Croatia's sunniest island receives European Union grant for energy efficiency in public and private buildings, and HEP and Koncar to build solar plants.
The island of Hvar is receive a European Union grant of 1.9 million euro to develop an energy efficiency programme, part of the innovative pan-European Solution programme, according to Croatian daily,Slobodna Dalmacija.
The Renewable Energy ProjectSolution
The Solution project is an attempt by four communities across Europe to demonstrate that communities can achieve self-sufficiency with regard to thermal and electrical energy requirements for buildings through energy saving, the production of renewable energy, managing supply and demand, optimising installations, and monitoring consumption. The project is made of of a consortium of four participating communities - Cernier in Switzerland, Hartberg in Austria, Lapua in Finland, and Hvar, while Preddvor in Slovenia enjoying observer status.
In addition to the grant, there was more good environmental news for the island, which has just hosted a two-day seminar in Stari Grad and Hvar Town, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy on Hvar.
Solar Power Plants on Eastern and Western Hvar
Leading Croatian companies Koncar O.I. doo and HEP-OIE doo will build two solar power plants (500 kW) on the west and east of the island, with an investment of 446,000 euro, according to Ivan Vrankovic, head of the iC Group, and an attendee at the seminar.
"In addition to this, in cooperation with the oil mill company Bozic from Svirce, we will be implementing a biogas plant for the production of compost, electricity, and heating and cooling energy, for which Europe is investing 108,000 euro in grants," Vrankovic was quoted as saying in the paper.
The total investment in the renewable energy projects is about 8 million euro, including the 1.9 million, which will be refunded to the project by the EU upon successful completion. Funding for the rest of the EU-approved project will come from investors, local government, other grants and soft commercial loans.
Improvement of Public Buildings
Some buildings have already benefited, including the school in Jelsa, which recently had news doors, windows and thermal insulation installed. It is planned to extend this investment to other public buildings, including the elementary and secondary schools in Hvar Town, the school in Stari Grad, three kindergartens, and various health centres and other public buildings.
The workshop took place at the same time as the SASO International Fair in Split, during which residents of Gdinj presented their plan to build a solar plant facility close to their village on eastern Hvar.
Known as the sunniest island in the Adriatic with an average of 2,724 hours of sunshine, it would seem that there is great potential to develop resources for the production of renewable energy on the island, which is more famous for its tourism than solar power production.
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