Nowadays, one of the most imminent problems facing power systems in post-industrial countries is the sustainable development of power systems under conditions of increasing power consumption irregularity due to the reduction of the industry's share in consumers' demand for electric power. In today's Russia, this issue is becoming very acute due to the significant share of electric power and heat co-generation that is demonstrating low manoeuvrability and poor adaptation to operations in the daily variation of electric power demand. This paper considers the problem of improving the power system steady-state through the optimization of the production structure of thermal power plants. We propose a combinatorial algorithm that improves the planning of the structural and technological modernization of the power equipment configuration, with a glance at the forecast of the increasing irregularity of power consumption.

Our paper analyzes the issue of managing structural and technological modernization of the Russian power utilities industry based on the basic criteria of sustainable development. We have chosen coal-fired generation and its defining technologies as the main subject for our analysis. Key points of the Russian power utilities development strategy that has been drawn up to 2030 are compared against the basic principles of sustainable development. Moreover, a mathematical economic model is proposed to justify the choice of coal-fired power plant technology from the standpoint of economic, social, and environmental efficiency.

This paper explores the layout of an optimum process for supplying heat to Russian municipal heating systems operating in a market environment. We analyze and compare the standard cogeneration unit design with two-stage reheating of service water coming from controlled extraction locations and layouts that employ three in-line reheaters with heat the supply controlled by a rotary diaphragm and qualitative/quantitative methods (so-called "uncontrolled extraction"). Cogeneration unit designs are benchmarked in terms of their thermal efficiency expressed as a fuel consumption rate. The specific fuel consumption rate on electricity production is viewed as a key parameter of thermal efficiency.

Our paper is dealing with the issues of energy security and economic development. Our focus is on the changes and challenges that are posed in front of the many countries with regard to the threat of the shortages of energy sources and the depletion of the existing carbon sources. Economic, social and demographic changes in the world call for the novel solutions that would include innovative ways how to secure the smooth and undisrupted flow of energy for maintaining the daily lives of the citizens. We are particularly interested in showing how the integration of energy systems or the coordination between neighboring energy systems might contribute to the sustainable development and operation of the energy sector. The paper uses an example of hydro energy storage in order to show the shortcomings of the battery energy storage and the ways how it can be solved. Our results and findings show that renewable energy sources might become a viable solution to the problems specified above. Well-balanced and well-placed usage of renewables might cushion the shortcomings of the traditional energy systems and prevent major shocks to the energy security through the world and in the European Union countries.

Energy security is conditioned by numerous factors, among which solutions and patterns of energy storage play important role. Electrical energy storage (EES) is the process by which energy is stored from the power network to a form which can be used later when converted back to electrical energy. There are various ways by which electrical energy can be stored for future purposes. Nowadays, the electrical energy is mainly stored in pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES) that comprises about 99% of EES worldwide and the battery energy storage (BES) that uses chemical energy with both methods yielding characteristic advantages and disadvantages. Electrical energy is mainly stored when there is low demand and when there is high generation of power at low costs. The energy is then used when there is high demand of power and the generation cost is high or when there are no other means of generating electrical energy. Electrical energy storage has many uses such as in the electrical devices, motor vehicles and stationery energy resources and is gaining special attention with the widespread usage of renewable energy sources (RES).In this paper, we are focusing on the sustainable development of the electrical energy storage. We are drawing a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of pumped hydroelectric storage and batteries that use chemical energy and assess their implementation based on various scenarios of the future development. We conclude that although HPS is still the more economical option, new advances in BES might alter the energy market and change the rules of the game by fostering the sustainable development through the more effective storage and transportation of electric energy.

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Abstract. The article considers the problem of forming innovative education environment at the universities along with the problem of ensuring long-term competitiveness of education services at both national and global markets. The management model of an innovative education environment is offered, with particular attention being paid to the development of innovative technologies of global education as well as education services' export. Based on the statistical study of the dynamics in the number and composition of foreign students studying in Russia along with a comparative analysis of education costs at the universities-leaders of academic mobility, a forecast is presented concerning the development of the export of Russian universities' knowledge while shaping the innovative education environment inside the country.

The paper analyses possible directions for sustainable development of heat supply systems of the countries participating in the Eurasian Economic Union when creating a united electricity market. The present problem is subject to the fact that the key technology for the energy products production which forms the basis of the energy systems of the former Soviet Union countries is combined generation of electric and heat energy at the CHP. At the same time, this type of combined production is ineffective in the energy market conditions, and creation of a unified energy market can significantly affect the energy and economic efficiency of regional heat supply systems and energy security of states. In this regard, possible ways of sustainable development of regional heat supply systems in the context of integration of market pricing mechanisms are proposed and risks of various business models of commercial activity in the sphere of heat supply are identified.