Supporting a Zadruga Dobrina, a farmer cooperative based in Maribor to make the local food system more resilient through new community‑owned energy initiatives.
Dobrina is an agricultural cooperative based in Maribor that connects small farmers with local consumers through a shared cooling and storage facility, logistics network, and local food shop. We are working together to reduce energy costs, increase resilience to volatile electricity prices, and strengthen the long‑term viability of this local food system through community‑owned renewable energy and e-mobility.
The first step is a rooftop solar‑PV and battery system on Dobrina’s cooling facility, designed to cover a large share of electricity demand with locally generated power and to build Dobrina’s capacity to manage local energy assets collectively. Over time, this work will support future steps such as clean e-mobility for delivery serivces and tailored energy services for farmer‑members, offering a practical example of how community energy can reinforce rural livelihoods in eastern Slovenia.