The Croatian city of Karlovac has earned a well-deserved reputation as a leader in energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Since 2008, the city has been committed to advancing these goals and has recognised the crucial role of renewable energy in improving energy efficiency and cutting CO2 emissions. That same year, Karlovac became a signatory of the Covenant of Mayors, and since then, the city has worked tirelessly to implement projects aimed at reducing emissions by 40% by 2030. These initiatives have included the renovation of multi-apartment buildings, the installation of renewable energy systems, and comprehensive energy renovations of public buildings, such as the SolariKA project.
Under the leadership of Mayor Damir Mandic, the city has successfully installed 14 photovoltaic power plants on the roofs of energy-renovated kindergartens, elementary schools, and a publicly owned hostel. These solar installations, with a combined capacity of 0.45 MW, have significantly boosted the share of renewable energy in Karlovac’s local government operations, while also reducing CO2 emissions by 72.38 tons annually. As a result, green energy now accounts for 62% of the total energy consumption in these properties.
Karlovac’s efforts align with Sustainable Development Goals 11 and 13, focusing on sustainable cities and combating climate change. A key driver of the city’s energy transition is the volatility of market prices. Karlovac is committed to providing its citizens with a stable and healthy life, increasingly difficult to achieve when energy prices continue to rise. This volatility does not only impact the well-being of its citizens but also raises the city's dependence on the broader distribution network.
Lessons learned
Communication: The city of Karlovac has worked diligently to keep its citizens informed about the municipality's initiatives. The local government organised two conferences to showcase the innovative solutions implemented across the 14 pilot projects. In addition, TV and radio interviews were conducted on both local and national outlets, and multimedia materials were created to help the public understand the changes being made. The efforts to raise awareness didn’t stop there. The municipality also organised workshops and presentations for children attending the pilot schools and kindergartens. These sessions were designed to educate young people about important concepts such as climate change, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and solar panels.
Stakeholder engagement: The local government collaborated with the energy distributor for the installation of the photovoltaic power plant; REGEA (the regional energy agency and knowledge centre) for monitoring purposes; and the national government as the main responsible actor for the implementation of the project. Thanks to such an extensive collaboration, the city was able to carry out the project activities smoothly.
Political commitment: Since 2008, Karlovac has been dedicated to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions through its involvement with the Covenant of Mayors and continuous participation in European projects. The city’s leadership is focused on transforming Karlovac into an energy-independent and sustainable municipality. Notable examples of this commitment include ongoing efforts to develop a geothermal power plant and the creation of the first low-carbon city district.
Legal: The national political landscape in Croatia has been highly supportive of the SolariKA project. In 2018, the national government passed the Law on Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration, which facilitated the expansion of solar power capacity by allowing more solar plants and megawatts to be connected to the distribution network. Building on this progress, the local government is now working to introduce energy communities into law. This change will enable the implementation of an upcoming project to install solar panels on the roofs of private buildings, with the energy generated being shared among multiple owners to meet their consumption needs.
Economic: The city of Karlovac contributed only 15% of the funds needed to implement the SolariKA project, with the remaining costs covered by European Funds. The city recognises the importance of securing sufficient funding to carry out the project and emphasises the value of allocating part of the budget specifically to energy efficiency and the reduction of GHG emissions.
Multilevel governance: The national government did not only support the implementation of the project technically but was also very communicative and responsive to any doubts or questions the local team in Karlovac had.
Barriers
Technical barriers: The city faced challenges with the national grid operator, as the grid can become saturated due to the high amount of energy produced from renewable sources. Looking ahead, the city acknowledges the need for energy storage solutions to ensure more efficient functioning and better management of renewable energy.
Bureaucratic barriers: Due to a lack of expertise in the topic, the bureaucratic processes stood as one of the most challenging aspects of the project. Some of the most remarkable setbacks took place during the implementation of the procurement procedures, and regarding conservation requirements.
Legal barriers: During the time of implementation of the project, the laws regarding renewable energies were modified several times. This presented some challenges that were solved due to the good communication that existed between the local and national governments.
Lessons learnt and replication possibilities
The SolariKA project has been a groundbreaking pilot initiative for the city of Karlovac. While the installation of solar panels on the roofs of public buildings marked a significant first step, the city is now exploring the possibility of extending solar energy to private residences. In fact, a building has already been selected for this next phase. Currently, the city is in discussions with the energy provider to address one of the key challenges: how to distribute the energy produced by the solar panels to multiple condominiums.
This new phase of the project would not have been possible without the success of the initial 14 SolariKA pilot installations. The municipal project team has gained valuable experience and developed the necessary expertise to navigate the complexities of bureaucracy and licensing - challenges that have historically posed significant hurdles. The implementation of large projects requires proper preparation, especially to be aware of all requirements, and obtain all necessary documentation and permits in advance.
Learn more about the SolariKA project:
Credits:
Created with images by xbrchx - "Town of Karlovac historic city center aerial view" • xbrchx - "Six pointed star fortress town of Karlovac aerial view" • Sanjin - "Karlovac to River four" • TatiG - "Croatia, Aerial view of the city of Karlovac"