According to the company’s press service, the initial project budget was estimated at UAH 150 million but was later revised to around UAH 100 million. VARUS expects the investment to pay off within just two years, after which the company anticipates saving about UAH 50 million annually on electricity costs.
The solar installations are projected to generate over 5 million kWh of electricity per year, covering roughly 21% of the network’s annual energy consumption. The total installed capacity will reach 4,800 kWh. Panels are being mounted to cover up to 95% of each store's daytime energy needs, while nighttime electricity will continue to be supplied by the national grid.
VARUS noted that it deliberately opted not to install battery storage systems, as doing so would have tripled the project’s cost and extended the payback period to seven years. The company considers immediate consumption of solar energy to be a more economically viable approach than storage.
An online monitoring system has been implemented to track the performance of the solar stations. In the event of a malfunction, the system triggers an automatic alert to enable prompt response by service teams.
VARUS also confirmed that rooftop solar systems will now become a standard feature for all new store openings. Additionally, the company plans to complement the solar rollout with the installation of gas and diesel generator systems in the future.
