The City of Zagreb also took a step in this direction this week, launching the web application Energy Info Center of the City of Zagreb. This website should serve as an online information center for all citizens who are thinking about installing a solar power plant on their roof. The application was created by the City of Zagreb and the North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA), in cooperation with the company GDi.
“The platform is very intuitive and easy to use, all that is needed is the address i.e. selecting the building and the amount of monthly electricity bills, and the platform itself offers an informative calculation through which you can find out how much roof area is available, how many kilowatts of solar power plant is possible to install on your own roof, the amount and return of the investment and the annual savings that can be achieved,” REGEA director Julije Domac pointed out.
The app includes all Zagreb roofs
Anyone interested in this application can check the solar potential of their roof, find out how much savings can be generated by switching to panels and within what timeframe. In the web application, on the city map, everyone can find their building or house, calculate the usable area of the roof for solar panels and enter their actual power consumption. Based on this data, the calculator offers the area of the recommended power plant and calculates the amount, return on investment and potential savings.
The City says that all existing Zagreb roofs have been entered into the application. They announced, in addition to this online platform, the opening of a physical information center for switching to solar energy in the fall. The entire system will soon be further automated, so that citizens can be provided with a conceptual solution in it, which they can immediately send to HEP for approval.
“Given the upcoming winter conditions and the increase in the price of energy sources, solar energy is becoming an even more significant renewable energy source,” said Mayor of Zagreb Tomislav Tomašević, stressing that with this application, the capital of Croatia is making a significant step forward in informing citizens and entrepreneurs about how to switch to renewable energy.
The plan is to implement over 50 MW of integrated solar power plants on the roofs of family houses, multi-apartment buildings, and public and commercial buildings.
The construction of solar power plants will reduce overhead costs, create prerequisites for the decarbonization of buildings and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. It is expected that emissions will decrease by about 100,000 tons of CO2 per year, and the annual electricity production will equal about 50,000 MWh.
In cooperation with REGEA, the funds will be provided from the PVMax program, the budget of the City of Zagreb and available EU funding programmes.
