Hrvoje Pančić
Episode · #542
ZGRADONAČELNIK Hrvoje Pandžić
Guest Hrvoje PančićHosted by Tin BašićMay 3, 2026
Hrvoje Pančić
About this episode
What you'll hear in this conversation
Professor Hrvoje Pančić believes we are headed for an all-electric world. As head of FER’s Department of High Voltage and Energy, he doesn't just theorize about this future; his work explores the practicalities of making buildings, homes, and entire cities part of an integrated, decarbonized electrical system. He unpacks the real-world dilemmas, from managing household energy flexibility to the strategic missteps of phasing out clean power sources. This conversation will make you consider the invisible electrical infrastructure that underpins modern life and how it must change to meet the demands of a green transition.
Insights from the conversation
What to take from this episode
01
Professor Pančić clarifies that while 'energetika' (energy) traditionally covers gas and coal, the future of decarbonization means 'energetika' will become 'elektroenergetika.' The only viable path to a zero-carbon future is a near-complete transition to electricity, encompassing everything from industrial hydrogen production to personal transport and home heating.
02
Germany's decision to phase out already-built nuclear power plants is, as Professor Pančić puts it, 'madness.' Replacing a clean, operational energy source with imported natural gas or coal-fired power is a strategic error, especially when considering the full lifecycle efficiency of nuclear.
03
FER's IoT lab, with its 30+ connected home devices, isn't focused on simple remote control. Its goal is to extract 'flexibility from households' without compromising user comfort. The real challenge for smart homes is to shift or reduce energy consumption without the user ever noticing, ensuring comfort remains paramount while optimizing grid demand.
04
A typical smart air conditioner reports temperature settings and fan speed, but not its actual power consumption in kilowatts. To truly manage demand-side flexibility, you need to measure the real energy draw of devices, rather than relying on comfort metrics alone.
05
In places like California or Chile, and soon Croatia, abundant solar power can lead to an *excess* of electricity production around noon. The future grid won't just struggle with shortages; it will increasingly need ways to absorb midday surpluses generated when household energy demand is low.
06
Croatia's electrical grid, like much of Europe's, is well-built and stable, largely due to 'large investments in the sixties, seventies, and eighties.' The stability of existing infrastructure provides a solid foundation, but the challenge now is adapting a historically over-dimensioned system to the dynamic and decentralized demands of renewable energy.