Refurbishing a Historic Military Complex: MENEA’s Path to Energy Self-Sufficiency

Since 2008, Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd. has been based in a historic 120-year-old building within a former military complex in Čakovec, northern Croatia. Today, this site has been transformed into the Medjimurje County Knowledge Centre, a hub for organisations driving regional development and improving the community’s quality of life.

Committed to energy efficiency and renewable energy, the agency has continuously upgraded the building to enhance its sustainability. In 2016, a 75-kW pyrolytic furnace was installed, followed by a smart metering system in 2019 as part of the RURES project under the Interreg CENTRAL EUROPE programme. Three years later, further advancements were made with the addition of a 20-kW photovoltaic (PV) system, a 37-kW air-to-water heat pump for heating and cooling, and a 22-kW electric vehicle charging station.

Building on these efforts, 2024 saw another major step forward with the installation of a 24.84 kWh battery storage system and an upgrade to the smart metering system. These improvements were carried out as part of the ESINERGY pilot project, funded by the Interreg Danube Region Programme, with Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd. acting as the technical partner and Medjimurje County as the pilot partner.

These latest interventions significantly enhance the building’s energy independence. In 2023, the PV system generated approximately 26 MWh of electricity, yet only 31% was consumed onsite, with the remainder fed into the grid. With the newly installed battery storage, up to 7.5 MWh will now be retained annually, increasing self-sufficiency to 60% and helping to balance energy demand by reducing peak loads. The upgraded smart metering system now provides real-time insights into energy performance, monitoring the PV system, heat pump, EV charger, and battery storage, with key data on peak load shaving and battery state of charge readily available.

Looking ahead, additional upgrades are planned to establish the building as a leading example of energy efficiency in Medjimurje County. Future improvements will include the installation of new outdoor carpentry integrating mechanical ventilation with heat recovery, smart blinds for optimised climate control, and an intelligent building management system. Air quality sensors will also be added to monitor key environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, CO₂ levels, and particulate matter concentrations (PM2.5 and PM10).

Through these ongoing investments, Medjimurje Energy Agency Ltd. is transforming its headquarters into a model of sustainable energy use, demonstrating how historic buildings can be adapted for a greener future.

This best practice is extracted from our publication ‘Sustainable Regions in Action‘. Discover more best practices here!