Iryna Sukhodub on Building Ukraine's Green Future Through Wartime Reconstruction

The Green Building Matters Podcast with Charlie Cichetti

The Green Impact Report

Quick take: Iryna Sukhodub reveals how Ukraine's massive reconstruction effort is driving green building innovation—from IFI-funded sustainable housing for 4.5 million displaced people to the strategic shift from energy-only thinking to comprehensive sustainability that could reshape your project priorities.

Meet Your Fellow Sustainability Champion

Iryna Sukhodub is a Building Modeling and Simulation Specialist at iC consulenten Ukraine and Associate Professor at the National Technical University of Ukraine "Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute." Honored as Scientist of the Year by President Zelenskyy in 2020, she bridges academia and industry through energy efficiency research, green building certification expertise, and mentoring the next generation of women engineers in sustainability.

🌱Breaking Ground on Better Building

In this episode, Iryna revolutionizes traditional reconstruction approaches:

Key Insight #1: IFI Financing Creates Green Building Momentum

• The Challenge: Green certification isn't mandatory in Ukraine, limiting sustainable development incentives
• The Solution: International Financial Institutions require sustainability standards for reconstruction loans and grants—driving market demand through financing requirements
• ROI: Access to favorable loan rates and grant funding, plus tenant lease requirements from international companies demanding certified buildings

Key Insight #2: Resilience + Renewables = Reconstruction Strategy

• The Challenge: Ukraine's damaged infrastructure needs rebuilding while serving 4.5 million internally displaced people
• The Solution: Integrate PV systems with energy storage for dual benefits—cost reduction and power resilience during electricity shortages
• ROI: Lower operational costs plus business continuity during grid disruptions, creating "future-proof" infrastructure investments

Key Insight #3: Shift From Energy-Only to Comprehensive Sustainability

• The Challenge: Ukrainian projects historically focus solely on energy efficiency and renewables, missing broader impact opportunities
• The Solution: Expand to embodied carbon, life cycle assessment, accessibility, climate adaptation, and indoor environmental quality
• ROI: Enhanced building performance, health outcomes, and alignment with international certification standards like LEED v5 and WELL

Sustainable Soundbite

"We still have to implement projects and we have to implement them in a sustainable manner, especially for the people that need housing at the moment." – Iryna Sukhodub

Your Green Building Action Plan

Transform your next project with these steps:

1. This Week: Evaluate how financing requirements could drive sustainability in your projects—research available green financing programs and certification incentives in your region
2. This Quarter: Expand beyond energy efficiency—conduct a gap analysis of your projects against comprehensive sustainability frameworks like LEED v5 or BREEAM
3. This Year: Build resilience into your renewable energy strategy—explore PV + storage combinations that deliver both cost savings and operational continuity during grid disruptions

Connect & Learn More

• 🌿 Access full episode resources: [Link]
• 🗒️ Read the transcript [Link]
• 🔗 Connect with Iryna Sukhodub: LinkedIn
• 📖 Recommended reading: Tiger Hunters by Ivan Bagran

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