At the end of February, the Atmosfera company, which installs solar power plants, stopped all projects. The management at this time transported employees to safe places and rescued equipment that ended up in hot spots.
Against the background of the war, the team put on pause the main project of the year – opening the country’s first space for companies in the field of renewable energy and helping to develop it. On the eve of the winter holidays, Atmosfera signed a long-term contract for the lease of premises in Kyiv and paid an advance.
For two months, the company thought about whether to launch the project. But in the end, with the support of the owner of the premises, they decided to open the space, in particular to support the industry and those entrepreneurs who lost their offices due to the war. In a partnership project with Atmosfera, ITC.ua asked the founder and CEO of the company Oleksiy Badika how much money he invested in Atmosfera NRG.space , how the space will help the industry and why the company does not plan to make money on this project.
From creating a “million solar roofs” to opening a coworking space
Atmosfera was founded 15 years ago. During this time, the company has launched more than 12 thousand solar stations throughout the country. In 2015, Alexey Badika realized that it is impossible to scale in a market where there are not enough players. And he formed a new business strategy: to develop the renewable energy industry in order to grow with it.
“There are large players on the market that are engaged in industrial solar energy,” says Alexey. – We mainly build small stations for the needs of enterprises or private households. There are only a few powerful players in this sector and that is what we are aiming to develop.”
First, he suggested that his colleagues build “a million solar roofs” in Ukraine, so that every fifth house would have a solar station. The ambitious goal was supported by many companies, but they never crossed that peak.
“We actively participated in the work of this initiative, but this was not enough,” recalls the founder of Atmosfera. – We met when there was an information occasion. And I would like to have a space where we could work together. To work together to create a visionary picture of the future of renewable energy and spread it further in the market.” There were no such spaces in Ukraine, so Alexey and his team decided to create it on their own.
The idea was this: to bring together equipment manufacturers, international and public organizations, training centers, and architectural bureaus under one roof. To exchange experience, ideas, resources, create new projects faster and thus change the energy of the country together. And at the same time save on office rent.
“The uniqueness of Atmosfera NRG.space lies in its mission. This is not coworking as a business model, we do not plan to make money on the project in the near future, – notes Alexey. – We focused on creating value for residents. In the conditions of a common space, initiatives can arise that have not been possible in our market until now. Actually, this is in line with the mission of our company: gaining energy freedom.”
You can learn more about Atmosfera NRG.space here .
We’ve been looking for the perfect place for over a year.
The search for the premises began at the end of 2020. First, they looked at the left bank of Kiev, where most of the Atmosfera employees live. The team was also planned to be placed in a new space.
Looked at a bunch of options, but always something was wrong. In the end, we decided to look at the premises on the right bank. “For some colleagues, this was a surprise,” says Aleksey Badika. – I explained that we have many partners who work on the right bank, and we must think about their interests, even sacrificing our own convenience. Everyone agreed with that.”
The stars converged on the space in the Europassage business center, not far from the Olimpiyskaya metro station. The team fell in love with a cozy patio with a fountain and greenery. Also in the business center there are four cafes, a gym, a beauty salon, parking for 450 parking spaces with chargers for electric vehicles.
“Through the window, I saw a solar power plant on the roof of the parking lot, which belonged to one of the tenants of the business center,” recalls Aleksey. “And who built it?” I ask. Here my employees say: “This is how our company did.” It was a little inconvenient that I didn’t get my bearings. In general, this has become another advantage: we can show the work that saves our clients a million hryvnias a year.”
Alexei signed a long-term lease and paid hundreds of thousands of euros in advance. After that, the team went on winter break. It was planned to start the renovation at the end of February, and the opening of the space was to take place in early summer.
Unprofitable project against the backdrop of insane losses
With the outbreak of war, work on the project was suspended. The company had insane losses, work dropped to zero. For two months, the management took care of the safety of the team, tried to save the equipment and keep the company afloat. Fortunately, all colleagues remained alive and well, but Atmosfera lost its office in Kherson.
In April, business began to resume, but it was only 30% of the volume of the previous year. It was necessary to decide something with the space: either continue the project, or try to return part of the advance.
“Obviously, this is a gamble, but we have already pledged to implement the project,” says Aleksey Badika. “Yeah, it’s not about money anymore. We felt that other companies needed support.
They just don’t have the budget to rent a room.”
Near the Europassage there is an underground parking, which now serves as a bomb shelter. It is a couple of minutes walk to it, so the issue of the safety of future residents was resolved automatically.
When Aleksey decided to extend the project, the team hardly slept for several days: they thought about how to optimize costs, how to attract residents. Ideas began to be discussed at four in the morning. The owner of Europassage supported the team and agreed to revise some of the terms of the contract.
Studio for filming, themed events and 8 sq. m per person
Atmosfera NRG.space has two levels. On the first floor there is a large flowerpot with a living tree. The standard practice in Kyiv co-working spaces is to allocate 5 sq. m per person, but Aleksey and his team decided to keep a sense of space, so they have more than 8 sq. m per person. m.
“ The space is designed for 200 jobs. Of these, 50 will be occupied by the team of the central office of Atmosfera, – says Alexey. “But we have the potential, we can accommodate up to 250 people.”
There are separate offices, where three to 20 people can work, and three open spaces: a loud zone, a quiet zone and a large space for communication. There are also lounge areas, game areas, an area with printing and scanning equipment, a library, a flexible lecture hall that can accommodate more than 50 people. Of course, kitchen and toilets with showers. During the day, you can move around: choose a place in any area, by the window, in the kitchen, in the lounge.
Residents of Atmosfera NRG.space have options for active and passive recreation. You can play table tennis or a console in a bean bag, or you can retire and take a nap in a separate room with a couch.
Among the features of Atmosfera NRG.space is a convenient studio for shooting photos and videos. Residents will be able to work there for free for at least two hours a month.
Since the goal of the project is to develop the community , the space will regularly host events dedicated to renewable energy. The speakers will be invited partners, engineers of “Atmosfera” and the residents themselves. Manufacturers Huawei, Fronius, Sungrow are already ready to share their experience. They confirmed that they will regularly visit Atmosfera NRG.space to communicate with everyone.
In addition to the core team, they plan to pay attention to other topics, such as personal development or popular science lectures.
Opening of the Kyiv space – September 23. Now Atmosfera NRG.space already has several residents.
You can learn about the advantages and features of the Atmosfera NRG.space space on the website .
Prices from $225 per month – but only for colleagues
Recently, Alexey met one of the Kherson partners on the street, to whom Atmosfera sold solar panels. He said that all the equipment of the company fell into the hands of the invaders. Alexey invited a colleague to a new space so that his business could continue to work in the Kyiv region.
If companies from the renewable energy industry have lost their offices due to the war, by the end of the year they are ready to be placed in Atmosfera NRG.space at a price below cost.
This could be a lifesaver from closure. “We tell them: “Just keep working, don’t stop,” says Aleksey.
Tariffs in Atmosfera NRG.space, even without benefits, are lower than in other Kyiv co-workings of a similar level. Shared space costs $225 per month. The cost of individual offices – from $ 840 for three workplaces. Renting a room for a team with 20 employees – $ 4.8 thousand.
With the Flex plan, you can pay only for visiting days: $12 on a weekday or $5 on a weekend, but not less than $90 per month. You can also use the space any five days a month, and then one day will cost $15.
The price includes utility bills, cleaning, security, reception, lecture hall, printing, tea and coffee. “Such conditions are available only to those residents who will add value to all other participants,” notes Aleksey Badika. “A company that is not related to our industry simply cannot enter the space.”
The team estimates that there are about 7,000 professionals working in the industry. And if you add people from related fields – financiers, lawyers, geologists, consultants, the figure will grow to 20-30 thousand. All of them are potential residents of Atmosfera NRG.space and can share their experience and resources. For example, an investment company is not a player in the renewable energy market, but can finance projects of large-scale solar power plants. The same goes for insurance companies. Also in the space will be welcome startups that develop solutions for environmental protection, specialists in electric transport infrastructure or other “green” topics.
Alexey does not plan to raise prices at least until the end of 2023 – he is not interested in coworking as a business. “We believe that with the new opportunities, each of the residents, in particular Atmosfera , will be able to create much more value for their customers and other residents,” he says. “This will allow us to earn more than any co-working space earns.”
If the project is successful, the team is ready to build a network of spaces in six cities of Ukraine where Atmosfera has offices.
You can view the rates and become a resident here .
Time of opportunity and change
Aleksey would like all Ukrainian houses and social facilities to have alternative energy sources. Since the beginning of the war, this problem has become very relevant. Also, some people fundamentally do not want to buy gas.
“The residents of our space will help create the basis for changes in the energy sector for the next five years,” the founder of Atmosfera is convinced. – It is completely impossible to change energy quickly – this is a big colossus. But laying down the right mechanisms, working with legislators so that they pass laws that will help the energy industry develop – we can do this.”
Oleksiy believes that thanks to the joint efforts of Atmosfera NRG.space residents, the renewable energy industry in Ukraine can become one of the most innovative and efficient in Europe. As unique as our banking system, delivery services or the Diya service.
Become a resident of Atmosfera NRG.space
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