Promotion Of Renewable Energy Sources Research Articles

AIR QUALITY AND PUBLIC HEALTH: A REVIEW OF URBAN POLLUTION SOURCES AND MITIGATION MEASURES

Urbanization has led to unprecedented challenges in maintaining air quality, significantly impacting public health. This review delves into the diverse sources of urban pollution and explores effective mitigation measures to safeguard public well-being. The rising concentration of pollutants in urban areas, primarily attributed to industrial activities, vehicular emissions, and domestic energy consumption, poses a severe threat to the respiratory and cardiovascular health of urban populations. The review begins by examining the key sources of urban pollution, highlighting the complex interplay between anthropogenic activities and their cumulative impact on air quality. Industrial emissions, characterized by the release of particulate matter, volatile organic compounds, and hazardous chemicals, contribute significantly to urban air pollution. Likewise, the surge in vehicular traffic, fueled by rapid urbanization, introduces pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, further exacerbating the problem. To address these challenges, the review explores a spectrum of mitigation measures. Implementation of stringent emission standards for industries, adoption of cleaner technologies, and promotion of renewable energy sources emerge as critical strategies. Additionally, urban planning initiatives focusing on efficient public transportation systems, pedestrian-friendly infrastructure, and green spaces are examined as effective means to reduce vehicular emissions and enhance air quality. The review also underscores the importance of public awareness campaigns and community engagement in fostering a collective commitment to air quality improvement. Innovative technological solutions, such as air quality monitoring networks and real-time data analytics, are discussed as indispensable tools for informed decision-making and prompt intervention. This review synthesizes current knowledge on urban pollution sources and mitigation measures, emphasizing the urgent need for a multidimensional approach to protect public health. By comprehensively addressing the intricate web of pollution contributors and implementing proactive measures, urban environments can be transformed into healthier and sustainable spaces for all residents.
 Keywords: Air Quality, Public Health, Urban Pollution, Mitigation, Review.

State aid assessment for renewable energy support schemes: deconstructing the Guidelines on State aid for Climate, Environmental Protection and Energy, in view of the recent major crises.

State aid assessment for renewable energy support schemes: deconstructing the Guidelines on State aid for Climate, Environmental Protection and Energy, in view of the recent major crises.

Renewable energy sources as an element of increasing the level of EU energy security: legal aspect

Problem setting. The ever-increasing challenges to the European Union’s energy security, the steady increase in energy demand and the commitment to combat climate change make the promotion of renewable energy sources particularly relevant. The author of the article substantiates the thesis that currently the actualization of the use of ecologically clean energy sources already goes beyond the climatic context and has an economic and geopolitical basis. Analysis of recent researches and publications. In Ukraine and abroad, there is a rather illustrious list of scientists who worked on the study of the peculiarities of the regulation of ecologically oriented energy both in the whole world as a whole and in the EU in particular. They are specialists in international, environmental, climate law and EU law. S. Bilotsky, Ya. Benedyk, Yu. Shemshuchenko, Yu. Kogut, K. Huhta, S. Bruce, E. Grigorovic can be singled out separately. Of course, the given list is not exhaustive and contains only a few examples of scientists actively researching the issue of legal regulation of RES support in the European Union and the world. However, it is the actualization of the issue of expanding the use of RES that determines the need for further scientific research, in particular in the area of ensuring energy security in the EU. Purpose of the research is to study the EU regulatory framework in the field of ecologically oriented energy as an integral component of increasing the overall level of EU energy security in the context of modern geopolitical challenges, as well as its improvement after the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24, 2022, and the study of the results, which are obtained thanks to such normative transformations. The presentation of the main material of the article will relate to the justification of the need to increase the share of renewable energy sources in the energy use of the EU precisely after the start of a full-scale war between Ukraine and Russia. Article’s main body. The presentation of the main material of the article is primarily devoted to an overview of the modern legal regulation of the introduction of renewable energy sources in the EU, as well as to the justification of the importance and advantages of the transition to RES in the context of the modern geopolitical situation caused by the fullscale invasion of Russia into Ukraine and the main challenges arising in connection with this before the region. The author puts forward the thesis that one of the positive aspects of RES development will be the reduction of dependence on imported energy resources in general, and on Russian ones in particular. The problems of global implementation and mechanisms of RES implementation in the EU are briefly highlighted, emphasizing their positive effects. The author also highlights the list of measures necessary for the energy system to provide the EU member states with energy not from fossil fuels, but from ecologically clean sources that do not pollute the environment and do not affect climate change. The author emphasizes the need for active implementation and support of a policy focused on the development of RES, in order to ensure a sustainable, independent and ecologically clean energy future. Attention is drawn to mechanisms for financing and supporting projects aimed at the development of ecologically clean energy, which will allow the EU to cope with modern challenges in the energy sector. Conclusions and prospects for the development. The EU should focus its efforts on increasing the use of wind energy, solar energy, hydropower, geothermal energy and biomass (including peat) for the production of electricity and fuel, which should be based on the national energy strategies of the member states, taking full account of geographical, geological or climatic features, taking into account differences of each member state. Infrastructural compatibility and the development of innovative technologies in the energy sector should also become a priority of the EU member states. New technologies can help minimize the negative effects of climate change on the safety of citizens, and should also be taken into account in the design and operation of stations and networks that will run on renewable energy sources. In addition, it is necessary to ensure the arrival of significant public and private investments in the research and development of “green” technologies and alternative energy and the development of new capacities, in particular through the European Investment Bank and the European Structural Funds and the stimulation of sufficient investments from private donors.

Channelizing the importance of natural resources and renewable energy for financial development: Resources curse perspective for high growth countries

When focused on sustainable economic growth, NRR, and other factors, financial expansion is a crucial aspect that circles most variables; it is primarily concerned with financial development. The present research examines how natural resource rents, economic expansion, and financial expansion are intertwined in high-growth nations. From 1989 to 2021, the efficient contribution of renewable power production and technical improvement is also included. The research employed slope heterogeneity and the CD test, which is present when economies are present, and then used the CIPS test to assess the unit roots of the co-variates. The research examined long-term cointegration using Westerlund cointegration methodologies in addition to CD across economies. According to the findings, variables are stable at the difference and there is a long-term equilibrium among them. The non-parametric new MMQR technique was used to evaluate the main results, which show that NR has a curse in high-growth nations across all quantiles. GDP and technology advancements enhance financial development, however, renewable power production hurts it in high-growth nations. Additionally, the robustness check study is supported by parametric and non-parametric methods, including FMOLS and DOLS, as well as Quantile regression, which suggests that the robustness outputs are comparable to and valid for the innovative MMQR estimations. In light of the results, the report makes important policy recommendations to decision-makers for the responsible use of NR, economic expansion, promotion of renewable energy sources, and technical advancement for sound financial development.

Special Issue “Applications of Advanced Control and Optimization Paradigms in Renewable Energy Systems”

The increasing environmental damage caused by adversarial factors, a growing need for energy, the continued reliance on fossil fuels, which comes with rising costs, and the global push for net-zero emissions targets have drawn significant focus on the global promotion of renewable energy sources [...]

Power purchase agreements and sustainable energy development: an approximation to the Cuban legal system

Abstract Humanity since its origins as a species has depended on energy for its existence and development. The various energy crises that have occurred have had major negative impacts on both the economic and social spheres. The current worrying world energy situation, characterized by a constant increase in demand, polluting emissions and rising prices of energy, as well as an inevitable depletion of fossil fuels, has in recent years generated a general awareness of the need to develop sustainable energy solutions. Currently, the high dependence on foreign suppliers for energy imports has put the accessibility and affordability of energy at risk, and States have had to develop numerous initiatives to protect consumers from volatile energy prices. In this framework, widespread energy production through renewable energy sources and the use of Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) emerge as tools to achieve energy security and mitigate energy vulnerability and poverty. This research aims to contribute to this effort by making an approximation to the Cuban legal and institutional framework of PPAs. Cuba, in line with the current global energy context, is in search of energy sovereignty based on renewable energy sources. Throughout this article, it is intended to substantiate the need to regulate PPAs in the pursuit of sustainable energy development solutions. With the enactment of Decree Law 345 of 2019 for the promotion of renewable energy sources and efficient energy use and its complementary rules, the first regulatory foundations for PPAs have been laid. While the Cuban legal energy system has been making substantial progress regarding PPAs, it must still strive to be further perfected.

Heat transfer characteristics of the innovative spray-type packed bed thermal energy storage: An experimental study

The shift to clean energy and the promotion of renewable energy sources are the dominant trends in the sustainable development of global energy employment. Thermal energy storage (TES) technology can help reduce the mismatch between thermal energy supply and demand by smoothing out peak demand periods. The spray-type packed bed thermal energy storage is an innovative heat storage technology that reduces the use of liquid heat transfer fluid (HTF) by introducing a spray device. However, the mechanism of flow and heat transfer inside the spray-type packed bed thermal energy storage is not yet clear. Therefore, in this study, a 10 kW/10 kWh spray-type packed bed TES test rig was established using aluminum spheres as storage media and thermal oil as HTF, and the heat transfer performance was studied experimentally. The results indicate that higher charging temperatures and flow rates lead to a higher liquid-to-particle heat transfer coefficient. An empirical correlation for heat transfer in spray-type packed bed TES was developed. With substantial reduction in HTF usage, the heat transfer Nusselt number of spray-type packed bed can basically approach that of a fully-filled packed bed.

Motives for the Use of Photovoltaic Installations in Poland against the Background of the Share of Solar Energy in the Structure of Energy Resources in the Developing Economies of Central and Eastern Europe

Increasing the use of renewable energy sources (RES) is one of the greatest challenges faced by modern emerging and developing economies. Its effective implementation largely depends on the acceptance and involvement of consumers in the process of sustainable energy transformation. Bearing in mind the above premises, the purpose of this article is to identify the motives for the use of photovoltaic installations in Poland against the background of the share of solar energy in the structure of energy consumption in the developing economies of Central and Eastern Europe. In order to achieve this goal, the scope of the use of renewable energy sources in 11 countries of the analyzed region was determined in the course of the research; then, on the basis of the results of the survey, the motives for using solar energy by 754 Polish prosumers were identified (a statistically representative sample). The results indicate a low and relatively slow-growing use and a very different structure of RES in the surveyed economies. From the pro-consumer perspective, the decision to use solar energy is primarily influenced by economic motives, including, above all, the possibility of reducing costs and using energy also for heating. Independence factors related to the possibility of at least partial independence from energy suppliers and diversification of energy sources are also important. Ecological motivation and promotion of RES, including government incentives, are definitely less important.

Inverter Control Design for the optimal management of electrical Microgrids

Nowadays, the promotion of renewable energy sources is a necessity. Technically, the increase of the renewable penetration in the power system (PS) is a challenge. One solution for this problem is the use of self-controlled microgrids (smartgrid, SG). In this work, the design of an algorithm to optimal manage the SG energy through the power inverter control in the SG is presented. In general, a SG consists of renewable energy sources, electrical loads and storage systems. In an isolated SG (no connected to the power system), a DC/AC (direct current / alternating current) converter (power inverter, PInv) is necessary to provide an alternating voltage to supply the loads. If the SG is connected to the PS, the PInv is used to inject the active power from the renewable energy sources.

Hosting Capacity Assessment in Electrical Power Distribution Systems Using Genetic Algorithm

Environmental issues and the current global energy crisis serve as further motivators for the promotion of renewable energy sources. However, integrating these sources into existing power grids presents numerous challenges. As the connection capacity approaches its limits, it is imperative to employ innovative engineering methods to integrate distributed generation (DG) into resilient, self-healing smart grids of the future. One such tool is Hosting Capacity (HC) analysis, which is an emerging power system-planning tool used to position investments toward parts of the network that can absorb additional generation and promote efficient use of energy sources, avoiding overloading, inefficiencies, DG misallocations, and network failures. In this study, a technique for calculating the ideal HC in a power system is presented. The goal of this research is to develop a replicable optimization methodology for determining HC in smart distribution systems using a single objective constrained optimization problem solved through the use of genetic algorithm (GA). Detailed power system load and generation modeling and the use of advanced open-source research tool for load flow optimization improve the confidence in the proposed model. This research contributes to collective knowledge of the subject matter and establishes a reliable optimization methodology for determining HC in power systems.

A Review of Offshore Wind and Wave Installations in Some Areas with an Eye towards Generating Economic Benefits and Offering Commercial Inspiration

Wind and wave energy have gained significant attention in recent years as high-quality renewable energy sources. Commercial applications of these technologies are still in their infancy and do not offer significant benefits to the general public due to their low economic efficiency. The main objective of this paper is to contribute to the commercialization of wind and wave energy. The first step toward achieving this goal is to review equation models related to the economic benefits of wind and wave energy. A case study approach is then used to examine several successful offshore wind and wave energy conversion devices. As a result of this examination, we identify limitations and difficulties in commercializing and developing wind and wave energy. Finally, we propose various measures to address these challenges, including technological innovation, policy support, and market regulation. Research and decision-makers interested in the promotion of renewable energy sources will gain valuable insights from this study, which will ultimately lead to the adoption of sustainable energy practices for the benefit of society and the environment.

Greening Umbria’s Future: Investigation of the Retrofit Measures’ Potential to Achieve Energy Goals by 2030 in the Umbria Region

The new European targets of achieving net zero emissions by 2050 have spurred Italy to aim for a 30% reduction in emissions by 2030, compared with 2005 levels. This goal will be achieved through the promotion of renewable energy sources and energy savings in the residential sector, which remains one of the main sectors accountable for total energy consumption, mainly for heating. This study aims at investigating the potential of some retrofit measures implemented in the Umbria Region, chosen as a case study, to reach the goal by 2030. Using parametric energy simulations with the standard calculation method and artificial neural networks (ANN), the energy consumption of Umbria’s building stock and potential CO2 reductions were assessed. Results showed that with current energy policies, a reduction of 28% could be achieved, which is below the goal by 2030, while ANN integration within energy strategies could allow reaching it as early as 2025 or 2029, depending on the restriction set to the ANN and the extent of current energy policies. This study confirmed the potential benefits of using advanced technology in achieving national environmental goals, highlighting that they could be essential tools to be integrated into energy policies to accelerate progress towards ambitious climate goals.

Modelling Li-ion batteries using equivalent circuits for renewable energy applications

During the last decades, environmental policies have advanced the promotion of renewable energy sources, opening a market for smart-grids both connected and disconnected from the main electrical grid. In the field of renewable energies, such as solar or wind ones, batteries are an essential component since they allow to easily store the energy excess that can be dispensed during periods of scarcity of these sources. This paper presents a dynamic Li-ion battery model for renewable purposes based on an electrical equivalent circuit model. This model takes into account both charge and discharge processes using the same equation, while most models found in the literature only contemplate the discharge process. Several tests were carried out in an experimental micro-grid bench at different state of charge to adjust the model parameters including the non-linear relation between the state of charge and the open circuit voltage. Finally, different experiments were performed to experimentally validate the model. The model predicts, with a low error, the battery voltage as well as the state of charge.

Small Hydroelectric Energy and Spatial Planning: A Methodology Introducing the Concept of Territorial Carrying Capacity

The promotion of renewable energy sources (RESs) is a key European and national policy aimed at strengthening clean energy production, decoupling from fossil fuels, and responding to climate change commitments. Spatial planning is crucial as it can spatially direct the demand for investments in RESs, taking into account the challenges related to more efficient coexistence of RESs and environmental assets, both natural and manmade. Specific objectives, such as the definition of the carrying capacity concept, take on considerable importance in ensuring the balance between the demand for RESs and a number of other priorities. Small hydroelectric power stations (SHPSs), being spatially dependent on the existence of the natural resource (water), incorporate specific impacts in the areas of installation; namely, the watercourses. Taking into consideration the concept of carrying capacity for the areas where SHPSs are proposed to be installed by the Greek Special Spatial Planning Framework for RESs, which is limited to a linear/watercourse approach, this paper proposes a new complementary approach, that of “territorial” carrying capacity. The former involves the negotiation of terms and conditions for siting an SHPS within the narrow range of a water body (watercourse), while the latter, as proposed in this paper, attempts to capture the problem at the level of the wider territory or the functional area of a catchment, an approach that places carrying capacity in a more strategic spatial planning context.

The Impact of Renewable Energy Targets on Natural Gas Export Policy: Lessons from the Israeli Case

Evidence indicates that various countries around the world set renewable energy targets in an effort to promote clean and sustainable energy sources at the expense of polluting, fossil fuel-based energy systems. While scholars have discussed extensively how these targets affect the promotion of renewable energy sources, their effect on fossil fuel policy at the national level has been neglected. The current study addresses this research lacuna, examining the impact of renewable energy targets on decision making vis à vis fossil fuels, given that these energy sources are considered substitutes. This is achieved by focusing on intra-governmental discussions in Israel during 2020–2021 that sought to formulate the country’s natural gas export policy as a function of its ambitious renewable energy targets. The study demonstrates how renewable energy targets, which are often set by politicians, can significantly influence decision making concerning fossil fuels, even when they contradict professional regulators’ positions and from their perspective represent a risk to national energy security.

Iskustva u izvođenju i eksploataciji fotonaponske elektrane instalisane snage 500 kW u fabrici „Gruner“ d.o.o-Vlasotince

The main purpose of the solar photovoltaic power plant (SPVPP), with installed power of 500 kW on the roof of the factory GRUNER Serbian Ltd in Vlasotince, is to electrical supply of consumers in the factory. Considering the geometric dimensions of the roof and the daily and monthly profiles of electricity consumption in the factory, at the beginning of 2021, SPVPP was designed. In this way It is achieves parallel operation with the electricity distribution network, with the possibility of delivering surplus electrical energy. SPVPP was performed by the company CONSEKO Ltd., Belgrade in the period 15.0715.10.2021 and was put into trial operation at the end of September 2021, and the use permit of the plant for operation was issued on 30.12.2021. Since that date, SPVPP has been officially in exploitation operation. The GRUNER factory is on March 30, 2022 concluded with JP EPS, Branch "EPS Snabdevanje" concluded a contract for full supply of electricity for the period 01.04.2022 to 31.12.2023. The paper presents some key experiences from the construction and operation of PVPP, which could be interesting for both designers and implementers. The realization of PVPP has made a certain contribution to the promotion of renewable energy sources and the use of "green" energy in the territory of the Republic of Serbia.

Constraints affecting the promotion of waste incineration power generation project in China: A perspective of improved technology acceptance model

To systematically identify constraints on the promotion of renewable energy sources (RES) projects, in this study an improved technology acceptance model (TAM) was proposed, and fifteen constraints were extracted from stakeholders view taking the waste incineration power generation project as an example. The integrated methods of Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) and Interpretive Structural Model (ISM) were jointly employed to analyze coupling effects among constraints and influence hierarchy of constraints, and to classify transfer paths among different constraints and their impact intensity on projects promotion. The targeted hierarchically intervention strategies were proposed from the perspective of controlling the key nodes of transfer paths of delayed payment of fees and public opposition, as well as general projects management. Results show that insufficient resources reserve and weak environmental awareness are the deep-rooted constraints; imperfect legal systems, mismatch between parameter setting and regional planning, over-expenditure of operational cost, and improper site selection are profound constraints; delayed payment of fees and public opposition are direct constraints. The findings suggest adequate intervention in deep-rooted constraints and profound constraints can fundamentally promote waste incineration power generation projects, and controlling the transfer paths can be an effective way to intervene the constraints on projects promotion.

Evaluating the German onshore wind auction programme: An analysis based on individual bids

Auctions are a highly demanded policy instrument for the promotion of renewable energy sources. Their flexible structure makes them adaptable to country-specific conditions and needs. However, their success depends greatly on how those needs are operationalised in the design elements. Disaggregating data from the German onshore wind auction programme into individual projects, we evaluated the contribution of auctions to the achievement of their primary (deployment at competitive prices) and secondary (diversity) objectives and have highlighted design elements that affect the policy's success or failure. We have shown that, in the German case, the auction scheme is unable to promote wind deployment at competitive prices, and that the design elements used to promote the secondary objectives not only fall short at achieving their intended goals, but create incentives for large actors to game the system.

Assessment of the regulatory framework in view of effectiveness and distributional effects in the context of small-scale PV—The German experience

This paper evaluates the effectiveness of a regulatory framework based on feed-in tariffs to promote small-scale PV on basis of empirical data for Germany between 2000 to 2021. We show that feed-in tariffs have so far failed to exploit the technical small-scale PV potential evenly across regions. This implies significant differences in the allocation of regulatory benefits and costs associated with the promotion of renewable energy sources, leading to a situation of increasing socioeconomic inequality: few counties benefit strongly and many counties bear the costs. Over the past 20 years, in addition to margin effects due to disproportionately high feed-in tariffs, this inequality has increasingly been driven by steadily rising self-consumption. This leads, on average, to differences of over 40 percent in effective electricity costs between households with and without PV. We conclude that the current regulatory framework is insufficient to bring solar PV up to the needed level and to distribute the associated benefits and costs equitably across households. Based on this, we derive guiding principles of a future regulatory framework that enables more effective scaling of small-scale PV.

Scenario Analysis of a Coal Reduction Share in the Power Generation in Bosnia and Herzegovina until 2050

This paper is effectively a scenario analysis of the energy system of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) from the perspective of the possible future reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the power generation sector, with the aim to become climate neutral by 2050, in compliance with the Green Agenda for the Western Balkan. According to the data from 2016, the share of power generation in the total GHG emissions in BiH was approximately 50%. By using the LEAP (Long-range Energy Alternatives Planning) energy model, two scenarios—the “gradual transition scenario” and the “climate neutral” scenario—have been analyzed for the period 2018–2050, and each scenario included decarbonization measures such as the extensive use of Renewable Energy Sources (RES). Unlike the climate neutral scenario, the gradual transition scenario includes the replacement of certain parts of the old, currently-in-operation Coal-fired Power Plants (CFPPs) with the new CFPP, which is more efficient. In the climate-neutral scenario, that part of the existing CFPPs is replaced by a mix of RESs. The results from the first scenario suggest that the share of CFPPs in electricity generation has gradually decreased from 69.3% to 16.3% in 2050, and CO2 emissions from the power generation sector in 2050 will be 2.2 million tons—roughly 83.5% less than in 2014. According to the second scenario, the emphasis is strongly on the growth and promotion of RESs, which have significantly taken over the roles of major producers of electricity, encouraging the low-carbon development of BiH. Analysis results show that, in 2050, there will be no CO2 emissions from power generation. It can be concluded that specifically designed energy models for the optimization of capacities and CO2 emissions through convergence towards RESs could be an optimistic and promising option for BiH to become climate neutral while meeting increasing energy demands. The results show the required RES capacities needed for achieving climate-neutral power generation by 2050, with the current rate level of power generation. Based on the results, RES investment needs can be estimated. Overall, the results of the scenarios can be used for the strategic planning of the power generation sector in BiH until 2050.