In early May, the ‘Sun for Ukraine’ fundraising campaign was able to install a solar power plant on the roof of the Zaporizhzhia Municipal Children’s Hospital in Ukraine, having raised over CZK 900,000 through donations in the Czech Republic.
The initiative aims to provide the hospital with a reliable and stable energy supply, significantly reducing its reliance on costly diesel generators during power outages and ensuring the uninterrupted operation of vital medical equipment, including ventilators and incubators.
Inverters and batteries for the project were provided by Huawei, while the solar panels were supplied by the Czech company Sunlux.
The hospital treats around 135,000 patients every year, including more than 240 newborn babies in its intensive care unit — nearly half of whom are born prematurely. The facility includes a specialised department of anaesthesiology, intensive care and chronic dialysis — the only one of its kind in south-eastern Ukraine. Since the start of the Russian invasion, the hospital has also been providing care for adult patients, including those displaced internally.
The installation of a 43.71 kW solar power system has made the children’s hospital more resilient to blackouts. The system is complemented by batteries with a total capacity of 82.8 kWh, enabling medical staff to provide care for up to 16 hours without connection to the power grid.
“The hospital currently consumes over 1,000,000 kWh of electricity per year, costing around CZK 4.5 million, and the solar power plant will help reduce these expenses. We plan to reinvest these savings in the hospital’s development, such as purchasing medical equipment and improving conditions for our patients,” said Iryna Kuleshova, the hospital’s director.
“Last year, the fundraising campaign for the Zaporizhzhia solar plant became the largest of the ‘Sun for Ukraine’ initiative,” said Alžběta Kofránková, the project coordinator at NESEHNUTÍ. “Hundreds of donors participated, several companies made significant financial contributions, and Sunlux delivered a truckload of solar panels to Zaporizhzhia. This shows that meaningful support for Ukraine in the energy sector resonates with both the general public and professionals.”
The project, which provides Ukrainian hospitals with solar panels, is organised by the Ukrainian organisation Ecoclub Rivne. In the Czech Republic, it is supported by NESEHNUTÍ through its ‘Sun for Ukraine’ campaign. Currently, donations are being collected for a solar power plant at St Luke’s Hospital in Lviv, which frequently treats war veterans.
