On 17 February 2025, UWEA Board Chairman Andriy Konechenkov visited the town of Borodianka in the Kyiv region to open an off-grid solar power plant with a capacity of 15 kW, installed on the grounds of the “Kazka” preschool educational institution.
The solar system was installed within the framework of the #Renewables4Ukraine initiative, launched by the World Wind Energy Association (WWEA) and the global platform Global100RE in partnership with UWEA. The implementation of the project was financed by the Finnish non-profit organisation EKOenergy, and support was provided by the charitable organisation “Vidvazhnykh”. This is already the second successfully implemented initiative in Borodianka – a town that suffered significant destruction as a result of the full-scale invasion of Russian troops in 2022.
All the installation work was carried out by specialists of the company LLC “Zelena Systema”. According to Andriy Konechenkov, this solar station became the largest installed within the framework of the #Renewables4Ukraine initiative in Irpin, Borodianka and other towns: “This is a real alternative to a diesel generator, which in such a case would be the only source of backup power. A generator works noisily, burns fuel and requires constant maintenance. A solar station, on the other hand, operates silently, does not require additional spending on fuel and is an environmentally clean solution. We will continue to work so that even more social facilities in the affected regions gain access to renewable energy”.
Stefan Gsanger, Secretary General of the WWEA and Vice-Chairman of Global100RE: “In the light of recent dramatic international events, it is more important than ever that the renewable energy community demonstrates its practical solidarity with the people in Ukraine, in particular with children, who are the most vulnerable part of our society”.
The director of the kindergarten, Nataliia Herasymenko, emphasised that the new solar system will make it possible to provide light not only to the facility, but also to the shelter that is used during air raids: “Previously, when an air raid alert was announced in the town, we would go down to the bomb shelter, often in complete darkness, lighting our way with flashlights. This was very inconvenient, especially for small children. Now, thanks to this project, we will have light and the ventilation will work even in the event of a power outage. This is a huge step towards the safety of our pupils”.
UWEA extends its sincere gratitude to all the partners and benefactors who made this project possible. Through joint efforts, we not only provide critically important facilities with electricity, but also create the foundation for a sustainable energy future for Ukraine.
