Energy Security for Business: Product Solutions and Innovations
The European Business Association, together with experts from Huawei, Ecotech Ukraine, Solar Invest Group, and representatives from financial institutions and businesses, held a workshop “Business Energy Autonomy During a Blackout”. During the event, experts presented existing technological solutions that can help businesses build their own energy independence — discussing available options, advantages, disadvantages, and the payback periods for solar power plants and energy storage systems.
Tetiana Dukhova, Commercial Director of Ecotech Ukraine, spoke about the potential of solar power plants to enhance the energy independence of enterprises. Ecotech Ukraine, which has been engaged in solar energy for nine years, assists businesses in implementing these solutions. Currently, the company not only handles installation but also imports equipment, manufactures structures, sells electricity and gas, and runs investment projects. To date, they have completed nearly 300 projects with a total capacity of over 100 MW. Ecotech Ukraine experts provide free technical and economic assessments of solar power plants, analyze enterprises, run simulations, and accurately calculate payback periods.
Why do businesses need solar plants? Ms. Dukhova emphasized the reduction of operating costs, particularly decreasing electricity expenses by 30-40% annually. This is especially relevant for enterprises where electricity comprises a significant portion of production costs. Business decarbonization is also crucial, particularly for exporters. Furthermore, solar power plants are easy to scale, and the status of an active consumer allows businesses to return excess energy to the grid and accumulate it in a monetary equivalent. Moreover, solar plants can be installed not only for personal use but also for sale as a standalone business project.
Oleksandr Alyokhin, Head of the Digital Power Unit at Huawei Ukraine, presented various product solutions from Huawei. The company is currently the world’s largest producer of solar inverters, present in 170 countries and regions, and ranks fourth globally in terms of investment in new product development.
Fusion Solar, launched in 2013, became the world leader in inverter production within three years and maintains that leadership today. The company focuses on combining power electronics with information technologies. “Bits control watts,” meaning the management of production, distribution, and export of electricity for the system’s maximum efficiency.
Solar generation is one of the most accessible energy sources, but it cannot fully meet enterprise needs due to its seasonal nature and unstable generation throughout the day. Given global trends in the effective use of alternative energy sources, the development of energy storage systems has become an integral part of the energy system. In this context, Mr. Alyokhin introduced the new generation of commercial energy storage systems, highlighting their benefits, characteristics, and applications.
During the panel discussion “Solar Generation Combined with Energy Storage Systems (ESS): Client Experience and Projects”, participants shared business experiences implementing such projects. Representatives from MHP, Kyivstar, Metro, Epicenter, and Altelo discussed building solar power plants or alternatives, the nuances of equipment selection, challenges during implementation, and the motivations and impacts of these decisions on improving energy efficiency and overall business processes.
In a dialogue with Andriy Gerus, Chairman of the Energy and Utilities Committee of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, participants discussed what businesses should expect from the state. Ukraine’s energy system is currently facing difficult times. Key factors include the number of active consumers—those who install their own systems to both consume and sell energy. Recently, gas cogeneration was allowed for active consumers. The first such consumers were hospitals in Khmelnytsky, which installed solar generation systems. Over the next 2-3 years, around 300 hospitals in Ukraine are expected to receive solar power plants. Another critical aspect is the adoption of tax rules that allow for VAT-free import of equipment (this must be a direct import). Mr. Gerus expressed hope that everything will work smoothly and quickly. Finally, he mentioned credit programs, including the government-initiated and banking sector-supported “Affordable Loans 5-7-9%” program.
The key goal is to ensure that the energy market includes not just a few large companies but hundreds or thousands of new players and investors. This is the fastest way to solve problems in the energy sector. The discussion also covered expectations for this year and tariff policies. Mr. Gerus stressed that where there is scarcity, prices will be high. However, the number of projects that have already started in Ukraine brings optimism, and it’s likely that shortages will either disappear or be minimized. While making predictions is difficult given the current circumstances, the basic scenario is that there will be light.
The conversation then turned to energy efficiency project support programs.
Hanna Zamazieieva, Head of the State Energy Efficiency Agency, spoke about efficient and eco-friendly technologies, energy independence, and decarbonization. Among the open programs, she mentioned the Decarbonization and Energy Transformation Fund (which issued its first loan at 7% this week), funded by the CO2 tax. The planned amount for this year is UAH 1.6 billion, with half going to banks for loans under the 7-9% program and 50% provided directly by the Decarbonization Fund as loans. Loans are available for up to 10 years, helping finance volumes that are otherwise inaccessible to banks. A National Decarbonization Platform is also being created to showcase energy-efficient solutions and international experiences.
Olena Voloshyna, Head of IFC Ukraine, shared programs under IFC. They work differently with large, medium, and small businesses. Large businesses can work with IFC directly, with several renewable energy projects already underway. Medium and small businesses are financed through banks, with four partner banks involved. There is also a risk-sharing facility in partnership with three banks. Since the full-scale invasion began, IFC has funded projects worth $1.5 billion, with hopes for the same amount in the future.
Anna Lebedynets, Associate Director, Senior Banker for Agribusiness at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), said the EBRD works similarly—directly with large projects and indirectly with small ones through risk-sharing programs with partner banks. There is no specific industry priority in energy independence financing; companies from various sectors can apply. However, investments in green technologies (including solar, wind, and energy efficiency improvements) have always been a priority for EBRD. Additionally, given the energy supply situation, this year they are also considering financing gas generation projects to meet self-sufficiency needs, as well as building new distributed flexible generation capacities to ensure stable and uninterrupted electricity supply across Ukraine.
Banks also shared more specific programs. Yuriy Katsion, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Oschadbank, highlighted that the bank currently has the most applications for decentralized generation projects, specifically gas-piston power plants. The total request for energy projects already exceeds $650 million. According to him, the key criteria for approving projects are the financial models, which consider product prices, demand, payback periods, and credit repayment speed. Oschadbank considers self-sufficiency in heat and electricity to be highly profitable and an attractive investment project for large businesses. For example, the bank offers clients loans with a maximum term of up to eight years.
Roman Pudlyk, Head of Agribusiness and Partnership Programs at Kredobank, noted that their bank aims to participate in as many grant programs as possible since investments are a crucial issue for supporting the economy and the state.
The Association sincerely thanks the speakers, partners, and participants for their professional presentations, discussions, and timely topics!
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