Today, our students — 18 veterans and 13 internally displaced persons (IDPs) — received certificates confirming their acquisition of new professions: solar power plant installers and designers. For many graduates, this course represents more than just a career change — it’s a continuation of their service to Ukraine.
Solar power plants (SPPs) have emerged as a sustainable solution for providing electricity during outages and blackouts in Ukraine, led by constant energy system shelling. Their popularity has grown to the point that the market is experiencing a shortage of skilled professionals to meet the demand for new capacity installations. Educational initiatives from the charitable foundation RePower Ukraine — particularly the “Solar Restart 2025” course — have become a key step in addressing this issue.
“Solar ReStart 2025” offers an opportunity for veterans and IDPs to retrain as installers and designers of solar power systems. The project aims to help Ukrainians achieve energy independence by expanding access to solar installation services and supporting those seeking employment after military service or forced displacement.
Installers in the course studied the equipment that makes up a solar power system, how to select it properly, and how to connect it. At the end of the course, participants took part in a practical session where they learned to work with mounting systems, install panels on inclined surfaces, and fully assemble a functioning solar station.
The design students followed a longer curriculum. They learned how to properly place panels on various surfaces — from flat rooftops of apartment buildings to sloped roofs of private houses or even ground installations. One of the most challenging aspects was learning how to calculate the number of panels required to avoid under- or overproduction.
“This is the third time we are running this course. With each round, we receive more and more applications. People say their motivation is rooted in a desire to help the country and rebuild Ukraine’s energy system. In my opinion, this is no coincidence — becoming a solar installer or designer means contributing to the country’s development and its energy independence,”
— Volodymyr Kryzhanovskyi, Education Projects Manager at RePower Ukraine.
To help new specialists integrate into the industry, RePower Ukraine organized networking opportunities with employers. In addition, students received resume-building training, and the foundation helped share their CVs with companies providing solar design and installation services.
“This project is a crucial step in creating opportunities for our veterans and internally displaced persons — to not only acquire new professions but also to reskill or strengthen their expertise and become an essential part of Ukraine’s energy independence.
Solar energy is becoming a key element in the country’s path to sustainable energy supply, and I am proud that our veterans are actively participating in this innovative process. They are always at the forefront of change, and now, by investing their skills and experience, they are helping Ukraine become energy independent.”
— Natalia Kalmykova, Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine
This project is implemented by RePower Ukraine in partnership with Mercy Corps.
If you have any questions, information requests, feedback, complaints, or suggestions, please contact us through the following channels:
Email: feedback.ua@mercycorps.org
Toll-free hotline: 0 800 33 25 90
Online form: Kobo Form
Viber/Telegram: @mercycorpscarmbot
