Current Decarbonization Technologies in Ukrainian Cities in the Energy Production and Consumption Sector Using Solar Energy

The energy sector in Ukraine was responsible for 34,6% of total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021. The average energy consumption of buildings in Ukraine is $163 \text{kWh}/\mathrm{m}^{2}$ per year, for EU countries this figure is $90 \text{kWh}/\mathrm{m}^{2}$ per year. Cities account for over 70% of total $\text{CO}_{2}$ emissions. This raises the issue of decarbonizing Ukrainian cities through the development of renewable energy sources and reducing energy consumption, especially in the building sector. The development of renewable energy sources in cities, given the dense development of their territory and the current regulation of building codes, is mainly focused on the construction of solar panels on the roofs and facades of buildings, infrastructure facilities. Wind energy, on the other hand, requires large free areas of land, which can only be implemented outside the city limits. In terms of reducing energy consumption, it is necessary to carry out energy modernization of buildings as a priority. It has been determined that Ukrainian cities participating in the implementation of the Horizon project U_CAN (Ukraine towards climate neutrality, 2024-2028) have significant potential and motivation for the development of solar energy, as well as energy modernization of the housing stock and the administrative sector, taking into account their geographical location and climatic features, the availability of many buildings in the municipal sector for the location of solar modules. In order to enhance the effects of green generation and economical energy consumption in Ukrainian cities, energy modernization measures should be supplemented with natural based solutions using plant vegetation for energy saving purposes.