REopt Helps Ukraine Model Fortified Energy Systems With Microgrids and Distributed Solar Power

After this solar photovoltaic (PV) system in Merefa, Ukraine, was damaged by a Russian air strike, NREL researchers used the REopt model to envision the PV system as a microgrid, which could provide reliable power during future outages. Photo from Andriy Pavlov, Monolith

With support from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the U.S. Department of Energy's Net Zero World initiative, NREL researchers used the REopt^® model to help Ukraine fortify its energy system amidst the destruction of the Russian invasion. To support the Ukrainian government's goals of increasing its distributed energy resources (DERs) and bolstering the resilience of its power system, NREL applied the REopt model to several projects across the country, including the Merefa Community Microgrid and the Chervonohrad Water Utility.

Merefa Community Microgrid

After a solar photovoltaic (PV) plant in Merefa, Ukraine, suffered a Russian missile strike but remained operational, Monolith LLC, a local renewable energy developer, approached Net Zero World about converting the existing PV system into a microgrid to provide community resilience against grid outages. NREL used the REopt model to envision the most cost-effective size and operation practices for such a microgrid, whose conceptual designs include a combination of solar PV, battery energy storage, and natural gas generators. Though in the planning stages as of September 2024, once complete, the microgrid is expected to provide reliable power during outages, with an 87% probability of serving critical loads during a 96-hour outage. If successful, this project can help meet the community's immediate energy needs and also serve as a model for future energy projects in Ukraine.

Chervonohrad Water Utility

NREL also used REopt to evaluate the technical and economic possibilities of distributed solar power and battery storage systems at the Bendiuha, Mezhyrichchya, and Pravda pumping stations, which provide water to customers of the Chervonohrad Vodokanal water utility. The team found that solar PV is a cost-effective supplemental power source for these pumping stations—which are grid-tied and served by the local DSO—but battery storage is not. NREL's analysis showed that a PV system at the Bendihua station, where available space is limited, could offer 6% of the annual energy needs with a 4.9-year payback period. The Mezhyrichchya and Pravda stations can host larger PV systems, which could meet 22% and 21% of these stations' energy needs, respectively, with both achieving a 6-year payback period.  

Visit our Ukraine Partnership page to learn more about NREL's efforts to help Ukraine realize a resilient, decentralized renewable energy grid.