European solar industry launches donation program to revitalize Ukraine
European solar industry launches donation program to revitalize Ukraine
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European solar industry launches donation program to revitalize Ukraine
Europe's solar industry has launched a new donation program for solar photovoltaic equipment for Ukraine. The news was announced from the annual summit of European solar power companies in Brussels and is aimed at providing a stable supply of solar materials for Ukraine. Among other things, solar industry bodies including SolarPower Europe, Germany's BSW and Ukraine's ASEU have joined forces to send large quantities of modules, inverters and batteries to the struggling Ukraine.
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Reasons for starting a PV equipment donation program
Russia's "special military campaign" against Ukraine has sparked a solar boom across Europe, so people are looking to rooftop solar to combat rising energy costs. However, in Ukraine, the energy system has been bombarded, leaving schools and hospitals in desperate need of solar and battery storage systems.
These donations are critical for Ukraine, as some hospitals have been without power for weeks, causing surgeons to operate under headlights. But many more hospitals are in the same situation. Since the invasion, the Ukrainian government has made it mandatory for hospitals to purchase backup power systems, but there are no rules about whether to use diesel gensets or solar cell systems. About 4,500 of the larger hospitals need backup power.
The co-chairman of the German solar energy association BSW says that in war, it is always the most vulnerable who suffer the most. That's why the German solar industry wants to contribute to the campaign and launch a solar aid initiative so that schools can be equipped with an improved power supply system.
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Rebuilding countries with solar energy
Solar Power Europe's Director of Global Affairs says that war has created a huge energy poverty among the population, and that solar energy can really help alleviate this energy poverty.
Considering that diesel generator sets take a minute to start up properly and donated battery systems can provide an uninterrupted supply of electricity, ASEU member companies installed battery storage systems at a hospital in Kharkov in 2022. Artem Semenyshy, CEO of the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine, said the hospital's doctors were pleased with the performance of their solar battery backup system, and if the government could see the regenerative power and utility of solar energy, it could make a good case in favor of rebuilding the country with the help of photovoltaics.
In addition to maintaining lighting and helping to provide backup power, the solar power project could provide additional jobs as a way to help injured civilians and soldiers who are too wounded to return to the front lines, or those who may lose their jobs, who could be retrained to install solar systems and help rebuild the country with solar power.
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Summary
Ukrainian organizations, including the Ukraine Energy Bill Foundation and the Ukraine Repower Foundation, will facilitate and organize the implementation of the project. These groups understand the need for energy in hospitals and schools, and both organizations are looking for donors to fund specific projects, and there is an urgent need for solar systems and power systems. The implementation will be tendered to Ukrainian power installers, and to ensure transparency, corporate donors will be able to view detailed calculations for the selected projects. However, all of the above goals require a significant investment of human and financial resources and still need the support and assistance of the community to reach them.