The forklifts were once again busy on site in Paderborn in early April, loading pallets of modules, mounting structures and inverters onto a waiting truck. The shipment is destined for hospitals in Ukraine, where rooftops are being equipped with solar modules and high-capacity batteries to maintain surgical operations and patient care. These systems provide a more stable power supply against a backdrop of ongoing Russian attacks that continue to cause grid outages.
€150,000 appeal to bring solar power to more Ukrainian hospitals
The systems are being installed in part by Ukrainian solar installers trained by Greenpeace. The latest delivery is expected to arrive within five to seven days. A specialised transport carrying several battery units will depart shortly, with each shipment costing between €5,000 and €6,000 in addition to equipment procurement.
Next Ukraine aid shipment underway – further donations urgently needed
Largely independent of the grid
With solar generators and battery storage, the hospitals can operate largely independently of the grid. Although winter has passed, energy supply remains a critical issue, as Russian attacks on energy infrastructure continue despite a brief ceasefire during the Orthodox Easter period.
Since the beginning of the year, the Biohaus Foundation has spent nearly €70,000 on solar equipment and storage systems, around €30,000 of which came from donations. In addition to solar technology, combined heat and power units have also been delivered to Ukrainian schools.
Biohaus Foundation: The Solar for Ukraine initiative continues
More than 100 hospitals awaiting support
For over a year, the Biohaus Foundation in Paderborn has been working with Greenpeace and EU logistics channels to procure and deliver solar systems, CHP units and storage, while supporting local installers.
In 2025, Greenpeace trained 30 women as solar installers, with a further 50 planned this year. “More and more hospitals are recognising that this allows them to become independent while also reducing energy costs,” says Polina Kolodiazhna of Greenpeace in Kyiv. “Hospitals and municipal authorities are contributing to the financing, which is extremely important.”
Case study in Chortkiv
Fifty kilowatts of solar modules have been installed on the roof of a hospital in Chortkiv in western Ukraine. The system supplies 30,000 kWh per year to the maternity ward and neonatal care. A further 17,000 kWh powers the infectious diseases department.
New info channel: We stand with Ukraine
Around 70 percent of the hospital’s electricity demand is now covered by solar power. “The hospital saves around 470,000 hryvnia per year,” says Greenpeace expert Marina Abramian. At current rates, 1,000 hryvnia corresponds to around €20. Larger hospitals can save up to one million hryvnia, or €50,000, annually.
The Biohaus Foundation is recognised as a non-profit organisation and issues tax-deductible donation receipts for individuals and companies, as does Greenpeace (for individuals). (HS/TF)
Those wishing to donate can contact Willi Ernst at: willi.ernst@biohaus-stiftung.org
A dedicated webpage outlines the Biohaus Foundation and Greenpeace cooperation in Ukraine, with a factsheet providing details on the hospitals and their solar installations.
