Ukraine has long ago clearly defined the vector for the development of alternative energy by signing the Association Agreement with the EU and incurring additional commitments regarding the gradual integration of the Ukrainian power system with the European power grid, as well as stimulating the production of energy from renewable sources.
As is known, in 2013 about 21% of the world's energy consumption came from renewable energy sources. From 2018 to 2040, up to 40% of electricity in the world is to come from renewable sources, and Ukrainian plans assumed increasing their share from 4% to 25% by 2035. It can be assumed that in the case of Ukraine, the expected significant international investments in the rapid reconstruction of the energy system from war damage will further improve this balance. It should be emphasized that the regulations in force in Ukraine for almost a decade mean that our eastern neighbor has very favorable conditions for investing in energy from renewable sources.
At the legislative level, in 2014 a number of regulations were adopted that define the procedures and conditions related to the sale and settlement of fees for electricity generated by generation plants using alternative energy sources.
The model adopted in the "Electricity Act" means that since 2008 the state-owned operator has been obliged to buy back from producers the entire amount of energy produced in power plants using renewable energy sources. This purchase is made according to a specially established conversion rate, called the "green tariff". This means that the purchase price of energy from a producer using renewable sources is calculated by multiplying the standard price of electricity by an appropriate factor.
For example, in the case of using solar energy, the value of this factor is:
- 4.8 - for energy generated in "ground" installations;
- 4.6 - for energy generated by devices with a power of over 100 kW mounted on the roofs of buildings;
- 4.4 - for energy from solar devices installed on the facades and on the roofs of buildings with a power of not more than 100 kW.
The prices resulting from the "green tariff" are set in euro and converted into hryvnias, whereby the conversion is made quarterly, according to the average exchange rate of the euro of the NBU from the previous month.
It should be emphasized that the rules for determining the purchase prices of energy from its producers using renewable sources in force in Ukraine are among the most profitable for its producers in Europe. The period of validity of these regulations has been statutory guaranteed until 2030, which will naturally foster a favorable transformation of the energy mix. The global shift away from fossil fuels, now accelerated - paradoxically - by Russia's aggression, should therefore soon after the cessation of military operations make Ukraine a field for exceptionally intensive development of climate-friendly energy.
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