PRESS RELEASE – GERMAN SOLAR ASSOCIATION 24.11.2022

Launch of the fundraising campaign “Solar Aid”

German solar industry supports Ukrainian school

Berlin, 24 November 2022: In the Kyiv suburb of Irpin, which has been particularly impacted by the Russian war of aggression, a solar power system with a battery storage unit will has been in- stalled on a school and will go operational on Friday, 25 November 2022. The PV system was fi- nanced entirely out of donations from the German solar industry. This marks the start of the solar industry’s fundraising campaign “Solar Aid”, which aims to make a contribution to resilience-build- ing and reconstruction in Ukraine.

Jörg Ebel, President of the German Solar Association (BSW), explains: “In war, it is always the weakest who suffer the most. This is why the German solar industry is helping the children at School 17 in Irpin by equipping their school with an improved electricity supply system. It is heart- breaking to see what these children have to endure. The solarization of this school marks the kick- off to our campaign ‘Solar Aid’. We appeal to our members and to energy industry stakeholders for more donations to this cause. I would like to thank our members HOPPECKE Batterien, Hanwha Q CELLS, SMA, BayWa r.e. and IBC SOLAR, whose support was instrumental in getting this pilot project off the ground quickly and smoothly.”

This pilot project also aims at building the resilience of Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. And this is urgently needed, according to Anka Feldhusen, Germany’s Ambassador in Kyiv, who will deliver a welcome at the opening ceremony in Irpin. She is urgently appealing for support for Ukraine: “We are currently witnessing an unprecedented attack on Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure. Against this background, the German energy industry’s assistance can make a decisive contribu- tion. In particular the commitment of the German solar industry to stand alongside Ukrainian civil society sends an important signal of solidarity. We are showing the people here in Irpin how Ger- man aid can be sustainable and green!”

The implementation of the project was made possible through the cooperation of BSW with the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine. Jörg Ebel: “I’d like to express my sincerest thanks to Artem Semenyshyn, without whose personal efforts this pilot project would not have been possible.” The Ukrainian organisation Energy Act for Ukraine Foundation, founded by Yuliana Onishchuk, as- sumed key responsibility for local implementation and was an important partner for the project.

The PV system comprises 52 modules with a total capacity of 20 kilowatts and a battery storage unit with a nominal capacity of 55.3 kWh. The system has black start capability, which means it can

start autonomously if the mains power supply is interrupted, thereby ensuring steady power sup- ply. The system also provides the option of bi-directional charging, so that its batteries can also be charged with mains power if there is a connection to the grid during low levels of solar radiation. This ensures an even higher degree of energy security, in particular during periods of low sunlight, such as at the beginning of winter.

Further information about the project and the call for donations is available at www.solar-hilft.de.