The Energy Efficiency held Second All-Ukrainian Forum on September 23, 2020. 

This year's forum brought together representatives of the country’s legislative and executive authorities, top Ukrainian and international experts in residential energy efficiency, HOAs and members of local governments. Speakers of the political session discussed the pace of energy sector reforms in Ukraine.

"In the last three months, the EE Fund has received twice as many applications than in the entire period since its launch in September 2019. The increase in the number of participants in the Energodim Program testifies to an increased public interest, people’s desire to renovate their homes to save on utility bills," said Vasyl Lozynsky, First Deputy Minister of Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine.

”This year has been critical for the Fund: in September 2019, the Energodim Program was launched, to help HOAs to implement energy efficiency projects. A year later, the Fund received 204 applications for more than UAH 1.3 billion, and more than 18,000 Ukrainian families are now participating in the Program,” commented Yulia Holovatyuk-Unguryanu, Director of the Energy Efficiency Fund.

She claims that the amount of disbursed grants reached over UAH 900 Mn, with the estimated level of energy savings resulting from the implementation of the declared projects exceeding UAH 100 Mn or 90 Mn kWh per year. In addition, CO2 emission reductions are estimated at almost 24,000 tons per year.

Ivan Yunakov, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Technical Regulation and Pricing in Construction, Building Materials and Energy Efficiency in the Construction Sector of the Parliament’s Committee on Public Administration, Local Government, Regional Development and Urban Planning, took part in the opening of the Forum. He said that the Fund’s first results were impressive: “We are confident that the Energodim Program will increase its dynamics even more. We, as a committee, are interested in maximum transparency of consideration of draft legislation on quality regulation of procedures and processes of thermal modernization of residential buildings."

International experts and partners of the Fund, namely Matti Maasikas, European Union’s Ambassador to Ukraine, and Jorgen Kainhorst, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Cooperation, German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), also joined the discussion. 

”Energy efficiency is at the center of this new EU policy. It has been over the last years, and it will remain one of the most important areas of cooperation between the EU and Ukraine. The energy efficiency Fund plays an important role in stabilizing the Ukrainian economy after the current crisis because energy efficiency is a new market for the country creating new businesses and new jobs. We have directed over EUR 100 million for grants and technical assistance to the Fund. This is one of the biggest existing EU initiatives in the country”, comments Matti Maasikas, the EU’s Ambassador to Ukraine.

Jorgen Kainhorst, head of the Eastern Europe and Central Asia Cooperation, German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU): “Germany welcomes the success of the first year of work of the Fund, which now moves ahead  confidently at a steady pace, despite the crisis caused by the pandemic. Support of energy efficient projects in the housing sector remains a priority for Germany, as such projects offer the opportunity to reduce energy consumption and curb greenhouse gas emissions. Germany expects that thermal renovation will remain a priority for the Government of Ukraine and will take a central place in the strategy of economic recovery of Ukraine”

Representatives of Poland and Lithuania Andžej Rajkevič, Head of Supervisory Board of the Energy Efficiency Fund, vice-president of the Management Board of the Polish National Energy Conservation Agency, and Valius Serbent, Director of the Housing Energy Efficiency Agency of Lithuania, shared international practices in energy efficiency sector. In their opinion, Ukrainian Energy Efficiency Fund is moving a lot faster than its European peers. 

The Forum featured several live stand-ups from the cities (Odesa, Chortkiv, Lutsk and Cherkasy) where works as part of the Program are underway in residential buildings. Heads of the respective HOAs shared their insights at running thermal renovation projects.

Also, the Forum introduced a new option of Energodim Program: professional oversight of EE projects in residential buildings. The Fund compensates up to 70% of the fees of project managers and offers training to those willing to help HOA implement EE projects more efficiently. 

The Forum was attended by representatives of local governments from all over Ukraine, with 27 memoranda on cooperation between the Fund and the Municipalities signed during the event. 

“Energy Efficiency Fund is actively expanding the map of partners among the municipalities. To-date, over 100 Memoranda on cooperation with local city councils have been signed and 18 local support programs approved envisaging financial support to HOAs participating in Energodim program”, adds Yulia Holovatyuk-Unguryanu, the Fund Director.