{"id":18309,"date":"2025-03-07T17:00:23","date_gmt":"2025-03-07T15:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/?p=18309"},"modified":"2025-03-10T11:37:14","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T09:37:14","slug":"vladyslav-sokolovskyi-solar-energy-in-ukraine-is-growing-but-resolving-debt-issues-and-attracting-investors-is-crucial","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/vladyslav-sokolovskyi-solar-energy-in-ukraine-is-growing-but-resolving-debt-issues-and-attracting-investors-is-crucial\/","title":{"rendered":"Vladyslav Sokolovskyi: &#8220;Solar energy in Ukraine is growing, but resolving debt issues and attracting investors is crucial&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em><strong>Today, the online event &#8220;Energy Dialogue: Winter 2024\/2025 Results, Recovery Challenges, and Development Prospects&#8221;, organized by Energy Club, took place. Among the key speakers was Vladyslav Sokolovskyi, Chairman of the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine (SEAU), who presented an analysis of the development of solar energy in Ukraine and its future prospects.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<h6><b>Rising demand for solar energy<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Vladyslav Sokolovskyi, demand for solar energy increased due to <\/span><b>widespread power outages in June\u2013August 2023<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This prompted many businesses and households to install their own <\/span><b>solar power plants (SPPs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Last year, according to SEAU estimates, around 800 MW of solar capacity was installed in Ukraine for self-consumption. Solar energy plays a key role, especially in spring and summer, when production is most efficient,&#8221; noted Sokolovskyi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The cancellation of <\/span><b>VAT and import duties on solar panels from July 1, 2023<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, also had a positive impact on the industry.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;This change significantly simplified access to equipment and reduced costs for businesses striving to ensure their own energy independence,&#8221; added Sokolovskyi.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><b>Legislative changes stimulating the market<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Among the key regulatory changes driving market development, Vladyslav Sokolovskyi highlighted the <\/span><b>introduction of active consumer status<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the adoption of the <\/span><b>&#8220;Green&#8221; Transition Law<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. These measures allow businesses not only to use electricity for their own needs but also to sell excess energy to the grid.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Previously, enterprises could only consume the energy they generated. Now, they have the opportunity to sell it on the market, earning additional income. This stimulates businesses to invest in solar power plants,&#8221; explained Sokolovskyi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Another important tool is <\/span><b>corporate Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which allow enterprises to <\/span><b>build solar power plants and sell electricity directly to consumers under long-term contracts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;This opens new opportunities for investors interested in financing industrial solar power plants, ensuring the stability and profitability of such projects,&#8221; emphasized Sokolovskyi.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><b>Challenges facing the renewable energy market<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite positive developments, the renewable energy market in Ukraine faces several challenges, including a <\/span><b>shortage of qualified specialists for solar power plant installation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the <\/span><b>need for additional regulatory measures<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and <\/span><b>war-related risks<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;There is a labor shortage among installation companies, so SEAU is actively involved in training programs for new professionals. We collaborate with universities, particularly Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, to develop this field,&#8221; emphasized Sokolovskyi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also noted that <\/span><b>foreign investors are entering the Ukrainian market<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, showing interest in both <\/span><b>self-consumption solar projects<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><b>large-scale industrial SPPs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><b>Debt issues as a key investment barrier<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">One of the biggest obstacles to attracting investment remains the <\/span><b>government&#8217;s outstanding debts to producers of &#8220;green&#8221; electricity<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Investors evaluate the market situation and see the existing debts. This discourages them and makes them think twice before investing in projects in Ukraine. The government must repay its debt to renewable energy producers and prevent further accumulation of arrears,&#8221; stated Sokolovskyi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He also pointed out that the <\/span><b>recently established Decarbonization Fund of Ukraine<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and its <\/span><b>loan programs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, including the <\/span><b>state-backed 5-7-9% loan program<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, create new opportunities for financing energy projects but require further improvements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h6><b>Prospects for 2025<\/b><\/h6>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to the SEAU Chairman, in the coming years, <\/span><b>solar energy&#8217;s share in Ukraine will continue to grow<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, especially in <\/span><b>distributed generation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If the situation in the country stabilizes, the market may return to constructing <\/span><b>large industrial solar power plants<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&#8220;Solar energy is a strategic direction for Ukraine that helps enhance energy independence and creates new opportunities for businesses. It is crucial to ensure transparent regulations and investor support to fully realize the industry&#8217;s potential,&#8221; summarized Sokolovskyi.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The development of solar energy in Ukraine is showing <\/span><b>positive dynamics<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, but it requires solutions to <\/span><b>debt issues, workforce shortages, and investment attraction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. At the same time, <\/span><b>new legislative changes, increasing business interest, and state support programs<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> are laying a solid foundation for further industry growth.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Today, the online event &#8220;Energy Dialogue: Winter 2024\/2025 Results, Recovery Challenges, and Development Prospects&#8221;, organized by Energy Club, took place. Among the key speakers was Vladyslav Sokolovskyi, Chairman of the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine (SEAU), who presented an analysis of the development of solar energy in Ukraine and its future prospects. Rising demand for &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"ast-button\" href=\"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/vladyslav-sokolovskyi-solar-energy-in-ukraine-is-growing-but-resolving-debt-issues-and-attracting-investors-is-crucial\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Vladyslav Sokolovskyi: &#8220;Solar energy in Ukraine is growing, but resolving debt issues and attracting investors is crucial&#8221;<\/span> \u0427\u0438\u0442\u0430\u0442\u0438 \u0434\u0430\u043b\u0456 \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":18314,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":""},"categories":[369],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18309"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18309"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18309\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18313,"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18309\/revisions\/18313"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/aseu.org.ua\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}