"Better than before:" Kyiv region community implements energy-efficient solution to restore a medical dispensary shelled by the Russian occupiers
What is the problem?
According to the World Health Organization, more than 900 attacks have been committed against medical institutions since the beginning of Russia's war in Ukraine. Over 15 months of full-scale war, the occupiers damaged 1,327 medical facilities and completely destroyed another 183 facilities. The medical infrastructure of the Kharkiv, Donetsk, Mykolaiv, Kyiv, and Chernihiv regions suffered the most significant losses.
What is the solution?
Greenpeace, in cooperation with the Ukrainian NGO Ecoaction, Ecoclub, and Victory of Ukraine charity fund, implemented a pilot project of green rehabilitation of the dispensary in Horenka, Kyiv region
According to the Ministry of Health, 284 medical facilities have been completely rebuilt, and another 319 facilities have been partially restored since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
At the same time, Ukrainian activists seek not only to restart the medical facilities destroyed by Russia, but "make it better than before," as their motto says. An example of its practical implementation was the medical dispensary in Horenka, in the Kyiv region. The international organization Greenpeace in Central and Eastern Europe, in cooperation with the Ukrainian NGOs Ecoaction, Ecoclub, and Victory of Ukraine helped the rural medical facility to become modern and eco-friendly.
How does it work?
Without electricity and heating
In the first months of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the village of Horenka of the Hostomel community found itself in the line of fire — about 80% of the buildings in the settlement were damaged due to Russian attacks. The local medical dispensary was also affected — the only medical facility serving Horenka and residents of several surrounding villages. During the shelling, one of the shells hit the yard of the facility, broke the windows, and damaged the facade. The ceiling collapsed, causing the heating system to freeze over, and the reception of patients in the building temporarily stopped.
By the beginning of March 2022, the dispensary was unable to continue work. The staff set about removing the ceiling remnants, and soldiers from territorial defense closed the windows with whatever they could. However, at the beginning of May, as soon as it warmed up, the dispensary resumed its work. "Without water or electricity, we began to receive patients. We did everything we could do without light — distributing humanitarian medicines and making dressings," says Olena Opanasenko, head of the dispensary.
The shelling badly damaged the dispensary in Horenka.
In October, windows were installed in the dispensary, and the cracked batteries were replaced. The heating season was approaching, and the medical facility did not have enough funds to replace the heating system, which had failed in the spring. The community began looking for ways to restore it. Olena Yuzvak, head of the Primary Health Care Center of the Hostomel community, submitted an application for support for the modernization of the dispensary to Greenpeace.
From application to implementation
Ultimately, the pilot project of equipping a medical institution in Horenka with an eco-friendly energy supply system became possible thanks to the cooperation of Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe and non-governmental organizations Ecoaction, Ecoclub, and Victory of Ukraine charity fund. The goal of the green collaboration was to make the dispensary as energy-efficient as possible, and independent from the existing grid.
A ground-water heat pump was installed in the yard of the dispensary.
They decided to use the energy of the soil to heat the building. For this, a ground water heat pump was installed in the yard of the dispensary. Among all other options currently available, this system is the most economical and environmentally friendly to use.
A solar power plant with 28 panels was placed on the roof, enabling dispensary to work even during scheduled or emergency shutdowns. A battery was also additionally installed to store excess electricity. The project planners also considered a backup option: in the absence of an electricity supply, gas boilers can be turned on to heat the premises.
The German government allocated funds for installing the solar panels as part of the green restoration of Ukraine projects.
Work was carried out in the fall and winter, when the biggest challenge was the increase in Russian attacks targeting energy facilities, which caused emergency power outages. That is why the process took a little time — the safety of the people who installed all the equipment had to be put first.
Reconstruction of the heating system and the installation of solar panels in Horenka cost about €56,000, which was funded by the German government. Experts predict the new equipment should pay for itself in six to seven years, as the operation of the solar power plant and the heat pump should help significantly reduce the heating and electricity costs of the outpatient clinic, which is especially relevant for a rural medical facility with a limited budget.
Does it really work?
The updated medical dispensary in Horenka became operational on February 2, 2023. The first months of operation showed that the energy from the heat pump was sufficient for heating the medical facility during the winter. When there were constant emergency power outages in the Kyiv region, solar panels could provide almost all the basic needs of the dispensary. In February, the solar plant covered 45% of electricity needs; in March — 60%, and in April — about 80%.
Olena Opanasenko, head of the dispensary in Horenka, enjoys her renovated office.
"We are very pleased because the launch happened right during the winter blackouts when the electricity often went out," says Olena Opanasenko, head, and pediatrician of the outpatient clinic in Horenka. "We always had light, it was warm, and we could work and receive even our youngest patients in comfortable conditions. Electricity from solar batteries was enough for everything — from refrigerators for vaccines and laboratory equipment to computers. In addition, at that time, many people came to us just to recharge their phones."
To rebuild without waiting for the end of the war
The non-governmental organization Ecoaction is one of the partners of the pilot project. This environmental community has long advocated abandoning fossil fuels and transitioning to renewable energy sources. Even before the war, the NGO supported small-scale distributed power generation at the community level using solar panels, wind turbine installations, and heat pumps. With the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Russia, and especially since the fall of 2022, when the Russians began to deliberately target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, the topic of energy security has become much more urgently discussed.
The outpatient clinic in Horenka was restored.
"We wanted to demonstrate an example of how buildings damaged or destroyed by hostilities can be rebuilt with new technologies right now, without waiting for the end of the war," says Kostyantyn Krynytskyi, head of Ecoaction's energy department. "To implement this idea, we turned to Greenpeace CEE, which was just considering the possibility of rebuilding the heating system of one of the buildings damaged due to the war."
That's how the two institutions partnered and decided to do a joint project combining a solar power plant for electricity generation and a heat pump for heat supply. The NGO Ecoclub brought successful experience installing solar panels in other communal enterprises to the project as well.
Krynytskyi notes that the implemented project has significantly helped the community.
Installing solar panels on the roof of the dispensary in Horenka was one of the project's tasks.
"This is something tangible that immediately brings benefits, and you see the results of your work. I believe that pilot projects such as these can be used to advocate for more systemic solutions at the state level. Non-governmental organizations cannot help rebuild all the damaged or destroyed buildings in Ukraine. For this, there should be special state programs and assistance from international partners," Krynytskyi is convinced. "We can show examples of how it is possible to rebuild according to new standards and with new technologies — more energy-efficiently and without the use of fossil fuels"
Yuliya Guziy of Ecoclub, adds: "Ukrainian communities, without waiting for victory, are already starting to rebuild and contribute to their energy independence. Our task is to help communities prepare for this reconstruction, to make it green, sustainable, and safe for each of us." The Ecoclub team wants to contribute to communities' energy development and independence. After all, they believe that everyone wants to live in a country that will be better than before the war: with strong and capable communities that will be comfortable for people and have all the opportunities for their development.
Like other environmental protection organizations in Ukraine, Ecoclub works to make Ukrainian communities environmentally friendly and energy-independent. When Russia began shelling critical infrastructure facilities, causing power outages, the team launched the Solar Aid For Ukraine project to provide hospitals and water utilities with backup and environmentally safe energy sources.
Currently, Ecoclub is working on ten objects at various implementation stages. The most recent project is a solar power plant for the Sumy Hospital, where energy panels were already installed at the beginning of June. Next up is the installation of an SPP in a hospital in Zhytomyr and water supply systems in Lviv and Zhytomyr regions.
Even more useful solutions!
In 2022, Ukraine received the status of a candidate for membership in the EU, where one of the crucial policies is the European Green Course — the rejection of fossil fuels to fight the climate crisis. Moving in this direction, Ukraine should not rebuild everything as it used to be but introduce new European standards.
While visiting Ukraine to meet with civil society representatives, Robert Habeck, vice-chancellor of Germany, announced a million euros of support for green recovery projects.
Small examples are already starting to work — and it's inspiring. Citing the example of Horenka, Germany's vice-chancellor, and minister of economy and climate protection, Robert Habeck announced a one million euro aid project for the green reconstruction of Ukrainian communities.
Currently, several Ukrainian and international non-governmental organizations offer assistance to communities with projects similar to the one implemented in Horenka. For example, Greenpeace plans to continue doing similar projects. Interested communities can submit an application to receive funding. Ecoclub selects communities that will be helped with technical documentation for installing a solar ppower system. The charity fund Energy Act for Ukraine has also launched two campaigns — 100 solar schools and 50 solar hospitals.
All these are just the first steps for Ukraine to work toward a green and sustainable energy infrastructure. Small pilot projects are a promising start that they help specific communities and people – but there is still not a systematic approach at the country-wide level. That is why Ecoaction and other non-governmental eco-organizations of Ukraine are actively advocating introducing new building standards for all buildings so that they are built with the highest level of energy efficiency, with the installation of solar panels and heat pumps.
Photos for the publication were provided by the NGO Ecoaction and Olena Opanasenko
This article was published as part of the Voice of Communities campaign, which is part of the Program for Ukraine on local empowerment, accountability, and development U-LEAD with Europe, jointly funded by the EU and its member states Germany, Poland, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, and Slovenia to support Ukraine on its way to strengthening local self-government. U-LEAD promotes transparent, accountable, and multi-level governance in Ukraine that responds to the needs of citizens and empowers communities.
Newsletter
Digest of the most interesting news: just about the main thing
