Public-private partnerships for green infrastructure: The role of renewable energy

Abstract

Financing green infrastructure requires arrangements capable of addressing high initial capital needs and long-term performance requirements. This paper examines the application of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings, and related forms of green infrastructure. The study combines a structured qualitative review of scientific and institutional sources with selected international and Serbian project cases. The analysis identifies risk allocation, life-cycle management, regulatory predictability, institutional capacity, and contractual design as important factors affecting PPP performance. International cases include energy-efficient public lighting, solar-energy development, and waste-to-energy infrastructure, while Serbian examples cover public-lighting and biomass-based heating projects in Niš, solar generation in Vranje, and the Vinča waste-management PPP in Belgrade. These applications are interpreted through an integrated conceptual framework linking infrastructure investment needs and project risks with PPP mechanisms and economic, environmental, and social outcomes. For Serbia, the findings also indicate potential for further application in public-building energy renovation, renewable-energy systems, low-carbon district heating, and urban green and blue infrastructure.