New green lighthouse project: Ukrainian multi-family building equipped with geothermal and solar energy

Greenpeace, Green Planet Energy and the Greenpeace Environmental Foundation take another step towards green reconstruction of Ukraine

Kyjiv, 9.1.2025: Greenpeace is launching a groundbreaking lighthouse project for green reconstruction in Ukraine. In the coming months, a large multi-family building in the Ukrainian city of Trostyanets, near the Russian border, will be supplied with heat from renewable energy. The project is one of the first of its kind, where a multi-family building is supplied with geothermal and solar energy. The apartment block was badly damaged at the beginning of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine and is now being rebuilt green and equipped with two large heat pumps and solar panels. Once the renovation work is complete, a total of 60 apartments, which provide a home for about 150 people, will be supplied with renewable energy. 

“This model project shows the irrepressible will of the city of Trostyanets to emerge from the Russian war of aggression stronger than ever before. The project is a real inspiration for Ukraine at a difficult time and another signal to Europe that many Ukrainians are willing to rely on future technologies,” says Andree Boehling, project manager at Greenpeace. 

“We are pursuing the approach that our citizens will find a better city worth living in after its reconstruction. Money for reconstruction from Europe must be invested in the future and not in past technologies,” says Yuriy Bova, Mayor of the city. 

“The project made a deep impression on us and it quickly became clear that we wanted to get involved. Our customers make it possible: Anyone who opts for our Solar Power Plus tariff supports solar projects with one cent per kilowatt hour consumed. Ukraine is experiencing a severe energy crisis this winter, particularly in the east of the country. With their share of the funding, our customers make it possible for us to contribute to a secure and clean energy supply for the people of Trostyanets”, says Nils Müller from Green Planet Energy.

The heating concept for the residential building has been developed in recent months through various feasibility studies and will now be installed by spring 2025. Two large heat pumps (an air-water-based pump with 38 kilowatt and a groundwater-based pump with 80 kilowatt) and a solar PV system with 10 kilowatt per hour will be used. The project is financed by the green energy cooperative Green Planet Energy, the Greenpeace Environmental Foundation and Greenpeace e.V.

Since the beginning of the year, Greenpeace has been supporting the city of Trostyanets on its way to becoming a model city for ecological reconstruction and a green energy supply. This lighthouse project is intended to help develop ways and financing models to convert all 113 apartment blocks in the city and, in the longer term, in the country to future technologies such as heat pumps and solar energy. In this way, the electricity and heat supply destroyed by the war of aggression will be restored and the buildings will be supplied with self-produced, green energy.