Municipality of Šoštanj Signs Deal for Solar Installations at Public Buildings

The Municipality of Šoštanj and the director of the company ECE d.o.o. signed a contract for the construction of solar power plants on four public buildings in Šoštanj, Slovenia. 

For the initiative, the Municipality of Šoštanj secured a grant of slightly more than €450,000 from the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. Around 0.5 MW of solar capacity will be added through installations at four sites: the Karel Destovnik-Kajuh elementary school gym, the music school, the community healthcare centre, and the Pilon Center. The project, awarded to ECE d.o.o. through a public tender, represents an investment of about €500,000 (equivalent to €998 per kW including VAT). Beyond the installation of the solar plants, the contract also provides for five years of maintenance, the management of surplus and deficit electricity, and the coordination of an energy community that will eventually encompass over 15 public buildings once the facilities are in operation.

Construction of the solar power plants is scheduled to start in October 2025, with project completion required by 31 December 2025. Upon completion, roughly 70% of the electricity consumed in Šoštanj’s public buildings will come from the municipality’s own renewable sources. The facilities are expected to generate about 500 MWh of green energy annually, delivering savings of around €70,000 per year and an estimated €2 million over their full operational lifespan.