Solar energy is simple, cheap, universally available, and we can build it ourselves — this is the core vision guiding ZEZ Sunce’s project to construct Croatia’s first citizen-owned solar power plant.
Easier said than done, the idea sounds straightforward, but the journey to its realization was complex. “In the end, it’s a happy ending,” said Mislav Kirac, manager of ZEZ Sunce, at the plant opening ceremony in late April in Križevci. “Every citizen in Croatia has the right to produce their own electricity. Energy communities are one way to make that happen. We’ve done it to prove it.”
We told the story about our journey from the idea to the happy ending to ESG Films, and we’ve produced together a three-minute film. Watch it on our YouTube channel, share it, let the story fly!
This is one of a kind project
The first solar power plant in Croatia that is entirely owned by citizens, ZEZ Sunce members, is on the roof of the City Market in Križevci. With an installed capacity of 200 kWp, it was put in full operation in April 2025. This pioneering project is co-owned by 127 citizens, more than a third of whom come from Koprivnica–Križevci County, the local area where the plant is located.
The plant construction began in early 2025, following ZEZ Sunce’s successful public fundraising campaign, which collected €140,000 in just ten days, enough to complete the project.
The energy produced at ZEZ Sunce is equivalent amount of electricity to supply roughly seventy households, and is sold to the grid at a fixed price. The price is guaranteed by a 12‑year feed‑in tariff contract signed in December 2024. ZEZ Sunce members can expect annual returns starting at 3%, potentially reaching up to 5%, depending on financial results. In addition to individual member returns, part of the profit will be directed to a Community Benefit Fund, supporting impact initiatives in local communities, aimed at combating energy poverty and protecting the environment. Ultimately, ZEZ Sunce aims to enable energy sharing among its members, allowing them to use solar energy from the community plant directly in their homes or businesses. As soon as it becomes technically feasible under current legislation.
With this short film, we aim to showcase the power of community energy, the power of citizens united by a shared vision: to produce and own clean, local solar energy, directly benefiting the climate, the environment, and their community.
The film was made possible with support from the European Climate Foundation (ECF), ZEZ, and ESG Films. The development and management of the first ZEZ Sunce project were supported by LIFE LOOP, a project funded under the EU LIFE Programme for Environment and Climate Action, Clean Energy Transition strand (LIFE‑2021‑CET).
Cover photo by: Vedran Vlahović
