Abstract

Changes in recent years have resulted in an increase in the ways in which renewable energy is used and shared in total electricity generation. Each type of renewable energy is characterised by its uniqueness of the physical specificity and, therefore, differences in technological solutions. In this study, one of the methods of multidimensional comparative analysis (WAP)—Hellwig’s taxonomic measure of development—was used to assess the level of development of electricity production from renewable sources. Twenty-eight countries were surveyed, including 27 countries of the current European Union and the United Kingdom. Panel models were used to describe the relationship between the share of electricity production from RES in total electricity production and GDP per capita, public spending by countries on energy as a percentage of GDP as well as electricity production from water, wind, solar, and biogas per capita. The presented synthetic measures confirmed the more favourable situation of the rich northern EU countries in the production of electricity from renewable sources (solar, wind, hydro, and bio), at the same time highlighting problems with the greening of electricity production in a large group of the new EU member states. The panel study confirmed the importance of differences in economic potential and wealth between EU countries for the development of the use of RES for electricity production.

Highlights

  • IntroductionThe supply of energy from renewable sources (i.e., hydro, solar, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, biomass, and others) is a fundamental element of any country’s energy strategy and is driven by the concern for the local and global environment, as well as for energy security and sustainable development

  • The supply of energy from renewable sources is a fundamental element of any country’s energy strategy and is driven by the concern for the local and global environment, as well as for energy security and sustainable development

  • The aim of this paper is to present the use of renewable sources in electricity production in Poland and compare it with other European Union countries in selected years

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Summary

Introduction

The supply of energy from renewable sources (i.e., hydro, solar, photovoltaic, wind, geothermal, biomass, and others) is a fundamental element of any country’s energy strategy and is driven by the concern for the local and global environment, as well as for energy security and sustainable development. Changes in recent years have resulted in an increase in the ways in which renewable energy is used and shared in total electricity generation. This change has been facilitated by environmental investments, market trends, appropriate policies (support for technology development), changes in legal regulations as well as business opportunities. Renewable energy helps secure national resources, mitigate pollution and climate change, and provides cost-effective services [1].

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