Scope of the household support scheme
Croatia’s Environmental Protection and Energy Efficiency Fund has launched a €38 million support programme for household renewable-energy investment. The scheme adds residential battery storage to the eligible technology list for the first time. It covers rooftop solar installations intended for self-consumption, as well as heat pumps used for heating, cooling and domestic hot water.
The programme also includes battery systems designed to let households retain surplus photovoltaic generation for later use. The fund’s support structure is aimed at covering eligible behind-the-meter investments under the call requirements.
Grant levels for standard and energy-poverty households
Standard applicants may receive grants covering up to 50% of eligible expenditure. Households classified as being at risk of energy poverty may qualify for support covering up to 70% of the investment.
Individual grants for standard applicants are set to range from €6,000 to €17,850. Vulnerable households may receive between €8,400 and €24,990 in non-refundable support.
Battery eligibility and timing rules
The addition of battery eligibility is linked to Croatia’s growing solar fleet and its impact on generation profiles. Midday production can increase while household demand frequently peaks later in the day. Storage is intended to raise self-consumption and reduce evening withdrawals from the distribution system.
The programme also targets the economics of rooftop installations where exported electricity receives less value than power purchased from the network. Only new investments are generally eligible under the scheme.
Financing source and conditions for eligible costs
The programme will be financed through revenues generated by auctioning greenhouse-gas emission allowances under Croatia’s proposed 2026–2030 spending plan. Costs must be incurred after publication of the call. Advance equipment payments and expenditure related to preparing HEP ODS metering points may qualify when paid on or after 1 January 2026.
Projects fully paid before the programme was announced are excluded. A separate retroactive mechanism is planned for households that installed and commissioned solar systems after the previous call closed but before the new programme opened, allowing recovery of up to 50% of project costs.
Implementation factors affecting household uptake
The programme shifts Croatian residential policy from renewable-capacity support toward coordinated household energy management. Its effectiveness is expected to depend on distribution-connection processing, equipment availability and installer capacity. It will also depend on whether grant payments are made quickly enough to avoid excessive bridge-financing requirements for households.
No additional eligibility categories beyond those described in the call scope were specified in the programme details provided. The scheme remains focused on rooftop solar for self-consumption, heat pumps, and battery systems for surplus photovoltaic retention.
