The government has approved a subsidy of UAH 396 million for local budgets to install solar panels, heat pumps, and energy storage systems in schools, hospitals, and kindergartens to strengthen energy independence and ensure uninterrupted operation of facilities in the event of a prolonged absence of heat and electricity supply.
“The government’s decision to allocate a subsidy of almost UAH 400 million is a strategic investment in the sustainability of communities. The installation of solar panels and energy storage devices in hospitals, schools, and kindergartens guarantees their uninterrupted operation, regardless of external challenges. This project underscores our priority: decentralization of the energy system and quality management of public investments, which has been made possible thanks to cooperation with the European Investment Bank and our international partners,” said Deputy Prime Minister for the Restoration of Ukraine — Minister of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine Oleksiy Kuleba.
The RES program aims to support the decentralized development of renewable energy, strengthen the energy independence of Ukrainian communities, and ensure the uninterrupted operation of critical social facilities. The program focuses on schools, hospitals, and kindergartens, as ensuring their stable operation is vital, especially in conditions of military risk.
This involves, in particular, the creation of renewable energy sources at facilities that have previously been successfully renovated or modernized with the support of the EIB. The list of specific facilities will be drawn up by the ministry together with the bank and will be finally approved by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine by a separate order.
The total amount of grant funding is UAH 440 million. Of this, UAH 396 million will be in the form of subsidies from the state budget to local budgets for the implementation of activities on the ground, and UAH 44 million will be used to finance technical assistance for procurement carried out by the UNDP.
In addition, the project provides for community training: through training and mentoring support, they will gain the knowledge and skills necessary for the successful implementation and maintenance of renewable energy facilities.
The Renewable Energy Solutions (RES) program is funded by a grant from the European Investment Bank (EIB), secured by the German Federal Government and the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The project is jointly implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UNDP will act as the procurement agent and ensure the transparent and efficient procurement and installation of the necessary equipment.