In Vinnytsia, an energy efficiency media hub has been opened with support from the EU and the German Government

On 6 July, the Vinnytsia media hub “Energy Efficiency: From Policy to Practice” was opened in Vinnytsia. The event was held with the participation of media representatives, Deputy Mayor of Vinnytsia Andrii Ocheretnyi, Irena Gabrielaitiene, Programme Manager for “Recovery, Energy, Infrastructure and Environment” at the EU Delegation to Ukraine, and Eike Meyer, Director of the GIZ project “ReBuildGreen Ukraine with the Energy Efficiency Fund (EEF)”.

“I hope that the opening of the Media Hub will help journalists better understand the topic of energy efficiency and navigate an extremely important issue,” said the head of the hub, Liudmyla Tsymbaliuk.

Deputy Mayor Andrii Ocheretnyi spoke about the energy-efficiency practices already introduced in the city. He recalled that in 2021, before the full-scale invasion, the Vinnytsia community, with the participation of the EU Ambassador, was the first in Ukraine to adopt the Green Deal. Despite the war, the city is consistently moving toward ecological transformation.

“When we discuss municipal enterprises and institutions, we are implementing practically everything through the lens of the green transition. When we discuss public transport, which is the best in Ukraine, in recent times we have purchased or received from partners only vehicles that do not run on petrol or diesel,” noted Andrii Ocheretnyi, adding that the city has had close cooperation with the GIZ organisation for about ten years.

The official emphasised that full implementation of the Green Deal would be impossible without the involvement of businesses and residents. Mass blackouts during the winter of 2022–2023, in particular, gave an impetus to the search for systemic solutions. As part of this strategy, Vinnytsia developed a business support programme for the installation of solar power plants (SPPs).

At present, 170 businesses in the city have already installed SPPs, generating 27.42 MW of energy. The city has compensated them UAH 24 million (for 2.5 MW), while businesses themselves have invested over UAH 600 million.

As an example of successful synergy with entrepreneurs, Andrii Ocheretnyi cited a case from the housing sector:

“In 2024, the IT-park M9 came forward with an initiative for us to allow them, at their own expense, to repair the roofs of apartment buildings and install solar plants on those roofs, also at their own expense. For the residents of these three apartment blocks, the key advantage is that the company guarantees, for 10 years, to maintain the roofs in proper condition at its own cost and to provide lighting for common areas and shelters. And today we have about 90 sites in development where we plan to install solar panels on the roofs of residential buildings, after repairing them first.”

According to the deputy mayor, solar plants are already operating at the municipal transport company and in all municipal hospitals, and are partially operational in the city’s sports schools. The next step will be installing SPPs in kindergartens.

Irena Gabrielaitiene, speaking on behalf of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, stressed that supporting Ukrainians’ energy independence is an investment in a shared future.

“Today, energy efficiency is no longer just about saving money. It is about energy security, independence, and resilience. Buildings in Ukraine consume almost 40% of the country’s total energy. That is why every insulated building matters greatly. Thanks to the Energy Efficiency Fund’s programmes, buildings can reduce their energy consumption by almost 50%. This means lower bills for people, more comfort, and greater energy security. The European Union continues to support these changes. Through the Ukraine Facility programme, the EU is allocating EUR 50 billion for Ukraine’s recovery. Energy efficiency is one of the priorities of this support,” emphasised Irena Gabrielaitiene.

Eike Meyer, Director of the GIZ project “ReBuildGreen Ukraine with the Energy Efficiency Fund”, added that the newly established media hub should become an effective platform for discussing and implementing projects specifically focused on “green” reconstruction.

“Our main goal here in Ukraine, as in other projects, is to help the country on its path toward green and sustainable development. The Energy Efficiency Fund is becoming a central topic of discussion and a key instrument for achieving this goal. Residential buildings have enormous potential. There are about 200,000 apartment blocks in Ukraine, and only a small portion of them have been modernised so far. Every new programme for renovation, repair, and modernisation of buildings embodies the courage of the people who implement these projects. And for us, this is not only about improving the quality of life of the residents of these buildings, but also about strengthening the overall resilience of Ukraine’s energy system,” said Eike Meyer.

Source: Vinnytsia.info