Repowering modules for Ukraine

published on 12th October 2023, by Christian Schönwiesner

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine once again shows how vulnerable societies with centrally organized facilities, such as infrastructure, are. Most affected are those vulnerable in hospitals, old people's homes, schools, kindergartens, women's shelters, and many other social and public facilities.

Over the autumn and winter, countless initiatives were taken to supply electricity generators at short notice to alleviate the most critical needs.

Now is the time to break new ground and help build decentralised, environmentally friendly energy infrastructure in Ukraine. At least for critical infrastructure and social facilities.

In the coming years, hundreds of thousands of used modules and inverters will be replaced with new, more efficient and more productive components.

However, the "old" modules and inverters are usually still functional for 5 - 10 years and still have an efficiency of 70 - 85 %.

Therefore, a non-profit group of different organisations has come together to leverage the potential of this “old” equipment for use in critical social infrastructure.

With the valuable partners – Bundesverband Neue Energiewirtschaft e.V., the federally owned Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ), and Deutsch-Ukrainisches Forum e.V. – a call was made to provide used solar modules, inverters and other solar components that are still in working order.

Im Bild v.l.n.r.: Christian und Stella Schönwiesner, Carsten Pfeifer (BNE), Robert Busch (Geschäftsführer BNE)

Robert Busch (Board Member at the Association of Energy Market Innovators, BNE), Carsten Pfeifer (Head of Strategy at BNE) and Stella and Christian Schönwiesner (Board Members of the Deutsch-Ukrainisches Forum e.V.) were given the go-ahead at Intersolar in Munich.

www.repowering-module.org

Operators of solar systems, EPCs, investors, and manufacturers are called upon to register components for the handover via the homepage. The Repowering Module initiative for Ukraine handles the transport, customs clearance and deployment in Ukraine.

GIZ looks for suitable projects in schools, hospitals, orphanages and women's shelters, refugee shelters, and other social facilities and ensures the construction of solar systems on site. The modules are provided free of charge as a humanitarian aid action.

In the picture from left to right: Christian and Stella Schönwiesner, Carsten Pfeifer (BNE), Robert Busch (CEO BNE).