Evaluating Solar Potential for Municipal Facilities in Slobozhanske Community

The RePower Ukraine Charity Fund is implementing the Evaluating Solar Potential for Municipal Facilities project for the second Ukrainian community. This time, the calculation and visualization of solar potential will be performed for 16 municipal buildings in the Slobozhanske community, Kharkiv region. Local authorities, heads of municipal institutions, NGOs, and community stakeholders will receive recommendations on installing photovoltaic systems and thermal collectors on the roofs of critical infrastructure. The project includes calculating the approximate cost of PV instalations and estimating savings on electricity consumption for each facility.

Overview:

• The Slobozhanske community faced an energy crisis when the Zmiivska TPP was destroyed by a missile attack from russia on March 2024.
• Currently, Slobozhanske is in a problematic situation regarding its residents’ electricity, heat, and water supply. Electricity is being supplied through temporary solutions, which we do not disclose for security reasons. The local and regional councils seek alternative ways to ensure the community’s energy supply.
• Understanding the significance of sustainable energy, the city authorities have signed a memorandum with the RePower Ukraine Charity Foundation to implement joint initiatives to accelerate the city’s energy transition to renewable energy sources.

About the project:

• The project entails a precise evaluation and visualisation of solar potential using solar mapping technology. This involves the analysis of various factors such as solar radiation, topography, building geometry, roof shapes, and shading.
• The objective is to provide detailed recommendations for the optimal placement of solar panels and thermal collectors for 16 municipal establishments in the city. Additionally, it aims to offer an approximate cost calculation for PV plants and estimate the savings on electricity consumption for each critical infrastructure facility.

Tasks:

• Conduct an assessment of the solar potential of municipal building roofs using appropriate software.
• Visualize the distribution of solar irradiation on the roof surfaces, considering topography, building geometry, roof shapes, and shading.
• Develop a prototype solar map that can serve as a basis for further project expansion to other buildings in the city.
• Identify optimal locations for installing solar panels and thermal collectors on the roofs of buildings.
• Develop recommendations for each municipal facility regarding the most optimal placement of solar panels on the buildings.
• Calculate the cost of the proposed solar power capacities and estimate the savings on electricity expenses for each facility based on their consumption data from the past year.

Understanding the solar potential will enable the city of Slobozhanske to implement projects for installing solar energy systems more efficiently, thereby reducing dependence on traditional coal-based energy.

The Solar Initiative by the RePower Ukraine Charity Fund in the Slobozhanske community is a continuation of the fund’s strategy and systematic efforts to strengthen energy security and restore Ukraine’s energy infrastructure from the consequences of the war through the implementation of renewable energy solutions and energy-efficient technologies.

The initiative “Evaluating Solar Potential for Municipal Facilities in Ladyzhyn City” is being carried out within the project “New Energy – Facilitating Dialogue for Sustainable Development of Ukrainian Coal Regions”, implemented by partner organisations Germanwatch, the Centre for Environmental Initiatives “Ecoaction”, and the Luhansk Regional Human Rights Centre “Alternative” with the support of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection in cooperation with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.