Croatia’s Solar Energy Potential

Zagreb, 14 November 2025 – Nenad Ukropina, Director of Enna Next, participated in the “Better Energy and ESG Business” conference, which brought together numerous representatives of Croatia’s energy sector. The event was organised by 24 sata and held on Friday, 14 November 2025, in Zagreb.

In the opening panel titled “The Solar Spectrum of the Region – From Potential to Challenges”, Ukropina was joined by Petra Sentić, Director of the HUP – Energy Association, Goran Krajačić, Professor at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, and Zoran Kordić, Manager at the Green Energy Cooperative.

Addressing the structure of primary energy consumption in Croatia, Ukropina highlighted that the country uses around 100 TWh of primary energy annually, with more than 60 percent imported, while approximately ten percent comes from hydropower and other renewable sources.

“The International Energy Agency has estimated Croatia’s potential at 5 TW of solar capacity and 12–15 TW of wind capacity. With that, we could generate around 50 TWh of electricity, meaning we could replace half of our primary energy consumption and most of our energy imports,” Ukropina noted.

Speaking about Croatia’s solar potential, he emphasized the growing trend of self-supply among households and businesses.

“We see that 70 percent of our customers and partners we supply with energy already have some form of electricity generation, and are increasingly investing in self-sufficiency. The experience from three years ago, when energy prices surged, raised awareness of how their own production can shield them from market shocks,” Ukropina said.

The next step toward achieving energy independence, he added, is the introduction of technologies such as energy storage systems and virtual power plants—solutions that ENNA Next already provides—which enable industrial clients to convert energy from a cost category into a revenue stream. He also highlighted the growing phenomenon of electricity price cannibalisation.

“With larger volumes of renewable energy entering the grid, we are seeing periods of the day—when there is sufficient sunshine and adequate production capacity—during which electricity prices turn negative, meaning someone pays you to take that energy. We are talking about several hundred hours per year with negative prices. This is why designing energy systems today requires an individualised approach and a detailed analysis of consumption, production capacities, and market conditions,” he explained.

Ukropina emphasized that Enna Next’s tailored solutions provide companies and households with a comprehensive approach to energy—covering everything from renewable project design and consumption optimization to monetising energy surpluses through virtual power plants.

“Those who can connect production, consumption, and market opportunities into a smart energy hub will be able to transform energy from a cost into a source of income. That is the next step in the energy sector, and solar power plants will be its essential component,” Ukropina concluded, adding that Enna Next is a leader in this regard not only in Croatia but across the region.

Photo: Igor Soban/PIXSELL