Horodnya city community in Chernihiv Oblast took part in the U-LEAD initiative to develop municipal energy plans. We interviewed its chairman, Andrii Bohdan, about participation in the program, their motivations and experience in this field:
What motivated your municipality to participate in the U-LEAD initiative to develop municipal energy plans?
Today, energy carriers are a significant part of the municipality’s budget. And in the future, they are not going to get cheaper. On the contrary, they will get more and more expensive. This is a long-standing trend. Unless we analyse and reduce energy consumption, we are simply wasting money that can be used more effectively in other areas.
Furthermore, there is equipment that will pay off in literally half a year. Therefore, it is a very promising direction that is a must for reducing energy consumption today. Energy carriers are one of the largest expenses in the municipal budget, right after wages.
So you had a strictly economic motivation when you participated in the competitive selection, and now you plan to reduce energy costs?
Not just economic. There are also certain aesthetic and educational aspects. The light bulbs we are used to no longer fit into any modern design. If we show children modern energy-saving lamps at school and other public institutions, they will want them at home as well.
Does your approach to the Energy Plan account for future comprehensive measures and have a long-term goal?
In general, our task is to raise public awareness of energy saving, both for municipal infrastructure and for households, in the daily life of the people, so that they consciously start saving. After all, money is their home front. We wish to promote this strategy by implementing such measures for the municipal infrastructure. If people see it as efficient as well as beautiful, they will be interested in implementing this sort of thing in their homes. In general, we plan public outreach right away.
Have you already got any experience in implementing energy efficiency projects in your municipality?
Yes, we do. We have already introduced certain measures in the municipal infrastructure. In particular, we have a fairly good indicator of electricity consumption per cubic meter of water. We look for energy-efficient pumps and install so-called frequency converters to consume less electricity. And this directly impacts the cost of this service. We also install LED lamps in houses and utility infrastructure, as they are much more cost-effective. In multi-apartment buildings, common areas are illuminated with lights with motion sensors. We plan to install them in educational institutions in the less frequently used areas.
Street lighting should be switched to more economical options as well. Motion sensors can also be installed on lamps on small streets and alleys with less foot traffic. But we haven’t reached that point yet.
With the help of U-LEAD experts, we hope to develop a comprehensive strategy for reducing energy consumption and implement it step by step.
