Ukrainian households switch to renewable energy

According to official data of the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine (Energy Efficiency Agency), over 1200 Ukrainian households have switched to solar energy since the beginning of 2017, which is 1.5 times more than in 2016.

According to the Energy Efficiency Agency, in Ukraine there are currently 6.5 million private households, with 2323 of them being equipped with photovoltaic systems.

Most households equipped with solar electric systems are located in the city of Kyiv and in the Kyiv region, followed by the Dnipropetrovsk region with 236 solar households. The Ternopil region is ranked third with 183 solar households.

In the third quarter of 2017, the total installed capacity of photovoltaic systems of private households grew by 49 percent.

Such a demand for solar energy may be explained by the Law of Ukraine On Amendment of Certain Laws of Ukraine to Ensure Competitive Terms of Electricity Production from Alternative Energy Sources adopted in 2015, which provides for a favourable feed-in tariff fixed in euro. This means that households may feed the surplus of the generated “green” electricity into the grid and quickly recoup the money invested in the solar cells.

The households, having installed photovoltaic systems with a capacity of up to 30 kW in 2017, can sell “green” electricity at the price of 16.37 eurocents per kilowatt hour for a period up to 2030. The amount of feed-in tariff depends on the commission date of the electricity generation object, including phase of construction of the electricity station, that produces electricity from alternative energy sources.

«Photovoltaic systems are becoming more affordable for average people. This is a signal to investors because it opens up a huge market for solar cells as there are 6.5 million private households in Ukraine. Therefore, the construction of a plant for solar modules production must be profitable and will make a positive contribution to the country’s economy,» emphasized Serhiy Savchuk, the Head of the Energy Efficiency Agency.

This update was published by the Energy Efficiency Agency on its website.