Source: Low Carbon Ukraine, “Keeping the lights on in times of grid outages. Renewables for emergency power supply”, 2023
We always say that solar systems are a reliable and cost-effective source of emergency energy help in times of war.
Our colleagues from Berlin Economics (Low Carbon Ukraine project) decided to prove this with the help of modelling, comparing three scenarios for ensuring uninterrupted power supply to a simulated school in Kyiv during power outages:
Diesel generator
Hybrid solar system (solar modules + energy storage system)
Mixed scenario.
The Foundation shared the data for modelling.
They concluded that the installation of solar panels and energy storage systems is economically viable compared to using a diesel generator in the long term. The most cost-effective scenario was a mixed one, where a hybrid solar system and a diesel generator were installed to provide backup power in case of long-term outages.
Although the initial investment to install a generator is the lowest compared to the solar scenarios, the total annual cost, including investment, maintenance and diesel costs, equates to the cost of a generator as compared to a large-scale solar system.
To read more about the policy brief, please follow the link:
On 25 April, Anastasia Vereshchynska, Partnerships Manager at the Foundation, took part in a joint event with Berlin Economics (Low Carbon Ukraine project) and the German Energy Agency (dena) to present the results of the study and discuss the German-Ukrainian Energy Partnership for the development of a decentralised electricity distribution system. Anastasia presented the Foundation's experience in equipping Ukrainian schools and hospitals with solar solutions.
The massive missile attacks on Ukraine's energy system have shown that the country's transition to decentralised energy is an important element in reducing vulnerability to attacks, increasing system resilience and building a more modern and environmentally friendly energy system. And today, we must prepare for the next winter and make every effort to ensure that Ukraine goes through it without blackouts.
Our team regularly attends conferences and discussions dedicated to renewable energy and the sustainable recovery of Ukraine!