Ukraine is known for its low energy efficiency, a good place for tech startups to bring their expertise. Roman Zinchenko, the co-founder of Greencubator, a promoter of energy efficiency, says there are solutions.
Reducing peak-time consumption and energy-saving equipment – such as special sensors – are key elements that have succeeded in many other nations.
But with Ukraine’s government running the energy market so inefficiently, including subsidizing rates, consumers have no incentive to lower costs.
Ecois.me, Ukrainian tech startup operating in Poland, makes small trackers of energy consumption. They can be connected to a computer or a smartphone and display how much electricity is being consumed, needed for better regulating consumption.
The device is a better sell in Poland, where market-based pricing means consumers can save at least $10 a month while in inefficient Ukraine the savings are $2 monthly or less, said Ecois.me chief marketing officer Oleksandr Diatlov.
Poland also has other novelties for Ukraine, such as lower nighttime rates to encourage electricity use in off-peak hours.
Greencubator‘s Zinchenko predicts that Ukraine will have a competitive market inspired by the smart energy solutions within five years.
uMuni, eCozy, Energy Layer and Yunasko startups are also focused on energy efficiency. uMuni targets Lviv, others are focused on the global market.
Vadym Utkin, head of the Yunasko company that makes energy storage devices, is based in Kyiv with some production in Khmelnytsky. But it has no clients in Ukraine.
“The biggest share of profits comes from China, since they need energy storage devices in many industries, quite often in hybrid engine cars, electric cars and other machines,” says Utkin. “The second biggest target audience is Japan and, finally, Europe.”
Ukrainians will start saving energy only when they run out of money and the rates rise to market levels. “Chinese factories work at night to save energy,” he emphasizes. “Americans do laundry overnight to save energy. Prices push people to change their behavior.”
Kyiv Post staff writer Bozhena Sheremeta can be reached at [email protected]. The Kyiv Post’s IT coverage is sponsored by AVentures Capital, Ciklum, FISON and SoftServe.
