Ljubljana has entered into a public-private partnership to install solar panels on the roofs of 51 municipal buildings in less than a year in a project valued at around €5 million.

Mayor Zoran Janković signed the deal with the city's energy company Energetika Ljubljana and the private partner, the energy group Resalta and its subsidiary RES ERP on 18 October.

The concession contract was concluded for 17 years, after which the solar units will be fully owned by the municipality, the city's energy official Petra Šeme said.

Most of the solar panels will be installed on primary schools and kindergartens, but also three community health centres and sports and culture facilities.

These include Rog, a bicycle factory turned into a creative centre, three swimming pools, the Zalog ice-skating rink and the Ježica sports park.

The private partner has until 1 July 2024 to complete the project, which will provide the municipality with green energy and allow it to manage electricity shortages.

The 51 photovoltaic installations will have a combined power of almost 5 megawatts and will generate more than 5,200 MW hours of electricity a year.

Energetika Ljubljana CEO Samo Lozej said the new solar venture was a reference project for the company and Resalta director Luka Komazec described it as Resalta's most important one.

"Together we will build the largest community solar in Slovenia and this part of Europe," Komazec said.

Out of the 51 units, 47 will be linked together in a community system, allowing for a more efficient energy use.

By implementing a monthly net metering system, the municipality will almost completely avoid the risk of a negative electricity price in the summer months, when the production of solar power is at its highest.