There are around 180,000 multi-storey buildings in Ukraine, with 144,000 of them requiring modernization. These are mostly the buildings that were built before the country gained its independence in 1991. A five-storey building at 47 Kyivska Street in Zhytomyr, which was built in 1964, is one of them.
Several months ago, however, it transformed from a traditional Soviet building into a modern one, both on the inside and outside, thanks to the support of the European Union.
The modernization of the building included heat insulation of the walls, insulation and replacement of the pipes supplying heating in the unheated premises, attics and roofs. The changes were made possible thanks to the participation of Kyivska-47 HOA in the EnergoDim programme offered by the Energy Efficiency Fund of Ukraine.
Under the programme, up to 70% of the costs related to thermal modernization of buildings are compensated. The Kyivska-47 HOA received a UAH 4.8 million compensation of the total value of the project (UAH 6.9 million).
This, however, was not the only way to save money, as now the residents of the five-storey residential building pay much less for the heating bills.
“Some time ago, we installed an individual heating unit using the funds of the Warm Loans programme, which allowed us to save up to 30% on heating bills,” Valentyn Rybachuk, the head of the Kyivska 47 HOA told the journalists. “The people saw the benefits and supported the idea of continuing with heat insulation. I believe we can achieve 50% savings if we go on.”
The statement was made at the time when the modernization within the framework of the EnergoDim programme was under way. Once it was completed, their expectations were achieved. In October, after the completion of thermal modernization, the heating bill amounted to UAH 7.33/m2, which is twice less than in a similar apartment building located right next to the modernized one.
“These results that we have here are rather impressive, and they encourage other citizens to choose an energy-efficient way of solving the problems in their homes instead of waiting for the tariffs to be reduced,” stated Yehor Farenyuk, Acting Director at the EEF, during his visit to the HOA. “By the end of the year, we expect several dozen more either partially or fully completed projects. This means that several thousand more families will live comfortably and save on their utility bills.”
The European Union is the main international donor of the Energy Efficiency Fund; its contribution exceeds EUR 100 million. The corresponding sectoral support is one of important elements of the current relations between the EU and Ukraine. Germany is another partner of the fund.
“The Energy Efficiency Fund is a great example of cooperation between Ukraine and its international partners: financial contribution by Ukraine, EU and Germany, common governance by OECD standards. An achievement worth preserving and taking further,” emphasized Matti Maasikas, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine.
Energy efficiency is an important area of the European integration for Ukraine. Investment in energy efficiency of homes is beneficial to the citizens and the state. For the people this means smaller utility bills and for the national budget – less allocations for the subsidies. Substantial investment in energy efficiency is good for the economy, specifically for the construction industry and related services – energy audit, design, certification. This creates additional jobs. And last, but not least, lower energy consumption means reduction of CO2 emissions and positive effect on the environment.
The example of Kyivska 47 HOA in Zhytomyr is a testimony of this practical benefit.
As of November 2021, a total of 27 projects have been implemented under the EnergoDim programme in Zhytomyr oblast, including 19 in the oblast centre, according to the Minister of Communities and Territories Development Oleksiy Chernyshov. Based on preliminary calculations, the aggregate cost of these projects is UAH 191 million, of which UAH 126.6 million will be compensated by the Energy Efficiency Fund to the HOAs as grants.
As of the end of 2021, the number of projects under the EnergoDim programme in Ukraine exceeded 850.
Sources
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