Zagreb will greenify 50 public buildings in one fell swoop

A new project calls for photovoltaics, charging stations and energy-efficiency renovations

Last week, local authorities in Zagreb announced a new project to renovate 50 public buildings and improve their energy efficiency in tandem with photovoltaic installations and charging stations for electric vehicles. The project will cost 85 million euros and will be largely funded by the European Investment Bank.

The investment is expected to help Croatia reach its climate goals of a 36% share of renewables by 2030 and after its completion, would lead to an 80% reduction of CO2 emissions from public buildings in the capital and an additional 70% energy savings.

A cleaner and greener future for Zagreb

The announced collaboration between the city of Zagreb and the European Investment Bank (EIB) is expected to contribute significantly to Croatia’s climate goals.

According to an official statement, once the project is complete, public buildings will be able to generate more than 14.9 gigawatt hours of renewable electricity, eliminate 8,700 tons of CO2 emissions and save 29.8 gigawatts of energy every year.

Moreover, the project’s runtime was set until 2026 and city authorities have to carry out an assessment of their building stock to figure out where the renovations would be most effective.

According to Mayor Tomislav Tomašević, this can be done via an initial 2.7-million-euro investment, mostly covered by the EIB. Additionally, the funds are largely aimed at retrofitting kindergartens, schools, care homes for the elderly and other public buildings.

The big promise of the project is that the 50 buildings will get a refresh, while the renovations would contribute to large energy savings and reductions in utility spending.