scholarly journals Inclusion of Renewable Energy Sources in Municipal Environmental Policy—The Case Study of Kraków, Poland

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (24) ◽  
pp. 8573
Author(s):  
Tomasz Jeleński ◽  
Marta Dendys ◽  
Elżbieta Radziszewska-Zielina ◽  
Małgorzata Fedorczak-Cisak
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Local Conditions ◽  
Municipal Policies ◽  
Strategic Goals ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Climate Neutrality

This article reviews the evolution of local environmental policy in the context of energy transition and particularly the implementation of RES. The study concerns Kraków, whose policy has been compared with other cities and metropolises and was analysed in a timespan of about 30 years. It was hypothesised that, until recently, RES were treated in the city with reserve concerning their feasibility in local environmental and economic conditions, but since RES have been appreciated as a viable means to effectively combat low-stack emissions, the local air quality targets have been integrated with global decarbonisation goals. This launched a dedicated subsidy stream for RES installations and contributed to the sharp increase in the number of installations. Trend analysis techniques have been used to study environmental indicators in relation to the evolution of municipal policies, the expenditures, and their effects. The review confirms that the implementation of RES had not been a priority for Kraków but a complementary measure to those aimed at improving air quality. The recent integration of the environmental and RES policies has been the next step that is now helping to pursue both the city’s strategic goals: further air quality improvement and climate neutrality by 2050. Kraków may serve as an example of a city that has treated RES in a manner adequate to local conditions and capabilities, thus achieving the intended goals.

scholarly journals Renewable Energy Sources vs. an Air Quality Improvement in Urbanized Areas - the Metropolitan Area of Kraków Case

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafał Blazy ◽  
Jakub Błachut ◽  
Agnieszka Ciepiela ◽  
Rita Łabuz ◽  
Renata Papież
Keyword(s):  
Air Quality ◽  
Metropolitan Area ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Air Pollutant ◽  
Pollutant Emissions ◽  
Single Family ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
The Government ◽  
Selection Of

The premise for the selection of the topic discussed in this article is the lack of research on the level of reduction of air pollutant emissions by the use of photovoltaic micro-installations in single-family buildings, both in Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Therefore, the Authors made an attempt to estimate the scale of air pollution reduction (in particular CO2) in the area of the urbanized Metropolitan area of Krakow, which is one of the most polluted regions in Poland. The installation of photovoltaic panels on single-family buildings, co-financed by the government My Electricity Program, is the investment cost in improving the air quality in this region, and thus increasing the well-being of its inhabitants.

scholarly journals EUROPEAN GREEN DEAL AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

2021 ◽  
Vol 43 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81
Author(s):  
T.A. Zheliezna
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Sustainable Use ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Clean Energy ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Climate Neutrality ◽  
Goals And Objectives

The aim of the work is to develop recommendations for Ukraine on setting long-term integrated climate and energy goals and identifying ways to achieve them. The preconditions, main goals and objectives of the European Green Deal, which was presented by the European Commission in December 2019, are analyzed. The European Green Deal is a comprehensive strategy for the transition to a sustainable economy, clean energy and climate neutrality, i.e., zero greenhouse gas emissions, in Europe by 2050. The adoption of this Deal was preceded by several stages of a coherent EU policy in the relevant sectors. Possibilities for renewable energy development within the framework of the European Green Deal are considered. It is determined that preference is given to the production of green electricity, mobilization of the potential of offshore renewable energy, production of biogas and biofuels from biomass of agricultural origin, sustainable use of low-carbon and renewable fuels, including biomass and hydrogen, in hard-to-electricity sectors. In Ukraine, the document that is closest by its contents to the European Green Deal is the draft Concept of green energy transition until 2050 presented in January 2020. The draft Concept states the goal of achieving 70% of renewable energy sources in electricity generation by 2050 and the climate-neutral economy of Ukraine by 2070. It is recommended that this document should be finalized and adopted formally as soon as possible.

Evaluating the efficiency of the environmental security policy in the Russian regions

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 633-649
Author(s):  
G.T. Shkiperova ◽  
P.V. Druzhinin
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Policy ◽  
Russian Federation ◽  
Security Policy ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Federal District ◽  
Environmental Security ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Federal State ◽  
Environmental Situation ◽  
The Russian Federation

Subject. Considering the existing environmental situation, it becomes especially important for the State to regulate the anthropogenic footprint on the environment in the Russian Federation. Current amendments to the legislative framework for environmental security are intended to ensure the innovative development of regions concurrently with a reduction in adverse environmental effects and more active environmental policy. Objectives. The research is to devise methodological tools to evaluate the efficiency of environmental policy in regions. Methods. The research employs qualitative and quantitative methods of economic analysis, including statistical and content analysis, rating, matrix zoning. The dataset proceeds from the Federal State Statistics Service, governmental reports on the current environmental situation and environmental protection in the Russian Federation. Results. We propose our own approach to evaluating the efficiency of environmental policy. It may help trace the correlation between the quality of strategic documents and changes in environmental indicators for a certain period, flag the challenging areas in terms of the environmental policy implementation and outline possible development paths. The approach extends the list of quantification indicators in line with those ones adopted internationally and presented in the Environmental Security Strategy of the Russian Federation up to 2025. We evaluated the efficiency of the environmental policy referring to the regions of the Northwestern Federal District for the period from 2012–2016. Conclusions. Having analyzed the evaluation results, most of the Northwestern regions tend to be controversial and ambivalent in setting environmental goals and achieving them. The findings may prove useful as the analytical and data basis for articulating the environmental and economic policy of the regions.

scholarly journals Data Analytics for Profiling Low-Voltage Customers with Smart Meter Readings

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 500
Author(s):  
Fabrizio Pilo ◽  
Giuditta Pisano ◽  
Simona Ruggeri ◽  
Matteo Troncia
Keyword(s):  
Energy Demand ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Distribution Systems ◽  
Low Voltage ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Smart Meters ◽  
Large Databases ◽  
A New Technique

The energy transition for decarbonization requires consumers’ and producers’ active participation to give the power system the necessary flexibility to manage intermittency and non-programmability of renewable energy sources. The accurate knowledge of the energy demand of every single customer is crucial for accurately assessing their potential as flexibility providers. This topic gained terrific input from the widespread deployment of smart meters and the continuous development of data analytics and artificial intelligence. The paper proposes a new technique based on advanced data analytics to analyze the data registered by smart meters to associate to each customer a typical load profile (LP). Different LPs are assigned to low voltage (LV) customers belonging to nominal homogeneous category for overcoming the inaccuracy due to non-existent coincident peaks, arising by the common use of a unique LP per category. The proposed methodology, starting from two large databases, constituted by tens of thousands of customers of different categories, clusters their consumption profiles to define new representative LPs, without a priori preferring a specific clustering technique but using that one that provides better results. The paper also proposes a method for associating the proper LP to new or not monitored customers, considering only few features easily available for the distribution systems operator (DSO).

scholarly journals The Energy Transition in the Visegrad Group Countries

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 2212
Author(s):  
Ewelina Kochanek
Keyword(s):  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Mining Industry ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Green Energy ◽  
Political Elite ◽  
Energy Transformation ◽  
Diagnostic Features ◽  
Difficult Situation ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Visegrad Group

The aim of the research is to analyse the energy transition in the Visegrad Group countries, because they depend on the production of energy from the burning of fossil fuels, and transition is a huge challenge for them. The diversity of the energy transformation in the V4 countries was examined by using two qualitative methods, including literature analysis and comparative analysis. The timeframe of the study was set for the period from 2020 to 2030, as these years are crucial for the implementation of the European Green Deal Programme. Four diagnostic features were taken into account in the analysis: the share of RES in final energy consumption, reduction of CO2 emissions in the non-Emissions Trading System (ETS) sector, date of withdrawal of coal from the economy, and energy efficiency. The analysis shows that the V4 countries have different approaches and levels of energy transformation in their economies. Poland is in the most difficult situation, being the most dependent on the production of electricity from coal, as well as having the largest number of employees in the coal and around coal sector. The other countries of the group can base their transformation on nuclear energy, as each of them has at least four such power units. The increased use of biomass for energy and heat production is the most important stimulus for Renewable Energy Sources (RES) growth in the analysed countries. The ambivalent attitude of the political elite to unconventional sources in the four analysed countries significantly hinders the development of certain forms of green energy. However, it has been observed that an increasing proportion of the population, especially those living in regions of the country where there is no fossil fuel mining industry, has a positive attitude towards energy transformation. The study is the first that shows the state of involvement in the process of systemic change of the Visegrad Group countries. The results can serve as a starting point for understanding the reticence of this group of European countries towards the transformation phenomenon, as well as contributing to further research on the implementation of closed-circuit economies in the Visegrad Group countries.

scholarly journals Legitimating power: Solar energy rollout, sustainability metrics and transition politics

2021 ◽  
pp. 251484862110249
Author(s):  
Siddharth Sareen
Keyword(s):  
Solar Energy ◽  
Political Ecology ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Renewable Energy Sources ◽  
Energy Transition ◽  
Analytical Framework ◽  
Solar Irradiation ◽  
Low Carbon ◽  
Sustainability Metrics ◽  
Energy Transitions

Increasing recognition of the irrefutable urgency to address the global climate challenge is driving mitigation efforts to decarbonise. Countries are setting targets, technological innovation is making renewable energy sources competitive and fossil fuel actors are leveraging their incumbent privilege and political reach to modulate energy transitions. As techno-economic competitiveness is rapidly reconfigured in favour of sources such as solar energy, governance puzzles dominate the research frontier. Who makes key decisions about decarbonisation based on what metrics, and how are consequent benefits and burdens allocated? This article takes its point of departure in ambitious sustainability metrics for solar rollout that Portugal embraced in the late 2010s. This southwestern European country leads on hydro and wind power, and recently emerged from austerity politics after the 2008–2015 recession. Despite Europe’s best solar irradiation, its big solar push only kicked off in late 2018. In explaining how this arose and unfolded until mid-2020 and why, the article investigates what key issues ambitious rapid decarbonisation plans must address to enhance social equity. It combines attention to accountability and legitimacy to offer an analytical framework geared at generating actionable knowledge to advance an accountable energy transition. Drawing on empirical study of the contingencies that determine the implementation of sustainability metrics, the article traces how discrete acts legitimate specific trajectories of territorialisation by solar photovoltaics through discursive, bureaucratic, technocratic and financial practices. Combining empirics and perspectives from political ecology and energy geographies, it probes the politics of just energy transitions to more low-carbon and equitable societal futures.

scholarly journals COVID-19 and Air Pollution: Measuring Pandemic Impact to Air Quality in Five European Countries

Atmosphere ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 290
Author(s):  
Akvilė Feiferytė Skirienė ◽  
Žaneta Stasiškienė
Keyword(s):  
Air Pollution ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Air Pollution Monitoring ◽  
Rapid Spread ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Environment Agency ◽  
Pollution Emissions ◽  
Air Pollution Emissions

The rapid spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic affected the economy, trade, transport, health care, social services, and other sectors. To control the rapid dispersion of the virus, most countries imposed national lockdowns and social distancing policies. This led to reduced industrial, commercial, and human activities, followed by lower air pollution emissions, which caused air quality improvement. Air pollution monitoring data from the European Environment Agency (EEA) datasets were used to investigate how lockdown policies affected air quality changes in the period before and during the COVID-19 lockdown, comparing to the same periods in 2018 and 2019, along with an assessment of the Index of Production variation impact to air pollution changes during the pandemic in 2020. Analysis results show that industrial and mobility activities were lower in the period of the lockdown along with the reduced selected pollutant NO2, PM2.5, PM10 emissions by approximately 20–40% in 2020.

scholarly journals Air quality improvement in a megacity: implications from 2015 Beijing Parade Blue pollution control actions

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 31-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wen Xu ◽  
Wei Song ◽  
Yangyang Zhang ◽  
Xuejun Liu ◽  
Lin Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Air Quality ◽  
Control Period ◽  
Emission Control ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Integrated Analysis ◽  
Air Quality Improvement ◽  
Emission Control Measures ◽  
Control Regions

Abstract. The implementation of strict emission control measures in Beijing and surrounding regions during the 2015 China Victory Day Parade provided a valuable opportunity to investigate related air quality improvements in a megacity. We measured NH3, NO2 and PM2.5 at multiple sites in and outside Beijing and summarized concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO in 291 cities across China from a national urban air quality monitoring network between August and September 2015. Consistently significant reductions of 12–35 % for NH3 and 33–59 % for NO2 in different areas of Beijing during the emission control period (referred to as the Parade Blue period) were observed compared with measurements in the pre- and post-Parade Blue periods without emission controls. Average NH3 and NO2 concentrations at sites near traffic were strongly correlated and showed positive and significant responses to traffic reduction measures, suggesting that traffic is an important source of both NH3 and NOx in urban Beijing. Daily concentrations of PM2.5 and secondary inorganic aerosol (sulfate, ammonium and nitrate) at the urban and rural sites both decreased during the Parade Blue period. During (after) the emission control period, concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, NO2, SO2 and CO from the national city-monitoring network showed the largest decrease (increase) of 34–72 % (50–214 %) in Beijing, a smaller decrease (a moderate increase) of 1–32 % (16–44 %) in emission control regions outside Beijing and an increase (decrease) of 6–16 % (−2–7 %) in non-emission-control regions of China. Integrated analysis of modelling and monitoring results demonstrated that emission control measures made a major contribution to air quality improvement in Beijing compared with a minor contribution from favourable meteorological conditions during the Parade Blue period. These results show that controls of secondary aerosol precursors (NH3, SO2 and NOx) locally and regionally are key to curbing air pollution in Beijing and probably in other mega cities worldwide.

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