RES Act

A net metering system is applicable to electricity-producing consumers (prosumers). In Croatian law, a ‘prosumer’ is currently defined as an ‘end customer with own production’ by the Act on Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration (RES Act).
The net metering system is applied differently for the commercial sector (business and industry) and differently for the household sector.
For the household sector, the prosumer must annually consume an equal or greater amount of electricity than the amount of his own production, in order to legally keep the prosumer status and be allowed to be connected to the grid. So, the prosumer cannot be a net producer.
If, in a particular month, the prosumer generated more electricity than he or she consumed, the electricity supplier is obliged to purchase the surplus of energy from the prosumer at a minimum price of 80% of the regular supply tariff for electricity. The prosumer does not directly receive the money from the sale, but the prosumer’s electricity bill is reduced by the sale amount in the following months. By the end of the year, the household prosumer has to consume an amount of electricity equal to the amount produced, or more, in order to keep his status.
For the business sector, the supplier is obliged to purchase the surplus electricity at a minimum price of 90% of the regular supply tariff for electricity. There is no restriction on the amount of electricity produced. However, the installed capacity/power of the RES must be less or equal to the contracted power of the business.

If, in a particular month, the prosumer generated more electricity than he or she consumed, the electricity supplier is obliged to purchase the surplus of energy from the prosumer at a minimum price of 80% of the regular supply tariff for electricity. The prosumer does not directly receive the money from the sale, but the prosumer’s electricity bill is reduced by the sale amount in the following months.
For the business sector, the supplier is obliged to purchase the surplus electricity at a minimum price of 90% of the regular supply tariff for electricity.

Households, commercial buildings, public buildings, industrial buildings and factories

In order to qualify for the net-metering scheme, one must: 1) have a status of a eligible producer, 2) have the right to a permanent grid connection (resolved with the DSO, currently only HEP ODS d.o.o.), 3) have a total installed RES capacity of up to 500 kW, and 4) not have a total installed RES capacity greater than one’s contracted power (Article 44 of the RES Act).
In order to attain the status of an eligible producer with self-consumption, one must satisfy the criteria stipulated in Article 20 of the RES Act, This includes: the installation must use renewable energy sources and/or waste and renewable energy sources or simultaneously produce electricity and heat energy in high efficiency manner; the installation must be registered in the Register of Renewable Energy Sources, Cogeneration, and Eligible Producers (OIEKPP Register); the installation must have a connection to the network and installed measurement equipment so that the calculation of net delivered electricity is enabled, etc.
According to Article 21 of the RES Act, the decision on obtaining the eligible producer status is made by the Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency (HERA).
When someone is qualified for the net-metering scheme, the electricity supplier is obligated to purchase one’s surplus of produced electricity.

The distribution system operator (HEP ODS d.o.o.)
Hrvatska energetska regulatorna agencija (HERA)