Ukraine’s comedian-turned-president gets behind domestic solar

August 7, 2019
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Volodymyr Zelensky was elected president at elections in April (Image credit: Flickr / U.S. Embassy Kyiv Ukraine)

Ukraine’s recently elected president has rubberstamped new legislation designed to promote domestic solar via special tariffs.

Comedian Volodymyr Zelensky, voted into Ukraine’s top office at presidential polls in April, signed on Tuesday a new law setting out the conditions for solar production by private homes.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The text was amended over the summer to ensure rooftop and façade PV installations of up to 30kW can sell the electricity they produce at so-called green tariffs.

The law sets out the various prices private homes can expect to receive all the way to 2030, based on their size and whether their technology makeup is standalone PV, wind or a mix of both.

In Ukraine, the presidential blessing to domestic PV comes as the country gains international standing as an upcoming market-to-be for utility-scale developments.

The current pipeline includes a raft of solar projects by Scatec Solar – which last July claimed to have 336MW under construction – Acciona and UDP Renewables.

The Eastern European state was home last year to 2GW in installed PV capacity, according to IRENA, but is now expected by Wood Mackenzie to install 6.6GW between 2019 and 2024.

By the latter year, according to the consultancy’s estimates, Ukraine should have become one of a score of solar “growth engines” worldwide as it rolls out 1-5GW every year.

Approached by this publication, developers on the ground see potential in the country’s shift from feed-in tariffs to deregulated auctions, with some expecting it to follow a reverse approach.

Speaking to PV Tech in late May, TIU Canada CEO Michael Yurkovich praised the country’s strong irradiation levels and industrial roots, noting however issues around grid congestion.

2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

November 4, 2025
Average renewable energy PPA deal price fell marginally to €46.37/MWh (US$53.36/MWh) in Europe in the last week of October, per Pexapark.
October 31, 2025
Solar Media Market Research looks into the the Section 232 ruling in the US, tackling the questions that need to be understood.
October 30, 2025
Scatec posted development and construction (D&C) revenues of NOK1,760 million (US$175.1 million) in the third quarter of this year.
October 30, 2025
Global net zero by 2050 is now “impossible” and the world is on course for temperature rises of 2.6°C, according to energy market analyst Wood Mackenzie.
Premium
October 29, 2025
Damage to solar from so-called Natural Catastrophe events is increasing as the technology expands its reach and weather conditions worsen.
October 29, 2025
Greenvolt and European Energy have finalised financial deals for solar-plus-storage projects in Denmark and Latvia.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
November 12, 2025
10am PST / 1pm EST
Solar Media Events
November 25, 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Solar Media Events
December 2, 2025
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
February 3, 2026
London, UK
Solar Media Events
March 10, 2026
Frankfurt, Germany