Croatia’s solar capacity is on course to exceed its wind energy capacity for the first time in early 2026. With utility-scale projects facing regulatory deadlock and the end of net-metering for the residential market, growth is being led by commercial and industrial customers.
Image: Daneil Wirtz/Unsplash
Croatia commissioned 417 MW of solar in the twelve months between December 2024 and December 2025, according to figures from the Renewable Energy Sources of Croatia Association (RES Croatia).
The figure highlights stable growth in Croatia’s solar market after 397 MW were installed across 2024. The country’s cumulative solar capacity passed the 1 GW threshold last May and stood at 1,255 MW at the start of December 2025.
Marija Hanzec, RES Croatia’s Head of Communications, told pv magazine that if the current pace of deployment continues, solar energy’s installed capacity will surpass that of wind energy for the first time in early 2026.
Croatia’s solar market is currently dominated by connections to its distribution grid, responsible for 1,136 MW of installed capacity to date. RES Croatia’s figures indicate around three quarters of installed capacity is from commercial and industrial customers, while around a quarter comes from households.
Hanzec said subsidies, particularly for rooftop PV systems, were the main market driver in 2025. The residential market was also influenced by the abolition of net metering, which came into effect at the start of 2026, leading some households to accelerate investment decisions.
Net metering has been replaced by a new legal framework whereby surplus electricity is sold at a lower price than the retail price, extending payback periods by up to 30%. RES Croatia is expecting the change to cause a weakening of residential demand this year.
The C&I segment has been driven by investment subsidies and high electricity prices, which Hanzec explained are among some of the highest in Europe. “Under these conditions, solar has become a highly attractive solution for reducing operating energy costs,” Hanzec said, before adding this interest is expected to continue in 2026.
Croatia’s remaining operational solar is made up of 119 MW from eight solar projects connected to the transmission grid, including two utility-scale solar plants commissioned in 2025, with capacities of 9.9 MW and 7.6 MW.
While Croatia’s utility-scale market remains in its infancy, Hanzec told pv magazine around 3.5 GW of ready-to-build, utility-scale renewables projects in Croatia, of which approximately 75% are solar, are waiting for a decision on the level of grid connection fees for connection to the transmission network.
She advised that while Croatia’s Minister of Economy has reiterated the fees should be set at zero, combined with flexible connection arrangements and incentives for battery storage, the final decision remains with the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency, leaving projects on hold until a decision is taken.
While Hanzec said the resolution of grid connection fees represents the single biggest barrier for further renewable energy deployment, she also said the regulatory framework for battery energy storage systems should be further defined to help manage grid congestion and enable additional solar capacity.
“Croatia’s National Energy and Climate Plan (NECP) aims to install 2,382 MW of solar capacity by 2030. With around 1,255 MW already in operation, Croatia has reached roughly half of its 2030 target,” Hanzec explained. “However, achieving the full NECP target will only be possible if large-scale solar projects are unlocked, as rooftop and small-scale installations alone will not be sufficient.”
Croatia recently adopted a new Spatial Planning Act which tightened rules for agrivoltaics and floating solar. Hanzec said that while no such projects are yet operational in Croatia, energy permits for several projects have already been issued. “We expect future legislative amendments to further align Croatia with EU Renewable Energy Directive III, which recognises renewable energy projects as being of overriding public interest,” she explained.
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