Demand for solar and energy storage systems is increasing in Ukraine amid Russia’s continued attacks on the country’s energy infrastructure, Lena Sukholdolska, Head of Communications at Ukrainian solar energy company Atmosfera, told pv magazine during the Smarter E event in Munich.
“Russia’s attacks and repeated blackouts have transformed the Ukrainian market rapidly,” Sukholdolska explained. “Demand for energy storage systems among businesses is now very high. We couldn’t have realized a couple of years ago that it would be like this.”
The shift has created a market focused increasingly on resilience. Sukholdolska said both businesses and households are investing in solar-plus-storage systems, backup power solutions and uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), which is leading to the market becoming more decentralized.
Sukholdolska said that one of the most significant changes in the Ukrainian market is the growing role of municipalities and local communities as energy buyers.
Sukholdolska defined this new customer segment as so-called community prosumers, explaining that communities now need sustainable and reliable energy solutions more than ever as they work to become more resilient and prepared to face the challenges associated with Russia’s continued invasion.
Local authorities in Ukraine are combining their own resources with support from international foundations and donor organizations to deploy solar-plus-storage projects. These systems are helping schools, hospitals and public facilities maintain operations during power outages.
Sukholdolska also pointed to recent policy developments that are helping to support distributed solar deployment. Among recent measures is the introduction of the country’s active prosumer framework. Sukholdolska said around than 1,700 businesses have already joined the scheme, allowing them to consume self-generated solar electricity but also export surplus power to the grid under flexible tariff arrangements.
The rapid growth of the sector has attracted new entrants into the market from outside the renewable energy industry, creating concerns about installation quality. Sukholdolska explained that companies previously active in sectors such as security systems and air conditioning are moving into solar installation but often without sufficient technical expertise.
“We face very low-quality installations,” she told pv magazine. “Clients cannot find these companies afterwards for guarantees, service or support, and then they call us. This creates risks around service, warranties and long-term responsibility.”
Atmosfera operates the largest network of solar installers in Ukraine, distributing equipment, technologies and solutions to its partners. Sukholdolska said the company has also expanded its installer training activities through its Atmosfera Academy and is pursuing formal recognition of solar installation as a certified profession in Ukraine.
“By the end of this year we expect to receive confirmation that the profession of solar installer is included in the official list of professions in Ukraine,” Sukholdolska said. “We want to make sure that all installations are professional, safe and secure for people.”
As distributed energy resources proliferate, Sukholdolska believes Ukraine’s next major challenge will be integrating and managing the uptick in decentralized systems.
Atmosfera is now seeking technology partners capable of supporting the development of virtual power plants (VPPs) and energy management systems (EMS).
“Ukraine needs software that can aggregate, monitor and control all the distributed energy systems,” Sukholdolska explained.
“Cybersecurity is also critical, as it is for the whole of Europe,” she added. “The energy infrastructure must be protected at every level.”
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