A solar power plant (SPP) was installed on the roof of the Dubno City Hospital. Its capacity is 43.6 kW. It covers about a third of the hospital’s electricity needs. Patients will be treated or examined even during emergency power outages. With this project, Dubno has begun developing solar energy infrastructure in the community.
The NGO Ecoclub implemented the project. Its total cost is UAH 1,478,217. Part of the funds was received from the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany – UAH 987,500 thousand. The rest was allocated from the community budget – UAH 430,717.
The Dubno City Hospital is preparing to become a cluster hospital: it is already equipped with modern devices that will provide patients with a wide range of services. The medical facility serves about 169,000 patients – city residents and surrounding settlements. The hospital performs highly complex heart and brain surgeries. Therefore, people’s lives depend on the operation of equipment that requires a large amount of stable power supply. The solar power plant will allow the hospital to provide emergency care to patients in critical situations and ensure their safety:
“Medicine does not stand still. New, modern equipment appears every day. Recently, Dubno City Hospital received an angiography system, a CT scanner, and other expensive devices. The equipment consumes a lot of electricity. So the hospital must ensure they are always working in critical situations. The solar power plant will do this more reliably and cheaper than a generator,” says Viktor Krasovsky, medical director.
The operation of the SPP will reduce the electricity costs from the general network: the savings will amount to about 154,700 UAH per year. The saved funds are planned to be used to increase the station’s capacity and improve the provision of medical services:
“Hospitals are especially vulnerable in wartime, so they need support. The contribution of the German Embassy and Ecoclub is precious to our community. We are actively developing renewable energy sources. Yes, five boiler houses in Dubno operate on alternative fuel. We are working so that more and more “green” projects appear in the community,” commented Vasyl Antoniuk, mayor of Dubno.
As part of the Solar Aid For Ukraine project, Ecoclub helps communities install solar power plants for the needs of hospitals and water utilities. In particular, this June, SPPs for hospitals in Sumy and Zhytomyr are being prepared for launch. Last year, the station was planned for a hospital in Zvyagel (Zhytomyr region), and this year the community allocated funds for the installation of SPP for the needs of their water utility company. By the end of the summer, eight critical infrastructure facilities in different regions of Ukraine will receive solar power plants thanks to the Ecoclub.
“We are working to ensure that more municipalities develop their own energy. We have recently selected 20 water utilities for which we will develop feasibility studies. These documents will allow us to assess the feasibility of installing a solar power plant. And we continue to collect contacts of municipalities ready to install stations for the needs of hospitals. Please contact Ecoclub, we will help your community to embark on the path of energy independence,” emphasizes Dmytro Sakaliuk, expert of the NGO Ecoclub.
Learn more about the project and how to get involved here.