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Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy

A special issue of Energies (ISSN 1996-1073). This special issue belongs to the section "C: Energy Economics and Policy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (10 June 2023) | Viewed by 48176

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Elżbieta Szymańska

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Warsaw University of Life Science - SGGW, Institute of Economics and Finance, Department of Logistics, 02-787 Warsaw, Poland
Interests: efficiency and competitiveness of enterprises, agricultural markets, economics and organization of farms, food supply chains, investments, renewable energy sources, biofuels, waste management, sustainable development

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Along with economic and technological development, the demand for energy is increasing. At the same time, fossil fuel resources are being depleted and their exploitation harms the environment. In this situation, the way to solve energy problems is rational energy management and obtaining energy from renewable sources. Renewable energy sources (wind, solar, hydroelectric, ocean energy, geothermal energy, biomass and biofuels) differ from fossil fuels in their diversity, abundance and potential to be used anywhere in the world without harming the environment. The increase in the share of renewable energy sources in the world's fuel and energy balance contributes to the increased efficiency in the use and saving of energy resources, improvements in the condition of the environment through the reduction of pollution to the atmosphere and water, and the reduction in the amount of waste generated. Renewable energy stimulates economic and social development at the regional and local levels. Companies investing in green energy introduce new technologies, create local labour markets and strengthen the service market, contributing directly to the increase in the innovation of a given territorial unit, promotion of its image and, as a result, the local development. Therefore, supporting the development of renewable energy sources is becoming an increasingly serious challenge for all countries in the world. The basis for their development is appropriate energy policies and legal regulations. Due to the importance of these issues, I invite you to contribute.

The aim of this Special Issue is to identify the economic conditions and effects of the use of renewable energy sources, and the directions of emerging energy policies at the level of countries, territorial units and enterprises.

Dr. Elżbieta Szymańska
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Energies is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • renewable energy sources
  • solar energy
  • wind energy
  • hydropower
  • geothermal energy
  • biomass
  • energy policy
  • legal regulations
  • enterprises
  • investments
  • economic assessment
  • installations
  • costs and benefits
  • impact on the environment
  • agriculture
  • local development

Published Papers (18 papers)

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24 pages, 1134 KiB  
Article
Energy Intensity of Food Industry Production in Poland in the Process of Energy Transformation
by Elżbieta Jadwiga Szymańska and Robert Mroczek
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1843; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16041843 - 13 Feb 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1586
Abstract
The aim of this study was to assess the energy consumption of production in selected branches of the food industry in Poland and to identify its changes after Poland’s accession to the EU. This issue is particularly important in the period of energy [...] Read more.
The aim of this study was to assess the energy consumption of production in selected branches of the food industry in Poland and to identify its changes after Poland’s accession to the EU. This issue is particularly important in the period of energy transformation and soaring energy prices. The novelty of this article is the determination of changes in the energy efficiency of various branches of the food industry. The main source of data was mass statistics data and unpublished data from the Central Statistical Office for 2004–2020. Descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and strategic group mapping were used in the data analysis. The research shows that the production of foodstuffs is one of the most energy-intensive processing sectors. This results, among others, from many active enterprises in this sector and a large variety of industries. Individual food-processing industries are characterized by large differences in the energy consumption of production, which determines the different levels of electricity costs and affects the competitiveness of enterprises. In 2004–2019, the average electricity consumption in the food industry in Poland decreased by 31.5%. A greater increase in the value of sold production compensated for the higher energy consumption. This indicates an improvement in production efficiency and contributes to greater environmental protection. In the food sector, simple comparative advantages disappear in the form of lower production costs. This situation encourages processing companies to look for energy savings. The research results can be useful not only in Poland but also in other countries in shaping economic policy. The energy crisis caused by the war in Ukraine may require different actions to be taken against various sectors of the food industry. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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23 pages, 3533 KiB  
Article
Households’ Energy Transformation in the Face of the Energy Crisis
by Elżbieta Jadwiga Szymańska, Maria Kubacka and Jan Polaszczyk
Energies 2023, 16(1), 466; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16010466 - 01 Jan 2023
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2027
Abstract
The purpose of conducted research was to recognize factors determining households’ Energy transition and barriers that slow that process. Energy transition itself, understood as a shift in the structure of fuels used in energy production and technological changes related to its use, are [...] Read more.
The purpose of conducted research was to recognize factors determining households’ Energy transition and barriers that slow that process. Energy transition itself, understood as a shift in the structure of fuels used in energy production and technological changes related to its use, are key elements of shaping the economy. It was determined to what extent existing household renewable energy installations meet the energy needs of their residents and what factors encourage their installation. In addition, barriers limiting energy transition as perceived by household members were identified. The research used data from the EUROSTAT and the results of surveys conducted using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview) and PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview) techniques among households in Poland. The methods of descriptive statistics, the chi-square test of independence, the Kruskal–Wallis ANOVA test, the Mann–Whitney U test and logistic regression were used to analyze the research results. The analyses show that fossil fuels dominate in energy production in Poland. The share of renewable energy sources in the gross final energy consumption in 2020 was 16.1%. Their structure is dominated by photovoltaic installations with a share of 52%. Further increase in energy prices and fears of interruptions in energy supplies will favor the further increase in the number of installations for renewable energy sources. According to the respondents, the energy efficiency has a significant impact on the quality of life and environment, but the main barriers to its development include financial constraints of households. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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22 pages, 1615 KiB  
Article
Determinants of Return-on-Equity (ROE) of Biogas Plants Operating in Poland
by Dariusz Kusz, Iwona Bąk, Beata Szczecińska, Ludwik Wicki and Bożena Kusz
Energies 2023, 16(1), 31; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16010031 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2212
Abstract
Poland has a large potential for biogas production from agricultural sources and food waste. This potential is still poorly used. There are many reasons for this state of affairs. We can indicate both the policy of the state towards renewable energy sources (RES) [...] Read more.
Poland has a large potential for biogas production from agricultural sources and food waste. This potential is still poorly used. There are many reasons for this state of affairs. We can indicate both the policy of the state towards renewable energy sources (RES) with a small amount of energy from biogas contracted at auctions, investment risk, and especially low return on investment in the absence of investment support. An important reason is also the limited state budget. The purpose of this work was to determine the endogenous factors that determine ROE, the direction of the impact of these factors, as well as the strategy of biogas plants in shaping the ROE level. The DuPont model was used in the analysis of ROE changes. We used the deviation method to determine the impact of the various factors on ROE. Against the background of the energy sector in Poland, the value of ROE in the examined biogas plants should be considered satisfactory, and in 2020 it was, on average, 13.9%. The decrease from 17.2% in 2019 occurred despite the increase in energy prices and the increase in the net profit margin (NPM). It resulted from the reduction of ROE’s financial leverage through external capital. A high level of debt characterized the examined biogas plants, and the pursuit of risk reduction and debt reduction negatively impacts on ROE. This may indicate the need for state investment support at the plant construction stage or low-interest investment loans to develop biogas plants. In addition, using only price guarantees under the feed-in tariffs, with dynamic changes in costs, may bring the industry a relatively high investment risk compared to other RES, where the operational costs during the lifetime are low, as it is in PV or wind systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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24 pages, 5778 KiB  
Article
Analysis of Residential Buildings in Poland for Potential Energy Renovation toward Zero-Emission Construction
by Elżbieta Jadwiga Szymańska, Maria Kubacka, Joanna Woźniak and Jan Polaszczyk
Energies 2022, 15(24), 9327; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15249327 - 09 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1700
Abstract
The aim of the study was to identify the state of residential buildings in terms of energy consumption and modernisation in Poland against the background of the EU, and to determine factors and activities increasing households′ interest in net-zero energy buildings. In the [...] Read more.
The aim of the study was to identify the state of residential buildings in terms of energy consumption and modernisation in Poland against the background of the EU, and to determine factors and activities increasing households′ interest in net-zero energy buildings. In the European Union, we are observing a tendency to increase the energy efficiency of buildings, including residential, and decarbonise building stock by 2050. The objective of the undertaken activities is to reduce energy use and the negative impacts of the use of buildings on the environment. Attaining this objective requires modernising many buildings. This dissertation includes an investigation into the condition of buildings in Poland from the aspect of energy use and the kind of carriers of this energy, and also into another issue: what factors and activities may increase society′s interest in net-zero energy buildings, and in the use of energy from renewable sources in residential buildings. The studies were conducted with the use of the data provided by the Central Statistical Office and EUROSTAT, and also of the reports of the European Commission, the data of the Central Emission Register of Buildings (CERB) and the Odysse–Mure database. An important source of information was also surveys conducted with the application of CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interview), and also of PAPI (Paper and Pencil Interview), among 387 households in Poland. For the purpose of analysing the results of the studies, the methods of descriptive statistics, the chi-square test of independence, the ANOVA test of Kruskal–Wallis and the Mann–Whitney U-test were used. The analysis gives rise to the conclusion that, in residential buildings, household′s annual primary energy demand is dependent on the year in which a building was commissioned. Newer buildings can boast smaller heat energy use. Simultaneously, ever more households are undertaking activities that will result in the thermal modernisation of residential buildings. The studies have shown that the development of net-zero energy buildings requires undertaking activities in the scope of introducing allowances and subsidies, and also increasing social awareness in the scope of this kind of building. Interest in buildings using solely renewable energy sources is contributed to by raising energy prices, and also the falling prices of required installations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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17 pages, 1491 KiB  
Article
Challenges of Energy Management in the Food Industry in Poland in the Context of the Objectives of the European Green Deal and the “Farm to Fork” Strategy
by Iwona Szczepaniak and Piotr Szajner
Energies 2022, 15(23), 9090; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15239090 - 30 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1523
Abstract
The Common Agricultural Policy defines the framework directions for the structural changes of the agri-food sector until 2030. The main reason for the actions is a fundamental change in the European Union’s approach to environmental protection issues and the dynamically changing conditions on [...] Read more.
The Common Agricultural Policy defines the framework directions for the structural changes of the agri-food sector until 2030. The main reason for the actions is a fundamental change in the European Union’s approach to environmental protection issues and the dynamically changing conditions on the market for energy and agricultural raw materials. The European Green Deal, the key element of which is the “Farm to Fork” strategy, is the expression of the announced changes. The assumption of the documents is the long-term restructuring and modernization of the EU economy, which will be characterized, among others, by a closed cycle, low greenhouse gas emissions, and food and energy security. The challenges and the current situation in the markets of energy carriers are of significance in the activities of the food industry, which shows a high demand for energy. The aim of the article is to assess the level of consumption and energy efficiency of food industry enterprises in Poland, to identify challenges related to energy management and to formulate conclusions and recommendations in the field of changes adapting to the new conditions. The research results indicate that many positive changes took place in the energy economy of Polish food industry enterprises, among others, as a result of the implemented investments, the energy consumption of production, CO2 emissions and the amount of generated waste decreased. Due to unfavorable external conditions, it is necessary, however, to further improve the energy efficiency of enterprises, so that they can maintain cost competitiveness and meet the growing requirements in the field of environmental protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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16 pages, 1740 KiB  
Article
Heat Pump Installation in Public Buildings: Savings and Environmental Benefits in Underserved Rural Areas
by Piotr Gradziuk, Aleksandra Siudek, Anna M. Klepacka, Wojciech J. Florkowski, Anna Trocewicz and Iryna Skorokhod
Energies 2022, 15(21), 7903; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15217903 - 25 Oct 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1638
Abstract
Heat pump technology offers a path towards reducing the use of fossil fuels to heat space, providing energy bill savings and reducing air pollution and GHG emissions. The choice of heating method is based on costs; hence, this study examines the gains from [...] Read more.
Heat pump technology offers a path towards reducing the use of fossil fuels to heat space, providing energy bill savings and reducing air pollution and GHG emissions. The choice of heating method is based on costs; hence, this study examines the gains from operating heat pump systems in public buildings as well as alternative systems using electricity, LPG, and heating oil. The study focuses on the Ruda-Huta municipality in Poland that, as is common in rural areas, lacks access to a district heating system or piped gas. The empirical analysis includes heat pump installations in eight municipal buildings. The study found that the use of ground source heat pumps proved competitive with existing heating systems in terms of payback time. Calculations for three heating energy source scenarios, i.e., electricity, LPG, and heating oil, used the Simple Pay Back Time (SPBT) and the Levelized Cost of Heat (LCOH) methods and the average prices of the three energy types for the period 2012–2021. The payback period calculations disregarded the EU subsidies for heating systems utilizing renewable energy sources (RES). The payback time for electric, LPG, and heating oil were, respectively, 6.7–7.8 years, 4.1–6.1 years, and 6.7–6.9 years. Much larger spreads favoring heat pumps were calculated using the LCOH, and the costs in the case of electric heating were nearly three times higher and doubled when using heating oil and LPG. The gains from investing in heat pump systems have been offset by the increase in electricity, LPH, and heating oil prices, which have been predicted to continue to increase in the foreseeable future supporting the use of heat pumps in rural areas lacking access to, for example, district heating systems. The switch to heat pumps reduced local air pollution by eliminating the burning of fossil fuels to heat space in public buildings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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39 pages, 6751 KiB  
Article
Re-Defining System LCOE: Costs and Values of Power Sources
by Yuhji Matsuo
Energies 2022, 15(18), 6845; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15186845 - 19 Sep 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3169
Abstract
The mass introduction of variable renewable energies, including wind and solar photovoltaic, leads to additional costs caused by the intermittency. Many recent studies have addressed these “integration costs,” and proposed novel metrics that replace the traditional metric known as the levelized cost of [...] Read more.
The mass introduction of variable renewable energies, including wind and solar photovoltaic, leads to additional costs caused by the intermittency. Many recent studies have addressed these “integration costs,” and proposed novel metrics that replace the traditional metric known as the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). However, the policy relevance of those metrics remains unclear. In this study, the author investigates and re-defines the concept of system LCOE, referring to prior studies, and proposes concrete methods to estimate them. Average system LCOE allocates the integration cost to each power source, dividing that by the adjusted power output. Marginal system LCOE revises the concept of system LCOE and value-adjusted LCOE proposed by prior studies, to be clearer and more policy-relevant. These metrics are also applied to Japan’s power sector in 2050, suggesting the necessity of aiming for a “well-balanced energy mix” in future power systems with decarbonised power sources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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18 pages, 326 KiB  
Article
How the Use of Biomass for Green Energy and Waste Incineration Practice Will Affect GDP Growth in the Less Developed Countries of the EU (A Case Study with Visegrad and Balkan Countries)
by Shahjahan Ali, Shahnaj Akter, Prespa Ymeri and Csaba Fogarassy
Energies 2022, 15(7), 2308; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15072308 - 22 Mar 2022
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2485
Abstract
Combustible renewable energy can be an effective instrument to confirm sustainable development in reducing CO2 emissions to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in developing countries. However, connecting to some developing regions, the main research question is to what extent, in EU [...] Read more.
Combustible renewable energy can be an effective instrument to confirm sustainable development in reducing CO2 emissions to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita in developing countries. However, connecting to some developing regions, the main research question is to what extent, in EU post-communist fast-developing countries (Visegrad Countries/Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland), will meeting the climate change preferences affect the use of biomass for energy and waste incineration, and how will this affect GDP growth? In addition, of course, what the Balkan countries can learn from this is also very important. The study investigates the relationship between GDP per capita, CO2 emissions, and Combustible Energy and Waste Consumption (CEWC). According to the Hausman test, the regression model along with random effect is the appropriate method for panel-balanced data as of 2008 to 2020 concerning Balkan countries. The data was divided into three categories: 10 Balkan countries, 4 countries without access to the sea (Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Macedonia), and Visegrad countries. The study discovered a substantial positive influence of CEWC on GDP per capita and a significant negative influence of CO2 emissions. The cointegration test confirms the cointegration of all three variables. This means that all three variables have a long-term relationship concerning the sense of each three forms of the chosen panel. The Granger causality findings shows the variables have a two-way causative relationship. The biomass energy use can dramatically hamper GDP growth in Visegrad and less developed Balkan countries without sea water, due to low energy productivity and a lack of technical innovation. The study recommended that instead of using energy production from simple biomass, these countries can use other circular, platform-based models to prevent unexpected rises in CO2 emissions and achieve Green House Gas (GHG) reductions. Therefore, this should be given more attention when setting climate and renewable energy policy targets, because they can significantly slow down economic growth. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
8 pages, 650 KiB  
Article
Using Timber as a Renewable Resource for Energy Production in Sustainable Forest Management
by Jan Banaś and Katarzyna Utnik-Banaś
Energies 2022, 15(6), 2264; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15062264 - 20 Mar 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4780
Abstract
Using timber from multifunctional forests for energy production can be economically viable and environmentally friendly when it is consistent with the principles of sustainable management; otherwise, it could be harmful from both an ecological and commercial point of view. The objective of this [...] Read more.
Using timber from multifunctional forests for energy production can be economically viable and environmentally friendly when it is consistent with the principles of sustainable management; otherwise, it could be harmful from both an ecological and commercial point of view. The objective of this paper was to present the overall balance of timber biomass from felled trees in multifunctional forests and assess what kind and how much of this biomass can be used for energy purposes. The research material consisted of data on forest resources and the volume of timber removal in Polish State Forests in 2016–2020. The biomass of branches and stumps of felled trees was determined using biomass expansion factors (BEFs). The results obtained in this study indicated that industrial timber, energy wood, and biomass left in the forest as a source of deadwood are 67%, 20%, and 13% of the total woody biomass, respectively. The Polish State Forest’s potential for energy wood is estimated at 6.18 million tonnes of biomass annually. Total available energy produced from woody biomass amounted to 104.8 PJ y−1. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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29 pages, 2086 KiB  
Article
Energy Innovation of Polish Local Governments
by Sławomir Stec and Elżbieta Jadwiga Szymańska
Energies 2022, 15(4), 1414; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15041414 - 15 Feb 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1530
Abstract
The main aim of the research is to evaluate the innovativeness of Polish municipalities in the field of energy. The study was carried out as a part of the First National Competition for the Most Innovative Local Government in Poland, taking into account [...] Read more.
The main aim of the research is to evaluate the innovativeness of Polish municipalities in the field of energy. The study was carried out as a part of the First National Competition for the Most Innovative Local Government in Poland, taking into account the original method of assessing the innovativeness of local governments. From all over Poland, 30 communes participated in the research: 14 urban communes, 8 rural communes, and 8 urban–rural communes. The study analyzes the activities of municipalities in the field of energy-related construction and transport innovations and inventories innovative social campaigns in the area of climate and energy policy implementation. The second part of the article presents a case study of innovations recognized as exemplary. As a result of the conducted research, it was found that 50% of the surveyed local governments are innovative and the remaining are moderately innovative. No commune has been assigned to the non-innovative category. In terms of the type and size of the local government, it has been observed that smaller municipalities, mainly rural local governments, allocate much higher financial resources per capita to the implementation of modern solutions in the field of climate and energy policy implementation. In some cases, commune heads spend several times higher funds per capita than mayors and city presidents. The use of the developed innovation research method in practice may motivate local government authorities to increase innovative activities for energy transformation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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14 pages, 2992 KiB  
Article
Barriers for Renewable Energy Technologies Diffusion: Empirical Evidence from Finland and Poland
by Oskar Juszczyk, Juliusz Juszczyk, Sławomir Juszczyk and Josu Takala
Energies 2022, 15(2), 527; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15020527 - 12 Jan 2022
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 3492
Abstract
A harmful impact of climate change and global warming has concerned various sectors of the international community. Numerous energy policies aiming at climate change mitigation have been implemented on a national and global scale. Renewable energy technologies (RETs) play a critical role in [...] Read more.
A harmful impact of climate change and global warming has concerned various sectors of the international community. Numerous energy policies aiming at climate change mitigation have been implemented on a national and global scale. Renewable energy technologies (RETs) play a critical role in enhancing sustainable solutions that significantly limit greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Such innovative technologies can facilitate energy transition through providing, e.g., energy security, sustainable development, and effective usage of indigenous resources. However, the commercialization of RETs is extremely challenging. The barriers can be of a different nature, although this study focused on socioeconomic and regulatory issues. There is ample evidence that energy policies play a central role in supporting adoption of renewables. It is also claimed that RETs require the whole ecosystem to support their successful diffusion. In this study, we explored multifarious barriers for widespread RET diffusion in two European Union countries, Finland and Poland, indicating the most common barriers existing in the literature as well as analyzing major bottlenecks from the viewpoint of renewable energy companies’ executives. We also present statistics of the most commonly used RETs in these countries in order to express the diffusion issues more appropriately. The research shows that inflexible, ineffective, and excessive regulatory frameworks; limited financing options; as well as an insufficient level of societal awareness have been seen as the main bottlenecks for RET diffusion in both countries. The outcomes of this study provide useful insights for the researchers in the energy transition field as well as practical managerial and regulatory implications aimed at overcoming these challenges. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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20 pages, 2710 KiB  
Article
Renewable Energy Sources as the Future of the Energy Sector and Climate in Poland—Truth or Myth in the Opinion of the Society
by Marian Woźniak, Aleksandra Badora, Krzysztof Kud and Leszek Woźniak
Energies 2022, 15(1), 45; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15010045 - 22 Dec 2021
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3139
Abstract
The electricity sector in the 21st century should be associated with renewable energy sources (RES), which the majority of society currently equates with solar photovoltaics, wind power, and hydroelectricity, with this energy being used mainly in households. Households consume only 20% of energy, [...] Read more.
The electricity sector in the 21st century should be associated with renewable energy sources (RES), which the majority of society currently equates with solar photovoltaics, wind power, and hydroelectricity, with this energy being used mainly in households. Households consume only 20% of energy, with the remainder used in various sectors of the national economy. In these sectors, the possibilities of using renewable energy sources should be sought. Many experts express the opinion that myths about renewable energy sources exist only “in our minds and opinions, that we formed years ago”, mainly under pressure from the decreasing number of supporters of conventional energy sources. Currently, we observe much greater possibilities of using renewable energy sources globally, and all forecasts suggest that—by 2050—the economy, transport, and industry may become almost emission-free and rely on RES. Of course, we cannot present renewable energy sources only in terms of superlatives, because they also involve many unknowns and myths which we will present in the article. Considering the complexity of factors influencing the involvement of young people in shaping the socio-economic reality, a group of people aged between 18 and 40 was selected for the study. The aim of this study was to identify the attitudes of young inhabitants of south-eastern Poland regarding the issues of climate change and renewable energy, and to identify the level of acceptance for changes in Poland’s energy mix. The conducted research shows that the studied group of people appreciated the importance of climate change and considered the anthropogenic impact on this phenomenon to be of key importance. The perception of renewable energy was positive, and respondents saw the solution to the problems of the energy deficit in increasing the use of renewable energy sources. Respondents also showed significant support for nuclear energy and expected government support programs for activities related to energy conservation. The survey shall be repeated on a random sample at the time when the energy price changes caused by the transformation of the energy mix occur—i.e., around 2025. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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10 pages, 394 KiB  
Article
Risk Factors in a Logistics Company Using Renewable Energy Sources
by Julia Giera and Ewa Kulińska
Energies 2021, 14(23), 8152; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14238152 - 05 Dec 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1655
Abstract
Investment in renewable energy sources by logistics companies has become commonplace. Organizations decide to invest in renewable energy sources not only for economic or environmental reasons, but because it is also prestigious for them. The aim of this article is to present the [...] Read more.
Investment in renewable energy sources by logistics companies has become commonplace. Organizations decide to invest in renewable energy sources not only for economic or environmental reasons, but because it is also prestigious for them. The aim of this article is to present the possible risk factors for a logistics company that uses or wants to implement renewable energy sources. This study identified individual risk factors and control mechanisms to reduce the likelihood of a particular risk factor occurring. In this article, the research methodology used is risk management through implementing a diagram of the risk-related decision-making processes of logistics companies around renewable energy sources. The analysis of the risk factors of renewable energy sources is an important element in assessing their effectiveness. By implementing the procedure of selecting an appropriate renewable energy source by logistic entities and implementing an element of risk management, there will be a significant positive impact on the optimal selection of a renewable energy source by enterprises. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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20 pages, 2889 KiB  
Article
Valuation of Distributed Wind in an Isolated System
by Sarah Barrows, Kendall Mongird, Brian Naughton and Rachid Darbali-Zamora
Energies 2021, 14(21), 6956; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14216956 - 22 Oct 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3354
Abstract
Remote communities are increasingly adopting renewable energy, such as wind, as they transition away from diesel energy generation. It is important to understand the benefits and costs of wind energy to isolated systems so that decision-makers can optimize their choices in these communities. [...] Read more.
Remote communities are increasingly adopting renewable energy, such as wind, as they transition away from diesel energy generation. It is important to understand the benefits and costs of wind energy to isolated systems so that decision-makers can optimize their choices in these communities. There are few examples of valuation of wind energy as a distributed resource and numerous differences in valuation approaches, especially in the inclusion of environmental and economic impacts. We apply a distributed wind valuation framework to calculate the benefits and costs of wind in St. Mary’s, Alaska, to the local electric cooperative and to society, finding that the project does not have a favorable benefit-to-cost ratio unless societal benefits are included, in which case the benefit-to-cost ratio is nearly double. Government funding is important to reducing the initial capital expenditures of this wind project and will likely be the case for projects with similar characteristics. Additional fuel savings benefits are potentially possible for this project through technological additions such as energy storage and advanced controls. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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21 pages, 2482 KiB  
Article
Driving Factors for the Spatiotemporal Heterogeneity in Technical Efficiency of China’s New Energy Industry
by Hongli Liu, Xiaoyu Yan, Jinhua Cheng, Jun Zhang and Yan Bu
Energies 2021, 14(14), 4151; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en14144151 - 09 Jul 2021
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2046
Abstract
The new energy industry (NEI) is key to achieving a clean and low-carbon economy. Improving its technical efficiency, a factor reflecting the ability of an enterprise or industry to produce maximum economic outputs from a given set of inputs and production technologies, is [...] Read more.
The new energy industry (NEI) is key to achieving a clean and low-carbon economy. Improving its technical efficiency, a factor reflecting the ability of an enterprise or industry to produce maximum economic outputs from a given set of inputs and production technologies, is vital for the healthy development of the NEI. Nevertheless, due to the fragmentation of industry data, it is still difficult to accurately measure the technical efficiency of China’s NEI and understand the driving factors behind it. Based on the panel data derived from 17,457 observations on new energy enterprises in 29 Chinese provinces during 1998 and 2013 (latest data available), this paper uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) for the first time to investigate the spatiotemporal characteristics and driving factors of the technical efficiency of China’s NEI. The results show that the technical efficiency of China’s NEI was relatively low and increased modestly from 0.44 in 1998 to 0.52 in 2013. Exploring the reasons from the perspective of spatiotemporal heterogeneity, we find that enterprise scale and technological progress are the major driving factors for increasing NEI’s technical efficiency. However, the role of economic development in improving efficiency has gradually disappeared. Moreover, the negative effect of state-owned enterprises on efficiency becomes increasingly obvious. The effect of new energy resources is negligible. Our main contribution is the technical efficiency of China’s NEI which is measured at the provincial level and its main driving factors are explored by considering spatiotemporal heterogeneity. Accordingly, we put forward some specific recommendations to improve the technical efficiency of China’s NEI. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 2829 KiB  
Review
Energy Policy for Agrivoltaics in Alberta Canada
by Uzair Jamil and Joshua M. Pearce
Energies 2023, 16(1), 53; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en16010053 - 21 Dec 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3949
Abstract
As Alberta increases conventional solar power generation, land-use conflicts with agriculture increase. A solution that enables low-carbon electricity generation and continued (in some cases, increased) agricultural output is the co-locating of solar photovoltaics (PV) and agriculture: agrivoltaics. This review analyzes policies that impact [...] Read more.
As Alberta increases conventional solar power generation, land-use conflicts with agriculture increase. A solution that enables low-carbon electricity generation and continued (in some cases, increased) agricultural output is the co-locating of solar photovoltaics (PV) and agriculture: agrivoltaics. This review analyzes policies that impact the growth of agrivoltaics in Alberta. Solar PV-based electricity generation is governed by three regulations based on system capacity. In addition, agrivoltaics falls under various legislations, frameworks, and guidelines for land utilization. These include the Land Use Framework, Alberta Land Stewardship Act, Municipal Government Act, Special Areas Disposition, Bill 22, and other policies, which are reviewed in the agrivoltaics context. Several policies are recommended to support the rapid deployment of agrivoltaics. Openly accessible agrivoltaics research will help optimize agrivoltaic systems for the region, and can be coupled with public education to galvanize social acceptability of large-scale PV deployment. Clearly defining and categorizing agrivoltaics technology, developing agrivoltaics standards, making agrivoltaics technology-friendly regulations and frameworks, and developing programs and policies to incentivize agrivoltaics deployment over conventional PV will all accelerate the technology’s deployment. Through these measures, Alberta can achieve conservation and sustainability in the food and energy sectors while simultaneously addressing their renewable energy and climate-related goals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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20 pages, 736 KiB  
Review
A Critical Review on the Estimation Techniques of the Solar PV Cell’s Unknown Parameters
by Papul Changmai, Sunil Deka, Shashank Kumar, Thanikanti Sudhakar Babu, Belqasem Aljafari and Benedetto Nastasi
Energies 2022, 15(19), 7212; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15197212 - 30 Sep 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1552
Abstract
To meet the exponentially growing demand for clean and green energy, the solar photovoltaic (PV) system’s importance is increasing day by day, for which PV modeling is considered to be one of the most important work in the current state-of-the-art methods. To effectively [...] Read more.
To meet the exponentially growing demand for clean and green energy, the solar photovoltaic (PV) system’s importance is increasing day by day, for which PV modeling is considered to be one of the most important work in the current state-of-the-art methods. To effectively model a PV system, accurate PV parameter estimation is of the utmost importance. In line with this, although the values of some of the parameters are provided in the manufacturer’s datasheet, the values of unknown parameters, such as shunt resistance, series resistance, the diode ideality factor, photo-generated current and diode saturation current, are not provided. To estimate these values a lot of algorithms are already reported in the literature. After careful observation of all the reported algorithms, a few best-reported algorithms are identified and their performances are compared with respect to accuracy, convergence issues, computational complexity and thermal stability. All kind of algorithms, such as numerical, analytical and evolutionary algorithms, are considered in this study, and only the best reported algorithms are considered for the comparison. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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17 pages, 656 KiB  
Review
The Concept of a Smart Village as an Innovative Way of Implementing Public Tasks in the Era of Instability on the Energy Market—Examples from Poland
by Łukasz Satoła and Anna Milewska
Energies 2022, 15(14), 5175; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/en15145175 - 17 Jul 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4153
Abstract
The last three years have been a period of many challenges related to the dynamically changing conditions of the economic environment. Among these many changes, some of the most important for the further functioning of private and public entities are those related to [...] Read more.
The last three years have been a period of many challenges related to the dynamically changing conditions of the economic environment. Among these many changes, some of the most important for the further functioning of private and public entities are those related to the instability of the energy market. Rapidly rising energy prices increase the costs of implementing public tasks. They also greatly increase the search for innovative, energy-saving and environmentally friendly ways of performing municipal tasks. The main aim of the article is to present the concept of a smart village as an instrument for the implementation of public tasks in rural areas. The theoretical basis of the smart village concept is the basic point of reference. The implementation of the assumptions of the smart village concept in Poland gives municipalities the possibility of an innovative approach to the implementation of local public services. In addition, examples of good practices implemented by rural local communities that can act as models for other groups of residents are also included. It was essential, from the point of view of measurable effects, to identify potential limitations and hazards in the implementation of the smart village concept, which may be identified in the outermost regions. Analysis and critical literature review were used to achieve the article’s goals. These methods are characteristic for review publications. At the beginning, we presented the theoretical foundations of the smart village concept. Secondly, we indicated how the smart village concept contributes to the improvement in public service delivery in rural areas. The authors demonstrated that there is no universal model for each unit. A smart village will implement solutions tailored to economic, social, cultural, and natural conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Policy and Economics Analysis of Renewable Energy Sources and Bioenergy)
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