Križevci solar roofs (Croatia’s first crowdfunded solar power plant/ The first citizen-funded solar plant) Križevački sunčani krovovi

In 2018, in the city of Križevci in Croatia, the Green Energy Cooperative (Zelena Energetska Zadruga (ZEZ)) in cooperation with the Križevci city authorities, started the first pilot project in Croatia for citizen crowd investing in renewable energies called Križevački sunčani krovovi. This provided citizens with an opportunity to invest in renewables, particularly solar, and aimed at installing a solar panel (PV) power plant on the rooftop of the municipality’s Development Centre and Technology Park’s administrative building. Popularity amongst the local community was enormous, and within ten days, the necessary €30,000 had been collected through crowdfunding. The PV system, with a capacity of 30 kW, was installed on the rooftop of the business support centre and ensured, in the first instance, the electricity needs of the users of the building. The municipality covers the cost of the electricity consumption and pays back those citizens who have invested in the project through the monthly savings that are obtained. Any energy surplus produced from the PV plant is sold to the network. The estimated return on investment is ten years, after which PV system ownership will be transferred to the municipality.