Green public garages protect the environment and contribute to sustainable mobility

January 26, 2021 - In order to reduce the potentially negative effects of business on the climate and the environment, Zagreb Holding actively implements a number of energy efficiency measures primarily aimed at reducing CO2 emissions and increasing resilience to climate change.

One of the green projects is the highly efficient sustainable garages of the Zagrebparking subsidiary, which also encourage sustainable mobility.

The first “green garage” in Zagreb is the public garage Tuškanac. The project came to life in 2017 and brought together all existing facilities that contribute to sustainable development, which include parking lots for owners of hybrid and electric vehicles with guaranteed preferential parking prices, charging stations for electric vehicles, ecological LED lighting, free parking spaces for bicycles, “green island” for selective collection of glass, paper and plastic and a ”smart” bench which, in cooperation with the City of Zagreb, was placed on the plateau of the Tuškanac garage.
 
Tuškanac Public Garage is the first green public garage in Zagreb

Special benefits for owners of hybrid and electric vehicles


Green facilities were subsequently implemented in most other public garages, and free charging stations for electric vehicles are available in seven garages. Let’s remind, the public garage within the Sveti Duh Clinical Hospital, which opened earlier this year, was built entirely according to “green standards” and has as many as 10 free charging stations for electric vehicles and natural ventilation on all four floors. 

The subsidiary has introduced special parking lots for hybrid and electric vehicles in all public garages. Additionally, the price of a subscription ticket for parking hybrid and electric vehicles in all garages has been reduced by 50 percent (except for hourly and value tickets).

Since March 2014, the subsidiary has been implementing the project “Bike to the garage”, which provides free parking for bicycles in public garages Gorica, Tuškanac, Lang Square and Sveti Duh and in the public parking lot Gredelj. These projects contribute to the development of infrastructure for the use of alternative, energy efficient fuels for passenger cars and the improvement of bicycle and pedestrian traffic.

As part of energy efficiency measures, during 2017, ecologically and energy efficient lighting was installed in five public garages. Achieved electricity savings in some garages reach 40%, with savings which has been lower in public garages that provide the service of charging electric vehicles.

Business digitalization is also contributing to the reduction of exhaust emissions. With the introduction of a central system for automatic payment and central management, in public garages have been installed cameras for recognizing license plates, which allows users to leave the garage without bringing a card to the terminal. This significantly reduces the time the vehicle exits the garage, and thus reduces CO2 emissions.

There are also 448 parking machines with integrated solar panels, about a hundred of which support card payments, and among other things, enable the issuance of electronic parking tickets.
  
U javnu garažu Sveti Duh također su implementirani svi "zeleni" sadržaji

Highly efficient sustainable garages

Last year, the Zagrebparking subsidiary started the process of certifying the Tuškanac public garage with the PARKSmart certificate. PARKSmart is the only certification program in the world that defines, measures and recognizes highly efficient sustainable garages. PARKSmart garages use energy-efficient lighting and ventilation systems, systems that make it easier for drivers to find a parking space faster, charging stations for electric vehicles, car sharing, bicycle parking and take care of wastewater and its impact on the garage environment. Certification is performed by an authorized company under the program of the American organization GBCI (Green Business Certification Inc.). By conducting the certification process, the Tuškanac public garage will be the first garage already built in Europe to be certified with this certificate.

The realization of the project of adaptation of the roof of the public garage Gorica with the installation of solar panels is also planned. As part of this investment, whose estimated value is one million kuna, the roof will be repaired and solar panels will be installed on the roof of the garage. This is the first public garage built in the city of Zagreb, and the planned adaptation of the roof and the installation of solar panels will largely meet the needs of the garage for electricity.

Depending on the availability of sunlight during the year, solar panels will produce about 42,533 kWh of electricity, which is 46 percent of the current annual electricity consumption in the said public garage.

Javna garaža Sveti Duh ima čak 10 besplatnih punionica za električna vozila

Na krovi javne garaže Gorica bit će postavljeni solarni paneli. Radi se o projektu vrijednom oko milijun kuna, koji će za 46 posto smanjiti potrošnju električne energije.