• Energy Research

Abstract Wind and solar energy are expected to play a major role in the current decade to help Europe reaching the renewable energy penetration targets fixed by Directive 2009/28/EC. However, it is difficult to predict the actual production profiles of wind and solar energy as they depend heavily on variable meteorological features of solar radiation and wind speed. In an ideal system, wind and solar electricity are both injected in a fast reacting grid instantaneously matching supply and demand. In such a system wind and solar electricity production profiles should complement each other as much as possible in order to minimise the need of storage and additional capacity. In the present paper the complementarity of wind and solar resources is assessed for a test year in Italy. To achieve this goal we employ data at high spatial and temporal resolution data for both solar radiation and wind speed in Italy obtained from running two state of the art models (PVGIS and MINNI). Hourly profiles for solar and wind energy produced are compared in each 4 × 4 km 2 grid cell in Italy for 2005, and hourly, daily and monthly correlation coefficients are computed in order to assess the local complementarity of the two resources. A Monte Carlo approach is also developed to estimate how large-scale wind and solar energy productions could be potentially involved to complement each other in a scenario with up to 100 production sites across Italy. The results show how local complementarity can be very interesting with monthly correlation coefficients reaching values lower than −0.8 in several areas. Large-scale complementarity is also relevant with nation-wide monthly correlation coefficients showing values between −0.65 and −0.6. These model results indicate that in this sample year of 2005, wind and solar energy potential production have shown complementary time behaviour complementary, favourably supporting their integration in the energy system.

As member of the European Union, Poland has committed to the reduction of CO2 emissions, the increase of energy efficiency and an increase of the share of energy generated from renewable sources by the year 2020, a difficult challenge for a member state traditionally relying on energy generation from out-dated coal-fired power plants. Poland must implement a comprehensive strategy to gradually diversify and modernize the energy sector, while meeting the growing energy demand and maintaining stable supply. The thesis aims to identify the challenges and opportunities for the development of a future-proof energy sector, which further complies with the commitments agreed upon within the framework of the EU 20-20-20 goals. It will look at the characteristics of the current coal based network and assess the potential to diversify the national energy mix by inclusion of renewable energy alternatives.

Проаналізовано місце біомаси в енергетичному балансі України та роль біоенергетики у досягненні цілей Національного плану дій з відновлюваної енергетики. Представлено результати оцінки енергетичного потенціалу біомаси в Україні. Розглянуто проблеми встановлення тарифів на теплову енергію та основні проблеми ринку паливної біомаси. Запропоновано шляхи створення конкурентних ринків теплової енергії та біопалива в Україні.

The renewable energy policies in the European Union have already led to a significant progress; the energy mix should further change until 2020. Italy is planning to meet the 2020 targets on renewable energies also thanks to a relevant paradigm shift in renewable energy exploitation. Indeed, in 2005 the sector where RES were more present in Italy was electricity production with 203 PJ of renewable origin, while in the heating and cooling sector renewable energy penetration was limited to 80 PJ. On the contrary, in 2020 heating and cooling is expected to absorb the highest amount of renewable energy (438 PJ) with renewable electricity expected to count for 356 PJ. Bioenergy, a renewable energy resource particularly suitable for electricity, heating & cooling and in transport, will be at the core of this sectorial shift in renewable energy production and use and is expected to become the dominant form of RES before 2020. The paper makes a detailed analysis of the recent developments and expected evolution of the Italian energy mix in next decade. It provides an overview of the Italian bioenergy sector in comparison with other Renewable Energy Sources (RES) and with leading countries in the European Union with a special focus on the production, exploitation and potentials on the basis of the analysis of the Italian National Renewable Action Plan. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

This report aims to identify the savings that EU countries with expensive renewable energy options would incur if a joint wind project was developed in Albania. It further investigates the potential to share the renewable electricity from such a project between Albania and the EU. In its draft National Renewable Energy Action Plan (NREAP), the Albanian government outlined several potential wind power projects. Among these we selected one which is located in the north of the country, close to developed transmission grids, and is sufficient in size to attract international investors. The envisaged Lezhe wind power plant would have an installed capacity of 230 MW and estimated investment costs of 275 million EUR.

Today, the supply of electricity still comes mainly from large power plants fueled primarily by fossil fuels that operate through established distribution and transmission systems. Although these systems provide an efficient service worldwide for many years, times are changing. Modern societies have understood that in order to mitigate climate change, it is needed to reduce polluting emissions. The optimum use of traditional sources must be accompanied by an ever-increasing use of renewable energy sources (RES). There is therefore the spread of a wide range of energy sources that involve a number of complexities in terms of improvements in RES’ technologies and design of electrical networks. The EU has launched several initiatives to increase the use of RES in all EU countries. With the climate and energy package, energy policy becomes a unilateral commitment in Europe. The achievement of macro-objectives outlined in the package is entrusted to the synergistic effects of different proposals closely linked. With regard to the RES Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from RES, it sets the overall policy framework in order to ensure coverage of 20 % of the energy demand of the EU through RES to the electricity, transport (biofuels), and heating–cooling sectors. The objectives of mandatory coverage with RES are implemented at the national level and they vary from one country to another; they are between 10 and 49 % of final consumption by 2020.

The purpose of the work is to elaborate a concept of Roadmap for bioenergy development of Ukraine, which outlines the goals and prospects of the bioenergy sector until 2050. The proposed Roadmap is an essential document for the country for several factors. First, it determines the contribution of bioenergy to meeting Ukraine’s international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions under the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015. Second, the Roadmap shows ways to achieve existing bioenergy development goals until 2035. Third, the Roadmap can be used to elaborate the National Renewable Energy Action Plan until 2030 and the Concept of state policy on energy and environment, as well as to revise the Ukraine’s current Energy Strategy with an extension until 2050. The baseline approaches of Roadmap for bioenergy development of Ukraine until 2050 are in line with the basic principles of the Ukrainian Green Deal until 2050 and additionally take into account two promising segments of the bioenergy sector such as the development of production and consumption of first- and second-generation biofuels and biomethane. The structure of consumption of biofuels by their types and by types of produced energy carriers is proposed. It is estimated that in 2050, about half of the total biofuels consumption will come from solid biofuels used for heat production. The rest in comparable proportions will be split between solid biofuels for power production, biogas, biomethane, and liquid biofuels. Further, the Roadmap needs to be detailed, refined and expanded to the level of the Strategy for bioenergy development in Ukraine until 2050.

Climate change due to CO2 emissions has been defined as the major environmental challenge to be faced nowadays by the International Community. The European Directive 2009/28/EC of 23 April 2009 on the Promotion of Renewable Energy aims at achieving by 2020 a 20% share of energy from renewable sources in the EU's final consumption of energy. Each EU Member State adopted a national renewable energy action plan (NREAP) setting out its national targets for the share of energy from renewable sources consumed in transport, electricity, heating and cooling in 2020.

EU and Chinese energy policies have both internal and external effects, and are dependent on policies adopted by other global energy actors. In order to evaluate the EU’s and China’s strategic options in this field, the interdependencies of EU and Chinese energy policy need to be addressed in a complementary manner. This chapter provides an initial study of EU and Chinese domestic energy policy and a discussion of their interactions, mediated through the renewables sector and the power grid. Moreover, this chapter suggests a framework for a systematic analysis of these interactions and how the interactions between Chinese and EU energy policy may occur in the two sectors; it provides the basis for detailed elaboration of a broader analysis.

The aim of the work is to analyze targets on the transition to 100% renewable energy sources (RES) existing in different countries of the world as well as strategies for their achievement. The task of the work is to identify the most promising directions and develop appropriate recommendations for Ukraine. The global trend is setting targets for the transition to 100% RES, at least in some energy sectors, developing appropriate strategies and their implementation. Over the last decade, the cost of renewable energy has been steadily declining, making RES more competitive with fossil fuels in many parts of the world. Today, more than 50 countries, hundreds of cities and regions in one form or another have committed to switching to 100% RES. Most often it is about achieving 100% of renewable electricity. So far, at least 52 cities and regions have achieved their targets for the transition to 100% RES. Of these, 41 are located in Europe and 9 are located in the United States. About 2/3 of these targets relate only to renewable electricity. In Ukraine, the official targets for the development of RES are set out in the National Renewable Energy Action Plan until 2020 and in the Energy Strategy of Ukraine until 2035. Recently, a draft Concept of the “green” energy transition of Ukraine until 2050 was developed, which sets the goal of achieving a climate-neutral economy by 2070. One of the main directions of decarbonization of the economy is the development of RES in combination with increasing energy efficiency and energy saving. It is necessary to resume completing the document with the inclusion of reasonable long-term goals to achieve 100% RES in certain energy sectors and in the whole energy balance of Ukraine.