Development Of Energy Networks Research Articles

Expectations of the Inhabitants of South-Eastern Poland Regarding the Energy Market, in the Context of the COVID-19 Crisis

The aim of this study was to determine the expectations of the inhabitants of south-eastern Poland in relation to the main trends emerging in the energy market, in a specific crisis situation resulting from the response to COVID-19. The time range of the research covered the period from March to December 2022, i.e., the time just after the official easing of the most drastic restrictions related to COVID-19 in Poland. The CAWI method was used in the study. Access to the survey form was granted to several dozen people, who invited other respondents to participate in the survey. A total of 732 questionnaires were collected, of which 637 were verified, meeting the research assumptions regarding the place of residence of the respondents. The study was correlational in nature, as it looked for relationships between the examined features, without the possibility of influencing the level of individual variables. As the study used non-probability sampling, the inferences apply only to the study group. Two research questions were formulated: (1) Did the COVID-19 crisis shape the expectations of the inhabitants of south-eastern Poland regarding the energy market, and were these expectations consistent with the policies of the state and the European Union? (2) Were perceptions of the energy market and social phenomena differentiated in terms of sex, place of residence, and type of heating in the respondent’s apartments? Statistical analyses of the collected material were performed using Statistica13.3 and MS Excel 19. The greatest support among respondents was recorded for the optimal use of the country’s own energy resources, and the development of energy networks, in conjunction with the expansion of its own energy potential, and improvement of energy efficiency. Respondents confirmed the need to increase the use of renewable energy sources. However, the EU trend of abandoning electricity production in nuclear power plants was not confirmed. This is also evidenced by Poland’s energy policy, which emphasizes the development of the nuclear energy market. Men were more positive than women about the implementation of nuclear energy in Poland. Women rated the development of RES use higher than men. Both women and men had a more positive attitude toward renewable energy than toward nuclear energy. Respondents living in rural areas assessed the development of RES higher and showed greater interest in increasing energy efficiency. The limitations of this study are that all the variables were measured simultaneously, so the study is cross-sectional, and additional attention may need to be paid to other causes of the studied phenomena.

Significance and Directions of Energy Development in African Countries

The development of energy networks and electrification is a major challenge in many African countries, which can contribute to reducing social inequalities. Energy, and above all electricity, is a decisive factor influencing the functioning of national governments. The power of governments in individual countries depends on the energy sector. Therefore, it is worth noting that during the presidential elections, candidates make many promises related to the improvement of the energy supply. The article shows, using the examples of Guinea, Ethiopia and Egypt, how politicians in the pre-election period use slogans related to the energy and development of the country. The innovative side of this article looks at how politicians keep their promises by using the energy sector and how they secure victory in the next election. The article linked the objective needs for the development of the energy sector resulting from the growing demand for energy with the motives of the decisions makers who want to maintain power through the implementation of new investments in the energy sector. The paper presents the results of research on the development of the energy sector and the motives for this development, explains how energy investments are realized, and discusses the environmental and social problems that arise when building huge hydropower stations.

ЕНЕРГОЕФЕКТИВНІСТЬ ВІДНОВЛЮВАНИХ ДЖЕРЕЛ ЕНЕРГІЇ: МОДЕРНІЗАЦІЙНІ ІНСТРУМЕНТИ ЗАБЕЗПЕЧЕННЯ ЕКОЛОГІЧНОЇ БЕЗПЕКИ ТА ІННОВАЦІЙНО-ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНОЇ АКТИВНОСТІ

The article examines the preconditions for the aggravation of environmental danger for Ukraine and the world as a whole, in particular in the context of the intensifying economic crisis. The long-term plans of the International Energy Agency to achieve “zero” carbon emissions by 2050 have been assessed. It was found that in order to ensure the growth of the world economy by the middle of the XXI century, it is necessary to increase energy efficiency, in particular in terms of active use of renewable energy sources. Energy efficient measures to ensure energy security of the urban agglomeration are summarized. In order to develop alternative energy sources, investments are needed in the energy sector (the annual share of investments in renewable sources in 2020 was 38%, which is $258.9 billion). Enhancement of energy efficiency and introduction of renewable energy sources should take place in the context of modernization of energy infrastructure of urban agglomerations: financing of technical re-equipment of energy assets, development of energy networks, reduction of energy intensity of industrial products, introduction of energy audit, etc. Ukraine has been ranked 8th in the world as one of the most attractive markets for renewable energy investment, but long-standing debt and incomplete energy market reform do not fully realize the potential (this is adversely affected by political mistakes, populist decisions, corruption and poor quality of energy management in Ukraine). It is proved that in the way of ecological safety creates barriers and a difficult situation with environmental protection, which significantly reduces the quality and comfort of life. It is proposed to create a strong environmental infrastructure in order to increase environmental security in the context of ensuring economic security; to introduce innovative ecological technologies; rationalize the processing of solid waste; to build modern waste processing plants, etc. Environmental legislation and governance in the field of energy policy is, unfortunately, a problematic area of current global change initiated by the EU to promote the use of environmentally friendly energy among EU member states.

ROAD MAP ON MODERNIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ENERGY SMART GRID: EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

Countries around the world are developing roadmaps for the modernization and development of energy networks in order to increase energy and economic efficiency, the introduction of tools for rational energy consumption, improving the reliability, sustainability and quality of electricity. At the same time, special interest is paid to the base of using innovative technologies and renewable energy sources. This article provides a bibliographic review of publications in the field of European experience in developing a roadmap for the modernization and development of energy grids. During the analysis, a selection of papers for 2010-2021 was selected from the Scopus® database, which contains bibliographic information about scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals, books and conferences.With the help of VOSviewer software were identified five clusters of research in the context of forming a roadmap for the modernization and development of energy grids. The first cluster is related to energy efficiency issues. This cluster has the most relationships with other clusters. The cluster contains key concepts such as roadmap, international roadmap technology and Smart Grid technology. The second cluster was formed on the basis of research on different types of energy resources. In the third cluster, most connections are found in terms of «sustainable development». The fourth cluster forms the key concepts related to energy policy and standardization. The fifth cluster includes energy development factors studied by developed countries. In turn, the article identifies the countries that are most interested in the deployment of the road map and the implementation of "Smart Grid" projects. Thus, the most actively studied this issue by such countries as Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Great Britain, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, France. According to the results of the database of the Center for Joint Research "Smart Electricity Systems and Interoperability", the implemented Smart Grid projects by EU countries were analyzed. The main tasks of the modern energy model are outlined.

Uncertainties in decarbonising heat in the UK

Heating is arguably one of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise in the UK's energy system. Meeting the 80% greenhouse gas emission reduction target by 2050 is likely to require that heat related emissions of CO2 from buildings are near zero by 2050, and there is a 70% reduction in emissions from industry (from 1990 levels). Though it is clear that the use of the natural gas network will reduce over time, recent modelling suggests a limited residual role for gas by 2050 to help meet peaks in heat demand. High levels of uncertainty about the way in which heat will be decarbonised present a number of challenges to policy makers. This paper will explore the risks and uncertainties associated with the transition to a low carbon heat system in the UK as outlined by the 4th carbon budget review. The potential impact of key uncertainties on the levelised costs of heat technologies and the development of energy networks are explored using a sensitivity analysis approach. Policy changes required to decarbonise the heat sector are also examined.