Istria switched on its first public-building solar roof, 100 kW on Umag's health centre, with three more on the way
Istria County is investing EUR 332,400 in four rooftop systems totalling 280.65 kW. First live: 100 kW at the Umag health centre. Under way: 69.01 kW at the county public health institute. Planned: 92.64 kW at a Novigrad retirement home and a fourth at a children's centre in Pula. Output mainly for on-site use.
Health centres, care homes and public offices are workplaces too. They run on weekdays, in daylight, and pay a power bill out of a public budget.
PV Europe reported on 21 September 2026 that Istria County has commissioned the first system in an EU-backed solar programme for public buildings: a 100 kW rooftop plant on the Umag health centre. Work is under way on a 69.01 kW system at the county's public health institute. A 92.64 kW plant is planned at a retirement home in Novigrad, and a fourth system at a children's creative centre in Pula.
The programme totals 280.65 kW for EUR 332,400. The output is meant mainly for use on site, to cut the buildings' bills.
Analogy: it is a school planting a vegetable garden for its own kitchen. It will not feed the town, but the lunch bill drops.
Good: named sites, exact kW sizes and a total budget, from a public owner that has to report how it spends grant money.
Bad: no battery, no expected output, no savings estimate and no grant share are given. EUR 332,400 for 280.65 kW is the programme total and includes whatever else the contracts cover.
Ugly: three of four systems were not yet running when this was reported. One live roof is a start, not a programme result.
Source: PV Europe, 21 Sep 2026 - Croatia's EU-backed solar rollout gathers pace at public sites.