With the beginning of a new heating season in Ukraine, the issue of energy resilience comes in the spotlight again. In the conditions of wartime challenges, when infrastructure is being destroyed and energy system under constant attacks, the words of Oleksii Kuleba “protection of energy sector is a shared task of the whole state” gain a special sense.

Reliability of the energy system depends not only on energy experts and armed forces, it is ensured directly by engineering solutions, quality of construction, and sensible design.

Present-day energy engineering focuses not on restoring the destroyed facilities but also introducing adaptive systems able to work efficiently even during unstable power supply.

In this context, the construction industry is playing a key part because reliability of critical infrastructure depends on correctly designed and built facilities.

Basic new trends in energy construction include the following:

• modular construction that enables fast restoration of damaged sections;
• reinforcement of CHP and boiler room building structures in view of the wartime risks;
• reconstruction of boiler rooms to use alternative fuels, e.g. pellets or bricks.

In this context, decentralization of power supply is of a special meaning, which is one of the government’s priorities. It is impossible to fulfill without involvement of engineers that are making local mini boiler rooms, rooftop solar power plants, and thermal pumps in schools, hospitals, and public buildings. Such projects help reduce the risks of energy emergencies and enhance resilience of the system.

Protection of energy system includes not only restoration after attacks but building up a new-generation system able to work efficiently even in complex situations. One of the crucial tasks is engineering design considering the wartime risks, development of such local energy storage systems as accumulation plants and backup facilities, and also training the staff to work with innovative energy efficient technologies.

Energy security of Ukraine is a shared task of the government, businesses, scientists, and construction industry specialists. It is engineers that become true “energy defenders” by reinforcing the foundation of energy independence of our country through their engagement.