Can I put solar panels on my roof and feed the surplus into the grid?
Conditional — panels on your own roof are fine, but feeding the surplus into the grid needs a status and registration. A system of photovoltaic modules or solar collectors on an existing building for your own energy use is installed without a building permit and without a main design (Ordinance on Simple and Other Buildings and Works); only ground-mounted panels or a new structure count as construction. If you want to feed the surplus into the grid, you become a customer with own production and register the plant with HEP ODS (a connection request), provided the connection power as a rule does not exceed 500 kW or your power as a customer. Here the main myth falls: „net metering" (1 kWh for 1 kWh) was abolished on 1 January 2024 and replaced by net billing — the surplus is now settled by tariff as the difference between energy fed in and taken, and the cash value is paid to your account. No business registration is needed for a household consuming for itself.
📋 The rules
- Existing roof — no permit: photovoltaic modules and solar collectors on an existing building for producing heat or electricity for own needs are built without a building permit and without a main design (Ordinance on Simple and Other Buildings and Works).
- Ground panels are construction: a plant on the ground or on a new structure is not a simple work and may require a design and a suitable construction act, depending on the power and location.
- Customer with own production: to feed the surplus into the grid you register with HEP ODS; for buyback of the surplus you need the appropriate status and a permanent connection, and the connection power as a rule does not exceed 500 kW or the connection power you have as a customer (Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration Act).
- Net billing since 2024: since 1 January 2024 the 1:1 „net metering" no longer applies — the surplus is settled by tariff items as a difference between energy fed in and taken, the cash value is paid out, and the remaining consumption is billed normally.
- Buildings and co-owners: installation on the roof of a multi-unit building touches the shared parts, so it as a rule requires the co-owners' consent and arrangement through the inter-owner agreement, and connection is still handled through HEP ODS.
🔓 Exceptions
- Protected heritage: on protected cultural property and in protected urban areas, installing panels may require special conservator conditions, regardless of it being an existing roof.
- Off-grid island system: if the plant runs with no possibility of feeding into the grid (full self-supply, island operation), there is no HEP ODS registration for buyback, but then you also earn no payment for the surplus.
- Larger plants and business: production for sale or plants beyond household scale require a licence to perform an energy activity from HERA and a different tax and legal status.
⚠️ Penalties & fines
Properly installed panels on your own roof for self-supply carry no fine. Cost and risk come from skipping the procedure. If you connect the plant to the grid without registration and a contract with HEP ODS, the distributor may disconnect the unauthorised connection, and unauthorised feeding of energy into the grid opens liability and charges. Ground panels or a new structure without the required construction act are treated as construction contrary to the rules, with an order to bring them into line or remove them. In a building without the co-owners' consent, work on the shared roof can end in a lawsuit and restoration to the previous state. The hidden trap is financial: anyone who costed the investment on the old 1:1 „net metering" is easily caught out, because since 2024 the return under net billing is lower, so the payback and its period change. Before installing, check the conditions with HEP ODS and your supplier.
📎 Official sources
- HEP ODS — customer with own production and connecting a solar plant →
- HERA — Croatian Energy Regulatory Agency →
- Narodne novine — Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration Act →
❓ Frequently asked
Do I need a building permit for panels on the roof?
For photovoltaic modules and solar collectors on an existing building for your own consumption, no building permit or main design is needed. A permit and design may come into play only for panels on the ground or on a new structure, which count as construction.
How is the surplus I feed into the grid handled now?
Since 1 January 2024 the 1:1 net metering has been abolished and net billing introduced. The surplus is settled by tariff items as the difference between energy fed in and taken, and the cash value is paid to your account.
Who do I register the solar plant with?
If you feed the surplus into the grid, you register the plant with HEP ODS as a customer with own production and file a connection request. For buyback of the surplus a permanent connection is as a rule required and connection power up to 500 kW that does not exceed your power as a customer.
Do I need to register a trade or company for panels?
For a household producing and consuming electricity for its own needs, no business registration is needed. It comes into play only for production for sale or larger plants, which also require a HERA licence for an energy activity.
Can I put panels on the roof of the building I live in?
The roof of a multi-unit building is a shared part of the property, so installing panels as a rule requires the co-owners' consent and arrangement through the inter-owner agreement. Connection is still handled through HEP ODS under the rules for a customer with own production.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “solar panels permit croatia”
- “roof solar panels law”
- “net billing solar 2024”
- “customer with own production”
- “selling surplus electricity to grid”
- “household solar plant registration”