“Switch to sun, live with comfort”

With EU support NGOs will provide Ukrainian rural districts with the tools and knowledge to heat water with solar energy

07.10.2011 |

October 7, Odessa, Ukraine - Three rural districts in Ukraine were chosen to receive training on self-constructing solar collectors for warm water and heating. The chosen districts include the Mannevichi district of Volyn region, Pogrebyschi district of Vinnitsa region and Tatarbunary district of Odessa region.

During the practical training from October 4 to 7 in Odessa, thirty participants learnt the techniques of building and installing the solar collectors, presented by the international network WECF and the German company SolarPartnerSud. The participants are now able to install similar collectors in their neighbourhoods, thus addressing the problem of access to hot water in Ukrainian villages.

“While facing the rapid growth of gas prices, as well as other conventional energy resources, the use of solar energy is beneficial, not only to separate households, but also to the state in general. Besides the use of solar energy is environmentally friendly”, comments Yury Urbansky from the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine.

“The experience of other European countries, including such northern states as Sweden and Norway, proves that the use of solar as an energy source is not science fiction anymore. For example, if Sweden, which is 1000km north from Ukraine, can use solar energy for up to eight months a year, Ukraine has much higher potential. Another example is that of our close neighbour, Romania, where 18% of energy consumption comes from renewable sources, whilst Ukraine has a rather modest 3% rate!”, says Iryna Vykhrystyuk from NGO Vidrodzhennia, Tatarbunary.

The project ‘Switch to sun-live with comfort’, is being implemented simultaneously in Ukraine and Georgia. In Ukraine the project is implemented by the National Ecological Centre of Ukraine, environmental NGO Vidrodzhennia from Tatarbunary and Rivne Ecoclub, in partnership with the international network WECF, and with financial assistance from the European Commission. The project started this year and will last 4 years.

For additional information please contact:
Dmytro Khmara, NECU
(044)-353-78-41
solar@necu.org.ua
More information about the project can be found at: www.energy.wecf.eu