Distributed Energy Generation
New strikes bring new fears for businesses. Will the enemy once again target energy infrastructure? Will we have to operate under restricted power supply conditions again?
Businesses are responding to this situation in different ways. Some simply adapt by reducing production volumes, others pay for imported electricity from abroad, and some seek to generate their own electricity. As a result, Ukraine’s power grid is becoming less centralized, increasingly relying on local sources of electricity production.
Renewable energy sources have become the foundation of this new system. Integrating solar or wind installations directly into the consumer’s infrastructure reduces electricity, distribution, and transmission costs, increases flexibility, and allows more efficient load management. Many companies have already realized that the centralized model no longer guarantees stability — so building an energy autonomy system is now a business necessity.
According to experts, investing in one’s own energy autonomy makes sense not only during wartime. Localized electricity production should remain a priority even after the war. It paves the way for a resilient, scalable system better suited to the real economy’s needs.
In this special project by VOLTAGE Group and Ekonomichna Pravda, we explore new opportunities for achieving energy autonomy and showcase successful business cases where companies invested in such solutions.
01 Distributed Generation
Accessible solutions that truly work for businesses
Attacks on Ukraine’s energy system have become a key element of Russia’s war. These attacks cause disruptions for civilians and major losses for businesses. But the harsh winter and summer months — spent in conditions of energy shortages — forced a restructuring of both the national grid and internal business processes.
Talks about distributed generation began back in 2022. The need to independently ensure one’s own energy security quickly became a trend for businesses that wanted to remain and grow in Ukraine. Diesel generators became a wartime symbol. Yet despite their variety in size, form, and color — they aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution.
“Certain industrial processes suffer greatly from sudden outages. Settings are lost, sensitive equipment fails, and systems that can’t be quickly restarted may require days or weeks to restore — like cleaning frozen product from pipelines. Diesel generators don’t protect against this since they take time to start”, says Vitalii Nikolaienko, Managing Partner at VOLTAGE Group.
As an alternative, Nikolaienko suggests considering energy storage systems (BESS). These enable a seamless transition during outages: sensitive equipment doesn’t even have time to shut down as the system switches to backup power. Such installations are ideal for stabilizing sensitive production infrastructure, automation systems, industrial equipment, and company data centers.
If a business already has renewable energy sources, BESS can serve as a perfect complement, allowing the stored green electricity to be used any time. The system can operate both on-grid and off-grid.
Over the past three years, VOLTAGE Group has implemented multiple projects involving industrial solar power plants equipped with BESS — making life easier for companies reliant on expensive and complex operations. During the war alone, the company delivered dozens of distributed generation solutions: solar power plants (with or without BESS), gas-fired cogeneration systems, and wind turbines.
“Alternative” energy projects were relevant even before the full-scale invasion. Solar, wind, and cogeneration were in demand. But energy storage was considered more theoretical due to its high cost. Now, the situation has changed dramatically — BESS has become an affordable and practical solution for business continuity.
“Today, reaction speed and decentralization determine business survival. We’ve helped companies make that possible. Even before the full-scale war, I supported the idea of building a distributed energy system with storage. It’s now technologically possible and significantly more affordable,” Vitalii Nikolaienko adds.
He also notes that businesses are increasingly willing to invest in resilience — recognizing its value in risk management.
02 Energy Storage Systems
Effective both during war and in peacetime
One of VOLTAGE Group’s most successful projects was implemented in April 2024 at a manufacturing facility. It became the first industrial-scale energy storage installation in Ukraine developed specifically for internal consumption.
The 4 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) has been operating for over six months within a hybrid energy node together with a rooftop solar plant. This setup is essentially a local energy system capable of operating off-grid, with its own generation, distribution, intelligent control logic, and safety protocols.
The goal is to ensure uninterrupted production during outages, store cheap daytime electricity, and use it in the evening when tariffs are higher. This is not just an energy solution — it’s an investment. BESS increases the efficiency of renewables, which are often time-dependent. For instance, solar electricity during midday may cost as little as 0.1–0.4 UAH/kWh, while evening peaks can reach 6–9 UAH/kWh.
“BESS is an essential management tool for renewable energy investors and a key element of energy security. This model has proven its effectiveness. Unlike traditional generators, it doesn’t require manual activation and operates in integrated mode with the company’s solar plant and internal grid,” says Vitalii Nikolaienko.
The pilot system proved effective, leading the company to scale its deployment across additional sites. The solution supports internal load profile optimization, energy arbitrage (participating in the electricity market), and complete autonomy in case of blackout — maintaining power for critical infrastructure, enabling fast switching and load control.
03 Tailored Architecture
Building resilience around real business needs
The renewable distributed generation market offers a range of solutions that can be tailored to each company’s unique needs. A leading EPC contractor in Ukraine, VOLTAGE Group specializes in full-cycle engineering and construction of energy systems, including equipment selection, grid connection, and post-installation support.
“Continuous innovation allows us to reduce energy costs and increase efficiency. Our team constantly works to deliver solutions tailored to clients’ operations — helping them focus on their core business,” the company notes.
Such projects, consistently implemented across Ukrainian businesses, are reshaping Ukraine’s energy system — making it more adaptive in response to massive attacks on generation and transmission facilities.
“The architect of the national grid is Ukrenergo, which determines what types and volumes of generation are needed. Our engineers have gained unique experience managing networks under extreme conditions — and they deserve trust, not politics. Together with our clients, we’ve moved from dependence to control,” Vitalii Nikolaienko explains.
But as long as the war continues, risks remain — both technical and security-related. That’s why local renewables and energy storage aren’t just part of a global green trend. In Ukraine, they are tools of autonomy, flexibility, and crisis resilience.
“We don’t just install equipment — we shape individual energy resilience architectures for every business. We design energy systems based on real risks, technologies, and growth objectives. The system should serve the company’s mission — that’s our philosophy,” concludes Vitalii Nikolaienko.
