The Importance of Renewable Energy Sources in Poland’s Energy Mix

Abstract

Exploitation of renewable energy sources for power generation has been more and more important in recent years. This results from the economic issues and the measures taken to ensure the energy security. The aim of this research was to determine the significance of renewable energy sources (RES) in the energy mix of Poland, and to elicit the opinions and the level of knowledge of the society on the use and development of non-conventional energy. The article also presents advantages and disadvantages of types of RES, the obstacles which hinder the progress of green energy in Poland, and the proposed measures to expand the share of the RES in the overall energy mix. The research relied on the statistical data gathered by Statistics Poland. The opinions of respondents were elicited through a diagnostic survey based on a questionnaire. The research has demonstrated that the respondents support the development of RES in Poland. However, they also maintain that the purchase and installation of devices for the production of non-conventional energy are too expensive. The respondents believe that in order to increase the number of green power plants, subsidies to encourage RES investment and tax reliefs related to this investment should be bigger.

Photovoltaic Farms—Economic Efficiency of Investments in North-East Poland

“…The increasing energy demand on a global scale and, at the same time, the introduced restrictions on emissions harmful to the environment and the climate are prompting the search for non-conventional energy sources, including renewable energy sources [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8].…”

“…The challenge facing the EU and thus all member states is turning this ambitious climate agenda into a success. It should, therefore, be anticipated that, despite the many problems and divergences in national and EU energy and climate policies, renewable energy will develop increasingly rapidly [7,12], with solar radiation energy becoming one of the main sources of energy generation. Solar energy is dispersed, difficult to use directly in practice, but its transformation methods are still being improved, which, combined with the introduction of economic incentives for systems using renewable energy sources (RES), further increases its importance [13].…”

“…Of all the methods for converting the sun's primary energy, two methods are commonly used, namely photothermal and photovoltaic conversion. Since the generation of power in those systems heavily depends on weather conditions, time of day and season, energy storage is a problem [7]. However, interest in solar energy harvesting is steadily increasing, with photovoltaic being the more favorable of the two solutions, in terms of both economics and practicality [14].…”

Importance of Agriculture in Creating Energy Security—A Case Study of Poland

“…Should the current energy consumption be maintained, non-renewable energy sources could be depleted as soon as the year 2040. This explains why so much emphasis is placed on the development of renewable energy sources (RES), which diminish the reliance on crude oil and the emission of greenhouse gases [9][10][11].…”

Health Risks Associated with Occupational Exposure to Biological Air Pollutants Occurring during the Processing of Biomass for Energy Purposes: A Case Study

“…The use of biomass in Poland also brings many economic benefits, not only for local communities but also for the entire country [13,14]. It has an impact on reducing carbon dioxide emissions, contributes to an increase in the number of jobs, and allows for the management of agricultural wasteland.…”