Today’s Solutions: March 28, 2024

Famous for its beautiful coastline and Game of Thrones filming locations, Croatia is also finding newfound notoriety as home to a progressive new green energy initiative. The country’s 1000 Solar Roofs project is environmentally and economically beneficial and has been selected for support as part of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology’s (EIT) Crisis Response Initiative and the Climate-KIC Cities Accelerator Program. 

The program, whose full name is “1,000 Solar Roofs — Cities and Jobs Regeneration through Community Led Solarization,” has a budget of 121,000 euros to bring 1,000 solar photovoltaic systems to homes across 10 cities. Construction began in July and is expected to be done by the end of the year. 

The solar panels will provide reliable green energy across the sunny Mediterranean country. In addition to environmental benefits, it will also generate between 3,000 and 8,000 new jobs per year. In Croatia, 19,310 people claimed unemployment between January and April of this year, so the solar project will help kickstart a green economic recovery. 

The project is largely community led, so these jobs will also be highly beneficial to local communities and take into account regional needs and differences. The community-oriented nature of the project relies on energy cooperatives to support renewables. These cooperatives connect private households willing to invest in rooftop solar with local entrepreneurs in the field of solar energy to build local climate resilience and reliable green power. 

The pandemic has offered us a unique opportunity to reboot our economies in new and improved ways. Placing environmental and social justice goals at the center of this “back to better” phenomenon includes solutions such as widespread support of reliable renewable energy. Hopefully, more countries follow Croatia’s lead in supporting a greener future.

Solutions News Source Print this article
More of Today's Solutions

Rowing against the current: Botswana’s women safari guides inspire and empower

In the calm of Botswana's Okavango Delta, where the morning sun creates a golden glow on the water's surface, an amazing metamorphosis is occurring. ...

Read More

The future of healing: 3D printing skin directly onto open wounds

Pennsylvania State University researchers achieved a major medical science breakthrough by being the first team ever to 3D print real human skin tissue directly ...

Read More

These solar-powered barges can scoop up 50 tons of plastic from rivers each day

While removing the plastic waste that currently contaminates the ocean today will be crucial for protecting marine ecosystems, it is arguably more important that ...

Read More

A bold step towards climate action and job creation: The American Climate Corps

The White House announced the creation of the American Climate Corps, a breakthrough program that will transform the climate action landscape. This ambitious project ...

Read More