Seminar for HOAs Centers
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In late March, Kyiv hosted a two-day training seminar that was attended by over 60 representatives of Home Owner Associations (HOAs) and Clean Energy Resource Centersfrom 12 Ukrainian cities. All these centers were established with support of the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine (USAID Project). Vira Illiash, Director of Communications and Government Relations of the USAID Project, said at the opening of the seminar: "Resource Centers are first of all people! Bright personalities, concerned citizens, responsible owners, talented organizers, people who understand their role in the society and have chosen an active and honest position – to be responsible for their own comfort and well-being. We appreciate what you are doing in your cities and we are prepared to further promote your activities. We believe that this will allow us together with you to change the attitude of Ukrainians to their homes and to make them more conscientious and responsible. Read more<< |
Opportunities for Investments in Infrastructure Development
| The USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project is prepared to assist the pilot cities in developing applications for loans on special terms (interest rate of about 1.31% per annum in Euro) from the European Investment Bank for communal infrastructure modernization. ATTENTION! The deadline for submitting proposals to participate in joint projects with the European Investment Bank’s “Program on the Development of Ukraine’s Municipal Infrastructure” was extended till 15 March 2016. Loan provision terms envisage financing of investment projects in the heating, water supply, and sewage sectors; improving building energy efficiency, street lighting and solid waste management. Read more<< |
Support for Cities in Attracting Loans
| The USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project (USAID Project) is ready to provide assistance to pilot cities in taking out loans for implementing energy efficiency projects in the public buildings sector. The Project will conduct energy audits of the kindergartens, schools and hospitals selected by each city, and will assist the cities in negotiations with international financial institutions. In addition to loans, the cities will also be able to receive grants from the E5P Fund. The Project will provide expert support in the preparation of the necessary documents. Similar technical assistance was provided by the USAID Project to Lutsk and Khmelnytskyi in 2015. Through the development of business plans, the Project helped these cities receive loans from the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation (NEFCO) as well as grants: The business plan “Energy Efficiency Improvement in Public Buildings of Lutsk” was developed for Lutsk. It covered 8 public buildings. Read more<< |
Support of Сlean Energy Project
| The USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project (USAID Project) will assist the partner cities in receiving private investments for the implementation of clean energy projects. The assistance package includes: support in the preparation of clean energy projects under public-private partnership (PPP) terms: conducting energy audits, preparation of pre-feasibility studies and development of PPP concepts for clean energy projects, discussions with the stakeholders; preparation of the package of documents required for implementing PPP clean energy projects; organizing and holding public hearings regarding PPP implementation in the city; conducting trainings for local specialists; and advisory support for the process of PPP clean energy project implementation, etc. The USAID Project has assessed the readiness of 17 partner cities to implement PPP clean energy projects. A competitive selection of the projects/cities was conducted in two phases. Read more<< |
Your Home is Gaining Momentum: +4 Channels in February
| Just in late October, the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine (USAID Project) team launched the program "Your Home" on the national UA:PERSHYI TV Channel. And now it is broadcast on six national and regional channels, four of which joined last month. Only on UA:PERSHYI TV Channel, the program was viewed by more than 2.5 million viewers. The USAID Project experts, together with reporters of "Ekonomichnyi Visnyk" studio, have produced in four months 17 episodes of the TV program, and were able to answer more than 50 questions touching on every viewer. Eight more episodes are coming, and their topics will be very important too. We were able to explain to the Ukrainians in simple terms how to insulate a building, why tariffs grow up, and how to reduce expenses for communal services. We explained to whom one can entrust management of the house, and how to receive a housing subsidy. And this is not a full list of socially important topics that are covered in every episode by the journalists and experts. If you missed the first programs, do not worry! You can always watch them on our official webpage on our YouTube Channel and on our website. |
Insulate Correctly With Us!
| The USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine (USAID Project) in cooperation with the State Agency for Energy Efficiency (SAEE) has launched the “Insulate Correctly!” media campaign. This continues the Project’s information campaign on energy efficiency and alternative energy sources. USAID Project partner in the regions is BigMedia company, sale house of BigBoard Ukraine, leader in the market of outdoor advertising. Already at the beginning of 2016, the residents of MERP partner cities have seen new billboards in their streets. The billboards encourage Ukrainians to implement energy efficiency measures in their buildings, i.e.: to install meters, thermal modernization, and and participating in the state program, which supports energy efficiency projects. You can find more details about these and other measures on our website, on website of Ministry of Regional Development,Construction, Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine as well as on website of the State Agency for Energy Efficiency of Ukraine. In addition, the Project website contains information on the establishment of condominiums. Experience shows that it is much easier to improve the heat insulation of buildings in a community of responsible owners. |
Subsidy: What Is It and How to Calculate It?
| Recently, the Project designed a series of leaflets devoted to receiving housing subsidies. For example, you can find answers to questions such as: what is a subsidy, the amount of services it is appointed for, what is the mandatory portion of payment for services, what is the procedure for obtaining subsidy, and many others. You can view the leaflets here. In addition, the Project created an online “Subsidy Calculator”. With its help, every Ukrainian can very precisely and easily calculate the amount of his/her subsidy. To do so, one needs to enter the following data: household composition and income, dwelling space, tariffs for communal services and the way they are provided, and existence of privileges. You can use the calculator here. |
Seminar on Benchmarking
| On December 15, USAID MER Project held a seminar "Benchmarking in District Water Supply and Sewage. Benchmarking System Development and Key Aspects in Use of Its Results”. Almost 40 representatives of district water supply and sewage utilities, National Energy and Communal Services Regulatory Commission and KSCA took part in the seminar. USAID MERP experts told the audience about the essence and importance of the benchmarking concept in state regulation, its advantages and structure of the implementation process. The participants learnt about the international and European experience in application of benchmarking in the sector of water and sewage, as well as the current state and prospects of its implementation in Ukraine. In addition, the experts presented key directions and mechanism of benchmarking results application in district water supply and sewage sector of Ukraine. At the end of the seminar, the participants discussed together with the experts and developed their own proposals on implementation of international experience in benchmarking in Ukraine. This workshop is closely related to the previous workshop on incentive regulation, since the benchmarking system allows to accumulate the data required for introduction of incentive regulation. |
Seminar on Tariff Setting
| USAID MERP experts conducted a seminar on December 8 “Concept for Tariff Setting System in District Heating, Water Supply and Sewage on Principles of Incentive Regulation – International Experience and Current Issues for Ukraine”. The event was attended by 65 specialists, including 40 representatives of business entities in the sectors of district heating, water supply and sewage, and 25 specialists of the National Energy and Communal Services Regulatory Commission. During the seminar, USAID MERP experts told about essence of the tariff setting system on the basis of incentive regulation, international experience of its implementation, identifying the regulatory asset base and cost of capital, etc. The experts also discussed with the seminar participants the prerequisites and regulatory framework necessary for implementation of this system in Ukraine, and made a brief overview of international consultants’ comments on the draft Concept for Introduction of Incentive Regulation in Ukraine developed by MERP. Participants also received information on the legal, technological and other types of unbundling by types of activities, including the concept and practice of unbundled accounting. Together with the experts, the participants discussed proposed amendments to the existing regulations on incentive regulation, as well as evaluation of assets as a necessary prerequisite for introduction of incentive tariff setting in Ukraine. The subject of incentive regulation is becoming more and more important. In particular, the Commission is taking certain steps for its implementation in the energy sector, while it is planned to introduce it in the district heating, water and sewage sectors in a few years, and this time will be used for preparation. |
Second Seminar for Cement Sector Representatives
| Kyiv hosted the second seminar "Basic Requirements of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System for Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Ukraine" on December 16-17 for cement producers in Ukraine. The event was organized by the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project and the Ukrainian Association of Cement Industry Enterprises and Organizations "Ukrcement". When opening the seminar, Vladyslav Venzhyn, Director of Climate Policy Department at the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, spoke about the state of drafting of the legal framework that should regulate domestic emission trading system in Ukraine. He also invited the companies to participate in an open working group at the Ministry dedicated to this issue. Participants of the seminar presented their draft plans for emission monitoring which they developed for their companies. USAID MERP experts provided comments and recommendations, according to which the participants have to finalize their plans. Experts also told the audience about assessment of potential risks and uncertainties that participants must also take into account in the monitoring plans. The updated plans will be presented in February at the final seminar. |
MERP Completed Series of Trainings for Journalists
| Over 120 journalists from 15 of Ukraine’s oblasts took part in a series of workshops called “Energy Efficiency and the Social Protection of the Populace in Conditions of Growing Tariffs for Media”. The seminars were organized by the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in cooperation with the Center for Ukrainian Reform Education and with sponsorship of the largest private gas extraction company of Ukraine Burisma Holdings. The Project experts are confident that it is important now to teach the Ukrainians how to consume available energy resources, and to change mentality towards responsible and energy saving behavior. And it should start with those who form the public opinion – the journalists. USAID MERP experts conducted two-day trainings for the journalists regarding energy efficiency in residential buildings, the energy potential of Ukraine, alternative energy sources, reasons of tariff increases, the government’s instruments for the social safety net, as well as about condominiums and programs on lending for energy efficiency in the residential sector. The experts believe that after the trainings the journalists will be able to cover these subjects in their articles, radio and TV programs more positively, responsibly and without partiality. |
VI National Condominium Forum
| In late November, VI National Condominium Forum was held in Lviv, with support of the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project in Ukraine. Nearly 150 chairpersons of condominiums and management companies from all over Ukraine, representatives of the local authorities, and international organizations working in the energy and housing and communal services sectors took part. The Forum focused on the legal and regulatory framework for condominiums, energy efficiency in the residential sector, the role of resource centers in condominium development and management, the state program of partial compensation for loans and other types of funding for energy efficiency measures in multi-apartment buildings. On the first day of the Forum, the participants worked in groups on the recommendations on key aspects of condominium activities in Ukraine. Group moderators were the leading experts of international organizations working in the energy and housing and communal services sector. For instance, Oleksandr Nikolaienko, Sustainable Energy Manager of the USAID MER Project, was a moderator of the group working on implementing energy efficiency measures in multi-apartment buildings. The group recommended involving commercial banks in the state program for partially compensating loans for procuring energy-efficient equipment and implementing energy efficiency measures in buildings; to expand the list of energy-efficient equipment that can be purchased on credit; and to monitor the results of this program implementation. As for social support in the face of increasing tariffs, the group agreed that the State should ensure the timely payment of subsidies and their monetization in the future, conduct an enhanced information campaign and expand the social safety net, extending it to contributions to the renovation fund, to which the accrual of subsidies does not currently apply. Accomplishments of this and other groups were discussed the next day by the panel discussion participants, including representatives of the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine, State Agency for Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine and others. A Resolution based on the developed recommendations will be published and sent it to the State government for processing and implementation. |
Attention! Media Contest Start
| USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project, together with the Center for Ukrainian Reform Education, and with sponsor support of the largest private gas extraction company of Ukraine Burisma Holdings, start the Contest for the best published media materials on energy efficiency, alternative and clean energy sources, advantages of condominiums, tariff reform and ensuring social protection of population. Main objective of the Contest is creating incentives for journalists for responsible and unbiased coverage of information on energy saving, tariff policy, subsidies and condominiums, as well as explanation of these issues to the audiences. These materials will allow to teach Ukrainians how to consume energy resources efficiently, and in general to change their mentality towards responsible and energy saving behavior. The Contest invites the journalists from Vinnytsia, Volyn, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Kyiv, Lviv, Rivne, Sumy, Ternopil, Kherson, Khmelnytskyi, Chernihiv oblasts to participate. Media materials published in the printed or Internet media, or materials broadcast on TV or radio in the period from November 1, 2015 through April 30, 2016 will be accepted for participation in the Contest. Applications will be accepted through May, 15 2016. Read more << |
Energy Saving Week in Donetsk Oblast
| USAID MER Project has supported the Energy Saving Week in Donetsk oblast. In early November, the Energy Saving Week was conducted in four cities of Donetsk oblast – Druzhkivka, Kostiantynivka, Kramatorsk and Sloviansk. For maximum dissemination among population of the energy saving behavior ideas, the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project presented information materials (posters, tips and brochures) to the Unit of Efficient Use of Energy Resources at the Basic Industries Development Department of Donetsk Oblast State Administration. In the course of special training events, the residents of these cities received the brochures “Clean Energy – Clean Future”, “Support Program for Population, Condominiums and Housing Cooperatives in Implementation of Energy Efficient Measures” and “10 Tips How to Save Heat in Your Home”. Also, information posters “Saving Energy in Your Home Is Your Personal Contribution to Improvement of Ukraine’s Energy Safety!” with simple tips on energy saving in everyday life were placed in all the vehicles of communal utility “Druzhkivka Avtoelectrotrans”. |
7th International Investment Business Forum
| Larry Good, Chief of Party of the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project, and Vira Illiash, Director of Communications and Government Relations of the Project, took part on November 10 in XI International Congress “Institutional and Technical Aspects of Housing and Communal Sector’2015”. In his presentation, Larry Good emphasized that the USAID MER Project fruitfully cooperates with Minregion and provides comprehensive legal and regulatory assistance to its specialists. For example, the Project experts take active part in drafting of the relevant Laws (“On Peculiarities of Exercising Ownership Rights in Multi-Apartment Buildings”, “On ESCOs” etc.), as well as regulatory documents (“Rules of Providing Housing and Communal Services”, “Sample Condominium Charter”, “Minutes of the Meeting of Co-Owners in Multi-Apartment Building”), etc. Vira Illiash, in her turn, was a speaker at VII International Investment Business Forum on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, as well as at the seminar on development of the housing and communal services sector in Kyiv. Both events were part of the Congress. Ms. Illiash furnished in her presentations the data of social survey which testify to existence of the myths and gaps in awareness of the Ukrainians of the tariff setting policy, implementation of energy efficient measures in multi-apartment buildings, use of alternative energy sources etc. Based on example of USAID MERP information campaign, Ms. Illiash demonstrated how to dispel these myths and change mentality of the Ukrainians towards energy efficiency. |
Training Seminar for Cement Sector Representatives
| First training seminar "Basic requirements of Monitoring, Reporting and Verification System" organized by the USAID Municipal Energy Reform Project for cement manufacturers – biggest emitters of greenhouse gases in Ukraine – was held in Kyiv on 5 November. Project experts told the seminar participants about the objectives and features of the emission trading system and of the monitoring, reporting and verification system (according to the Agreement on Association between Ukraine and the EU). Also, the seminar presented the CO2 emission calculation methodology and monitoring plan for cement production, as well as the report verification process. As a result of practical tasks fulfillment, each participant developed and presented the emission monitoring plan for his (her) company. Over the next two months, the participants will finalize their plans in accordance with the recommendations of the Project experts. The updated plans will be presented in December at the next training seminar. |
