With the opening of the nZEB training center, the Institute begins one of its most important chapters in the field of energy efficiency and transfer towards smart technologies in buildings
Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar officially opened the doors of the National Training Center for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB), marking the completion of the project of the same name. The project is a platform for education and the exchange of knowledge and experiences. The goal of the project was to include and educate all stakeholders involved in building renovation and, through a pilot action, show them the benefits of building renovation according to the nZEB standard (engl. nearly zero-energy building). The pilot action is the building of the Institute, which in September 2023, when the first cycle of education started, began the first phase of comprehensive renovation to achieve nZEB standard. Today, the building is in nearly zero energy standards and is prepared for smart technologies.
"The PV plant with an installed power of 50 kW is mounted on the roof of the building, which will provide us with 30 per cent of the necessary energy for the new heating, cooling and lighting systems, which will save us a total of 65 per cent in energy costs for heating and cooling. All technical systems were replaced and digitized, and a new automation system was introduced according to the occupancy of the space and comfort parameters, such as temperature, CO2 concentration2 and humidity," said Dražen Jakšić, director of the Energy Institute Hrvoje Požar, presenting the project implementation results, challenges, and plans for a future training center. He emphasized that the new building management and automation system will enable the Institute to monitor energy consumption and influencing factors, understand their correlation and conduct targeted analyses, which will improve the professional work of the Institute as it will have a kind of 'living laboratory'. The Institute will regularly publish the conclusions of the analyses to the professional and general public.
Out of 1.6 million EUR in grants, 1.2 million EUR was invested in the building renovation pilot project, and almost 700,000 EUR of institute funds were additionally invested, bringing the value of the investment to 1.9 million EUR. "Due to the situation in the construction market, as well as the installation of certain elements that go beyond the project's scope, the costs of the entire investment have increased. We learned a lot from our example; we also got a better insight into administrative procedures and the real costs of a comprehensive renovation. We will continue with education in the nZEB training center, but also by promoting technologies for green and energy transition through strengthening support and consulting services in that area", said the director of the Institute and announced that the next phase of this project involves the installation of a charging station for electric cars, a battery storage tank for electricity and heat pumps for heating and cooling. The goal, he pointed out, is to reach a building without emissions by 2030.
The Minister of Regional Development and EU Funds Šime Erlić, , also addressed the participants, stressing that this project, like the Institute itself, is a 'beacon of the green transition in Croatia'. "With this project, which was technologically innovative, demanding and complex, the Institute took a step forward in the green transition and setting new standards in building construction. Thanks to you and your knowledge, everyone who will start that way can learn a lot. The Institute answered how to think about the green transition and which way to go. Continue to be a leader and go one step further," said Minister Erlić and thanked everyone who worked on the "Energy and Climate Change" program and the Norwegian mechanism within which the nZEB project was implemented.
Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway in the Republic of Croatia, H. E. Arne Sannes Bjørnstad, referred to the partnership between the Nordic countries and the Republic of Croatia and emphasized that buildings are large consumers of energy that also emit large amounts of CO22. "We need a different way of thinking about buildings, and smart buildings are an excellent example of a different way of thinking, but also of cooperation with all stakeholders. Our buildings in Norway are also energy producers, and this is something we must all strive for. I look forward to continued cooperation with this Institute and the Government of the Republic of Croatia in developing new technologies and ways to make buildings better quality, smarter, and at the same time energy producers," the ambassador pointed out.
Prof. Ph.D. Stjepan Lakušić, the University of Zagreb's rector, said that the nZEB project is an excellent combination of cooperation between the academic community and the economy. "We must remember that by 2030, we have to restore 20 million square meters of residential buildings and 10 million square meters of non-residential buildings in such a way that they meet safety criteria. Even if we succeed in renovating all 30 million square meters, we need 25 thousand educated and trained employees to work in this sector. We can only do this with the cooperation of the academic community and the economy. This training center is one of the development levers where exactly that is proven", concluded Rector Lakušić.
About the project:
The project "Establishment of the National Training Center for Nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB)" was financed under the "Energy and Climate Change" program, for which EUR 1.6 million in grants were provided from the Financial Mechanisms of the European Economic Area for the period 2014-2021. The program manager is the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, and the Institute also plays the role of a program partner from the Republic of Croatia. The Institute's partner in this project was the Faculty of Civil Engineering of the University of Zagreb. The project started in May 2021 and ended in April 2024: https://www.nzebcentar.hr/
