After yesterday’s start in Zagreb, at the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar, the continuation of the kick-off meeting of the ZEB4ZEN (Zero energy buildings for zero energy neighbourhoods) project was held today in the City of Karlovac in the implementation of which the City of Karlovac participates as a project partner. The project holder is the Hrvoje Požar Energy Institute (EIHP), and apart from the City of Karlovac, the other five partners are from Italy, Germany and Poland. The project’s total value is EUR 2,041,426, of which 80 per cent of the total value was co-financed by means of the Interreg program Central Europe 2021-2027. The project started on April 1, 2023, and lasts 36 months. The goal of the project is to identify solutions aimed at the modernization of historical centers, while protecting their historical and cultural heritage, i.e. to develop a methodology for energetically renovating entire neighbourhoods, not just building by building, and to define action plans for the transformation of city neighbourhoods into neighbourhoods with almost zero consumption energy until 2050. The project will implement three pilot investments in the city centres of Karlovac (Croatia), Palmanova (Italy) and Zamość (Poland). The total amount of the City of Karlovac in the project amounts to EUR 198,370, of which ERDF funds amount to EUR 158,699.20.
In the City of Karlovac, through planned project activities, the integration of renewable energy sources will be carried out in or around the city districts, battery systems will be installed, and, in general, work will be done on the digitization of energy systems through smart solutions, all to bring modern solutions closer to citizens. The project identifies and explores the possibilities of revitalizing and modernizing cultural heritage; that is, it combines historical heritage and modern technologies that will result in concrete plans to achieve cultural assets that reach the energy and climate goals of the European Union.
The grant award agreement was concluded between the City of Vienna, the managing body of the Interreg Central Europe program, and the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar Energy (EIHP), the leading partner (project manager). The project’s total value is EUR 2,041,426, while the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) co-financing is EUR 1,633,140.80.