ZELENA ENERGETSKA ZADRUGA ZA USLUGE

Their core work

Zelena energetska zadruga (Green Energy Cooperative) is a Croatian energy cooperative that works on community-driven energy transition, citizen engagement, and energy poverty reduction. They bring grassroots cooperative experience to EU projects, helping design and test models where citizens collectively produce, consume, and manage energy. Their practical work spans behavioral change programs for energy efficiency, community energy schemes, and local renewable energy deployment — particularly in contexts where social inclusion and energy solidarity are central goals.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2016–2019), Zelena energetska zadruga focused on biomass and rural heating — solid biofuels, agrobiomass, and nature-based solutions — reflecting a practical, resource-oriented approach to sustainable energy. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward people-centered energy transition: consumer behavior change, energy communities, prosumer engagement, energy democracy, and digital energy tools. This evolution mirrors the broader EU policy shift from technology deployment to citizen empowerment in the energy sector, and the cooperative has positioned itself squarely at that intersection.

Moving toward digitally-enabled, socially inclusive energy communities — expect future work combining AI tools with cooperative energy governance and energy poverty alleviation.

How they like to work

Zelena energetska zadruga operates exclusively as a project participant, never as coordinator, which is typical for a smaller cooperative contributing specialized on-the-ground expertise rather than managing large consortia. With 111 unique partners across 21 countries in just 9 projects, they work in large, diverse consortia and are not locked into a narrow circle of repeat collaborators. This suggests they are easy to integrate into new partnerships and bring a reliable, cooperative working style valued by consortium coordinators across Europe.

With 111 unique consortium partners across 21 countries from 9 projects, they have built an unusually broad European network for an organization of their size. Their connections span Western, Southern, and Central European energy research and policy communities.

What sets them apart

As a real, operating energy cooperative — not a university or consultancy — they bring authentic grassroots experience to projects about community energy and citizen engagement. This is rare and valuable: many EU projects studying energy communities lack a genuine cooperative as a partner. For consortium builders, they offer a Croatian pilot site, direct access to cooperative members and energy-poor households, and practical knowledge of what works (and what doesn't) when organizing citizens around energy.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COMPILE
  Largest single grant (EUR 259,262), focused on integrating community power in energy islands — directly aligned with their cooperative identity.
• CEES
  Addresses energy poverty through community energy solidarity, combining their social mission with EU policy priorities on just energy transition.
• SCCALE 203050
  Focuses on energy citizenship and democracy at local level across 2020-2050 horizons, positioning the cooperative in long-term EU energy governance debates.