Croatia opened applications on Tuesday for a €38 million household clean-energy programme that includes support for battery storage for the first time. Authorities said the measure is intended to shift more rooftop solar output into evening demand periods. The scheme covers rooftop photovoltaic systems, heat pumps and battery energy storage.
Under the programme, standard households can receive grants covering up to 50% of eligible costs. Support can rise to 70% for households considered at risk of energy poverty. Maximum grant levels are set at €17,850 for standard applicants and €24,990 for eligible energy-poor households.
Demand peak and the role of behind-the-meter storage
The introduction of batteries is linked to changes in Croatia’s electricity-demand profile as distributed solar capacity expands. The country recorded a new summer electricity-demand peak of about 3,400.5 MWh at 21:00 in August, after most photovoltaic production had disappeared. That peak was higher than both the previous summer record and the latest winter maximum.
Solar installations can reduce household and system demand during daylight hours, but they provide little support during the evening peak unless generation is stored. Behind-the-meter batteries enable households to retain part of their daytime solar output and use it after sunset. At sufficient scale, this could reduce demand seen by the grid during the 20:00-22:00 period, when regional electricity prices are frequently highest.
Moving beyond rooftop solar subsidies
The programme is described as moving beyond the first stage of rooftop solar support. Subsidising photovoltaic installations alone can accelerate daytime generation while increasing the gap between solar-hour output and evening demand. Combining solar with storage is intended to create a more controllable consumption profile.
The grants may also help households adapt to electricity tariffs that place greater value on when electricity is consumed. Time-of-use or dynamic pricing can significantly improve battery economics by allowing users to avoid high-cost hours. For the grid, distributed storage can reduce peak demand and potentially delay some network reinforcement.
Battery operation and broader BESS development
The benefits depend on how batteries are operated, according to the programme rationale. Systems optimised only for household self-consumption may provide less grid value than those capable of responding to wider market signals. Croatia is also developing larger utility-scale BESS projects, including storage alongside renewable generation.
The household programme adds a distributed layer to that transition. While the €38 million scheme is not large enough by itself to reshape Croatia’s electricity system, it represents a policy shift in how support is directed as solar deployment increases. Government backing is beginning to move from subsidising generation toward helping consumers move renewable electricity into hours when the system needs it most.
