Ukraine’s energy system is moving toward more distributed generation and storage as damaged infrastructure creates capacity shortages
Battery adoption is expanding across households, businesses, municipalities and critical infrastructure, with energy security becoming a major driver
The SEAU expects another significant increase in solar and battery capacity through the end of 2026
Ukraine is rebuilding its power system while facing repeated attacks, power shortages and electricity imports. Against this backdrop, solar power and battery storage are taking on a growing role in keeping businesses, communities and critical infrastructure operating.
“In Ukraine, solar energy is no longer only contributing to the green transition. Together with energy storage, it's increasingly supporting the stability and resilience of the entire power system,” highlighted Vladyslav Sokolovskyi, the Chairman of the Board of the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine (SEAU) while speaking at the Intersolar Europe 2026 earlier this year.
Russia’s full-scale invasion has damaged or destroyed up to 50% of Ukraine’s energy capacity, or more than 20 GW, according to Sokolovskyi. The resulting shortages, recurring outages and increased reliance on electricity imports have pushed the country to rebuild its power system while reducing its dependence on large, centralized generation facilities.
In 2024, Ukraine installed about 800 MW of new solar PV capacity, expanding the annual additions with over 1.5 GW in 2025. The country has expanded its total installed solar power generation capacity to around 8.5 GW. It also installed over 1 GWh of battery storage capacity last year.
However, according to the SolarPower Europe’s European Battery Market Outlook 2026-2030, Ukraine became the fourth-largest battery storage market in Europe with almost 3 GWh of BESS installed in 2025, preceded by Germany, the UK, and Italy. More than 60% of the new capacity came from distributed storage, while utility-scale systems accounted for almost one-third of the total last year (see Europe’s Battery Storage Capacity Exceeds 100 GWh).
Nonetheless, SEAU believes the actual market could be larger than official figures indicate since many households and businesses install solar and batteries for their own consumption and do not sell electricity to the grid. In some cases, these systems are also not required to be registered.
Ukraine currently needs up to 10 GW of new or restored generation capacity, Sokolovskyi said. Solar PV paired with battery storage is among the faster solutions that can be deployed, although solar alone cannot replace all of the lost capacity.
Sokolovskyi outlined the expected growth in solar and battery storage as he expects Ukraine to install more than 1.5 GW solar and over 3 GWh of battery storage capacity in 2026.
Sokolovskyi said energy security has become the main reason for battery adoption in Ukraine. Businesses and households are using storage to continue operations during outages, manage electricity costs and gain greater control over their energy supply.
“Across Europe, a home battery is typically bought to optimise an electricity bill and store rooftop solar. In Ukraine it is bought to keep the lights on. Apartment dwellers and homeowners are installing small systems averaging just 3 to 5 kWh – around half the European average, and many with no solar attached at all – purely to ride through outages,” according to Sokolovskyi.
Battery systems are also increasingly replacing petrol and diesel generators that businesses relied on for backup power during 2022, 2023 and 2024.
Storage allows businesses to save solar electricity generated during the day for later use. Batteries can also be charged when electricity is cheaper and used during periods of higher prices, peak demand or blackouts.
Another advantage is the speed at which batteries can provide backup power. The transition from grid electricity to battery backup can be almost immediate, making storage particularly relevant for production facilities, IT systems, water utilities, hospitals and other critical infrastructure.
The expansion is also reaching public infrastructure, as the association points out. In Zhytomyr, the municipal water utility has installed 2.3 MW of solar capacity across 13 water supply facilities. It is developing an energy island comprising a 1.5 MW solar plant and 6 MWh of battery storage to help maintain pumping and water treatment operations during major outages.
In Cherkasy, the municipal district heating utility is developing three energy islands with a combined inverter capacity of 4 MW and 12 MWh of storage. The project will integrate solar generation and support district heating infrastructure.
Sokolovskyi said such projects show how solar-plus-storage is moving beyond electricity cost savings and becoming part of the infrastructure needed to maintain essential public services.
Going forward, the Ukraine solar association identifies three priorities for the further development of Ukraine’s power system:
Restore and protect energy infrastructure: This includes rebuilding generation facilities and substations, along with air-defense protection and modern relay protection to reduce system vulnerability.
Continue supporting distributed generation: Communities should develop a mix of solar, wind, gas-engine generation and battery storage rather than relying on a single technology.
Maintain incentives and simplify grid connections: Clear and predictable rules, continued tax incentives and faster grid-connection procedures are needed to support investment in new distributed solar and storage capacity.
