Vladyslav Sokolovskyi, Chairman of the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine (SEAU), was featured as a speaker in an ICTV segment dedicated to the growing demand for alternative energy sources in Ukraine.
The report noted that after the resumption of Russian attacks on the energy system in June, Ukrainians, having learned from blackout experiences, are increasingly installing solar power plants. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, this market has grown significantly. Last year alone, solar power plants with a total capacity of 800 MW were installed in Ukraine – almost equivalent to a compact thermal power plant or a nuclear reactor.
On ICTV, Vladyslav Sokolovskyi emphasized the change in motivation among new plant owners:
“At present, industrial solar power plants are almost not being built. Why? Because the era of the ‘green tariff’ has ended, and the risks for institutional investors are too high, so they are reluctant to invest. Now entrepreneurs are thinking about their own energy security and reducing electricity costs, and they are building solar plants for self-consumption”.
The expert also stressed that in the context of the global decline in prices for photovoltaic panels and energy storage systems, as well as the abolition of VAT and import duties in Ukraine, investments in solar energy are becoming increasingly profitable:
“We now have a new reality in which the Sun pays electricity bills. Previously, one of the main motivations for installing solar plants was ecology. Now, in addition, it is about energy security and reducing electricity costs”.
SEAU reminds that due to the exemption from VAT and import duties on photovoltaic modules and energy storage systems, Ukrainians can save more than 20% on equipment costs. These benefits are valid until the end of the current year. Demand for “solar” technologies is expected to remain high in the future.