RESULTS OF THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY INTERNATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND PRACTICAL CONFERENCE "ENERGY EFFICIENT UNIVERSITY"

On October 29, 2026, Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD) hosted the 15th International Scientific and Practical Conference "Energy Efficient University." For fifteen consecutive years, this event has brought together representatives of government authorities, educational institutions, national and international organizations, foundations, scholars, and experts from various countries.

The conference was organized by KNUTD and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, with support from the Ministry for Communities, Territories and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine, the State Agency on Energy Efficiency and Energy Saving of Ukraine, the Ukrainian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC Ukraine), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, the Ukrainian Association of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ULIE), and the NGO "Association of Energy Auditors of Ukraine."

This year's meeting held special significance amidst the war, which daily causes large-scale destruction to Ukraine's energy infrastructure. Over one hundred representatives of institutions and companies from Ukraine and seven countries worldwide—Germany, Türkiye, Poland, Slovakia, Latvia, Azerbaijan, and Iraq—participated in the event.

The conference was moderated by Ihor Panasiuk, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technologies at KNUTD. In his opening remarks, he introduced the attendees present in the hall, highlighted the wide geographical reach of the participants, expressed gratitude to the Armed Forces of Ukraine for the opportunity to work, emphasized safety protocols, and passed the floor to Volodymyr Statsenko, Vice-Rector for Academic and Pedagogical Activities, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor.

Volodymyr Statsenko welcomed the participants on behalf of Rector Oleksandra Olshanska, the university administration, and himself. In his speech, he stressed the urgent relevance of energy efficiency research during a full-scale war, noting that energy-saving technologies are crucial not only for higher education institutions but for all industrial sectors. The Vice-Rector shared that KNUTD has consistently implemented relevant measures for over 15 years: operating an automated electricity accounting system, installing 50 kW and 6 kW solar power plants, and deploying backup power systems that ensure the uninterrupted operation of the internet and digital resources during blackouts. In closing, he thanked everyone for joining and wished them productive work.

Viktoriia Margasova, Vice-Rector for Scientific Activity at KNUTD, Doctor of Economics, Professor, joined in welcoming the guests. She emphasized that energy efficiency today is a vital component of national security, economic resilience, and Ukraine's energy independence. Viktoriia Margasova noted the significance of interdisciplinary research and collaboration among universities, research institutions, businesses, state bodies, and international partners in enhancing the country's competitiveness, and congratulated participants on the milestone anniversary event.

Next, Dmytro Petrunin, Head of the Energy Efficiency Department at the Ministry for Restoration, Infrastructure and Transport of Ukraine, was invited to speak. He recognized KNUTD's consistent efforts in promoting an energy-efficient lifestyle and discussed the implementation of European standards into national legislation. Presenting relevant data, he noted that nearly three-quarters of buildings in Ukraine require thermal modernization, creating high demand for specialists in energy auditing and energy management. He also briefed the audience on support programs from the Energy Efficiency Fund, the Decarbonization Fund, EIB, KfW, NEFCO, EBRD, and the World Bank, encouraging young people to pursue these promising careers.

The next speaker was Oleh Syniuk, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, and Vice-Rector for Research at Khmelnytskyi National University (KNU). He shared KNU's practical experience, which includes the installation of eight solar power plants with a combined capacity of 500 kW, a 140 kW cogeneration unit provided by USAID, and the creation of a specialized laboratory to monitor their operation.

Serhii Prokhorov, First Vice-President of ULIE, emphasized the critical need for collaboration between universities, businesses, and international partners to overcome blackouts. He highlighted joint guidelines on energy auditing developed with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and stressed the importance of adapting the Ukrainian economy to the European Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and developing hydrogen technologies.

Viktoriia Lishchuk, Head of the Property Relations Department at NPC Ukrenergo, outlined the massive damage inflicted on Ukraine's power grid by Russian shelling: while the company's assets were valued at UAH 37 billion in 2019, estimated restoration costs now reach UAH 89 billion. She expressed gratitude to KNUTD for its cooperation and quality training of professionals. In response, moderator Ihor Panasiuk thanked the company for employing graduates and providing internship opportunities for students.

Yurii Shcherban, Doctor of Technical Sciences, Professor, and Deputy Director of the Kyiv Professional College of Applied Sciences, discussed the necessity of energy independence for educational institutions as a prerequisite for uninterrupted learning. He shared details about establishing two autonomous shelters equipped with ventilation and internet connectivity, as well as the college's participation in a program aimed at expanding power storage capacity up to 80 kW. In closing, he thanked the organizers for the invitation, wished participants successful proceedings, and expressed hope for continued collaboration and practical exchange.

The conference moderator gave special acknowledgment to honored guest Viktor Kaplun, who initiated the creation of this conference at KNUTD 15 years ago. In his address, Professor Kaplun delineated the concepts of "energy saving," "energy efficiency," and "energy conservation," focusing on a major modern challenge—technologies for energy resilience and the survival of educational institutions and enterprises during emergency situations. He also highlighted the traditional creative highlight of the event— the "Save ENERGY-2026" poster contest.

Welcoming remarks were also delivered by representatives of relocated higher education institutions: Oleksandr Kollarov (Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering at DonNTU) and Inna Melkonova (Head of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Volodymyr Dahl SNU), who emphasized the high level of trust in the event and the importance of long-standing academic cooperation.

The conference proceeded with a plenary session featuring presentations by: Jürgen Reitzner (Head of Steinbeis Center, Germany) on the energy-efficient renovation of buildings; Volodymyr Kovtunets (Leading Researcher at the Institute of Higher Education of the NAES of Ukraine) on the role of an innovative university; Viktor Petrenko (Lead Engineer at HERZ Ukraine) on new engineering solutions; Vadym Lytvyn (Board Chairman of the NGO "Association of Energy Auditors of Ukraine") on energy management information systems; Oleh Lysak (Senior Researcher at the Institute of Renewable Energy of the NAS of Ukraine) on AI application for energy consumption analysis on the Aladdin platform; Anatolii Machulko (CEO of HEPHAESTUS UKRAINE LLC) on the ECOCOLT platform; Valerii Martyniuk (Professor at KNU) on mobile power supply systems; and Taras Romanets (Associate Professor at KNU) on development trends in solar energy.

A special highlight of the event was the "Save ENERGY-2026" student poster contest, which expanded beyond KNUTD this year to include participants from other Ukrainian universities. At the end of the plenary session, attendees viewed a presentation of the finalists' works, followed by the announcement of the winners. 

The winning works can be viewed via the following link:  https://youtu.be/0NUjGbtW-4M

Following the announcement of the poster contest winners, the conference continued across thematic platforms according to the agenda.

The Organizing Committee extends its sincere gratitude to all participants for their contribution to advancing energy efficiency at the university level, across Ukraine, and globally!

We look forward to meeting again next year!

02.11.2026