Energy policy shifts in Croatia and Germany regarding solar and heating

Croatia is proposing significant changes to its renewable energy laws that would restrict the mandatory purchase of surplus electricity by suppliers. Under the draft Law on Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration, the current 500 kW threshold for mandatory purchase would be drastically reduced. New limits would set the threshold at 10.8 kW for households, 100 kW for businesses, and 50 kW for shared systems. Producers exceeding these limits would be required to negotiate sales on the open market.

In Germany, the government has implemented the Building Modernization Act (Gebäudemodernisierungsgesetz), which removes the previous requirement that all newly installed heating systems must use at least 65 percent renewable energy. The new law offers property owners a broader range of options, including heat pumps, district heating, hybrid solutions, biomass, and gas or oil-based devices. The reform aims to maintain climate goals through technological openness and the gradual transition of fuels, such as replacing fossil natural gas with biomethane within existing gas networks.