The USAID Energy Security Project (ESP) and Khmelnytska Oblast Military Administration conducted a roundtable on October 5, 2023, to discuss energy efficiency and how to introduce an energy management system in Khmelnytska Oblast, as well as review the efforts of local communities to develop energy efficiency projects under the Regional Energy Efficiency Program (after this – the Program) in Khmelnytska Oblast.
During the roundtable, Oleksander Shevchuk, Regional Energy Manager in Khmelnytska Oblast, noted, “Today, when the local resources are scarce, the local communities have to deal with complicated issues, such as dropping energy consumption, the need to ensure efficient use of available energy resources, accounting for energy use and energy costs, and using the available energy efficiency potential at full. Considering the importance of energy security and rational employment of energy resources for the local authorities, the energy management system is an integral part of the general administration and management of the budget-funded and utility sectors in every community.”
Diana Korsakaite, USAID ESP District Heating Sector Lead, highlighted the key role of local communities in developing the Program in Khmelnytska Oblast. Thus, community efforts are seen as essential for the project’s success.
Ms. Korsakaite informed the participants about the outreach sessions held by a working group formed to develop the Program. The sessions were initiated by the Khmelnytska Oblast Military Administration and supported by USAID ESP in nine large communities in Khmelnytska Oblast. The Deputy Head and the Energy Manager of Khmelnytska Oblast Military Administration, USAID ESP experts, and participants representing the scientific and business fields were among the participants. Energy efficiency projects at various implementation stages and new ideas and potential implementation approaches were discussed with representatives of the communities of Starokostiantyniv, Shepetivka, Slavuta, Polonne, Iziaslav, Dunaivtsi, Kamianets-Podilskyi, Horodok, and Yarmolyntsi.
In addition to the above support, USAID ESP is helping to commission eight CHP units to enhance energy efficiency in large urban communities in Khmelnytska Oblast. USAID ESP also helps local communities access multiple financial sources to sustain their energy efficiency projects.
Throughout the development of the Program, USAID ESP has focused on creating and strengthening the institutional capacity of the regional energy management system. As part of this capacity building, the Program recently appointed an energy manager for Khmelnytska Oblast to integrate and coordinate energy management activities at the community level.
During the roundtable, Oleksander Shpak, Senior Lecturer of the Department for Machines and Devices of Electromechanical and Energy Systems at the Khmelnytskyi National University, presented the Khmelnytskyi National University pilot Microgrid Project to establish the North Cluster for solid fuel waste in Shepetivka Rayon. He outlined some important advantages of this local network, including:
– Easy integration with renewable energy sources
– Self-adjustment
– Uninterrupted energy supply
– Low deployment costs
– Higher efficiency of the energy network due to smart generation and consumption management.
The University Microgrid Project includes a 140 kW cogeneration unit supplied by USAID ESP, solar power stations at 263.5 kW (at the initial stage), a 100 kW diesel station, a 3,900 kW gas-fired boiler, as well as in-house 0.4 kW cable lines, fiber optic communication lines, an IT network, smart metering devices, a system for supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA), an energy management and monitoring system, and a microgrid dispatch station. These solutions will help improve the energy supply and efficiency of critical infrastructure, including hospitals, educational institutions, penitentiary institutions, boarding schools, hospitality establishments, industrial facilities, and utilities.
“The communities are advised to focus on multiple generation sources, first of all, generation from renewable sources, cogeneration, mini hydro plants, biogas units, and waste-to-energy systems that would generate power at the level of the community’s actual demand. It would ensure their energy independence and efficiency,” Oleksander Shpak noted.
Oleksandr Dushenko, Director of one of the local utilities, informed the participants of a new CHP unit to be implemented. This unit was built throughout the past heating season. “The already operational 500 kW cogeneration unit proved to work very effectively throughout the outages in the city. Currently, our Utility is planning to set up a 1 MW CHP station that the city will obtain from USAID ESP,” he said. Thus, the Utility plans to stay energy-independent and well-prepared for possible cutoffs in winter. Additionally, the cogeneration will reduce the cost of electricity and help save significant funds in the local budget.