German-based Ukrainian creator of solar balcony kits announced as finalist in 2024 European Sustainable Energy Awards

Karolina Attspodina, a Berlin-based Ukrainian entrepreneur, is a renewable energy pioneer, on a mission to bring solar energy to your balcony while championing diversity in a male-dominated sector.

‘WeDoSolar was born out of the belief that everyone, regardless of their setup, should have the opportunity to harness the sun’s power, offering both financial savings and a way to positively impact the planet. This mission continues to drive me and the work we do every day,’ says Karolina.

Ukrainian-born serial entrepreneur Karolina launched WeDoSolar in February 2022, just days before Russia invaded her homeland.

‘It was a super hard time because I also have family and a lot of friends in Ukraine. I was going to the borders, picking people up, developing my product, raising my round with investors, and it was just a completely crazy time.’

The company offers lightweight super-thin photovoltaic panels that tenants can clip onto balcony railings by themselves, without needing an electrician. A smart 5G inverter, also developed by WeDoSolar, converts the solar power into grid power by simply being plugged into a normal power socket, and the company’s specially designed battery system allows users to choose if they want directly to power their household devices, or save the energy to use when it is needed most.

‘Our products are all designed with a DIY aspect in mind in order for anyone to be able to simply hang it on the balcony, plug it into a power socket, and that’s it,’ says Karolina, adding: ‘In an average apartment, our solution, working at full production capacity, can reduce electricity bills by up to 25% and save up to 600 kilograms of CO₂ per year.’

An app tracks how much solar power has been produced and also shows consumers their CO₂ savings in real time.

‘The spark for WeDoSolar was ignited by a personal desire to use solar energy in my own apartment,’ Karolina recalls.

With soaring energy prices, the first balcony solar kits sold out instantly. The start-up had expected it might have 3 000 customers within the first year, but saw nearly as much demand in the first month alone. WeDoSolar now supplies to 24 EU countries.

Throughout her journey, Karolina has fought to overcome gender bias.

‘I faced heightened scrutiny while raising funds for the business. The demand for more concrete proof of success, rather than the presentation of a vision, starkly highlighted the gender biases at play. It’s an unfortunate reality that women in leadership are often held to different standards than their male counterparts.’

Her experience has spurred her to work with students at various universities, with a particular focus on encouraging women to participate in the clean energy field and a mission to promote diversity and inclusion in the sector.

Looking ahead, Karolina is expanding her range of solar solutions.

‘We’re expanding our product range to cater to a wider audience, including single-family households, community power projects, smart battery solutions and even innovative solutions like solar window stickers for those without balconies. Our aim is to revolutionise the solar market with products that are not only groundbreaking but also user-friendly and easy to install.’

Karolina Attspodina is one of three finalists shortlisted for the European Sustainable Energy Awards 2024 in the Woman in Energy category. The award recognises women who lead outstanding activities that, if replicated, help to advance the clean energy transition in Europe. Particular attention is placed on efforts to drive the gender mainstreaming agenda and support equality and equal opportunities in the energy sector. The other finalists are Rita Gomes from Portugal, and Françoise Réfabert from France.

Françoise has developed an innovative vision to provide accessible financing for home energy renovations. Rita has launched a start-up that pioneers the use of renewable energy solutions in household objects.

EUSEW Awards ​celebrate Europe’s best clean energy projects and leaders 

The ​ European Sustainable Energy Awards ​ (EUSEW Awards) recognise outstanding individuals and projects for their innovation and efforts in energy efficiency and renewables. The nine finalists have been selected by a high-level jury in three categories: Innovation, Local Energy Action, and Woman in Energy. The finalists will be submitted to an online public vote, which is open now until 2 June, and the winners will be announced during the EUSEW Awards Ceremony in June 2024. ​ 

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EUSEW 2024 

European Sustainable Energy Week (EUSEW), the​ biggest annual event dedicated to renewables and efficient energy use in Europe, takes place on 11-13 June under the theme ‘Net-zero solutions for a competitive Europe’. The event will bring together public authorities, private companies, NGOs and consumers to promote initiatives accelerating decarbonisation through green technologies and solutions towards a fair and just transition for people and competitive businesses.

Registrations for onsite attendance in Brussels and online participation are now open. 

For interview requests with the EUSEW Awards finalists or additional media information, please contact ​ mediaeusew [dot] eu (media[at]eusew[dot]eu)