UNIVERSIDADE DA BEIRA INTERIOR

FACULDADE DE CIÊNCIAS SOCIAIS E HUMANAS

DEPARTAMENTO DE GESTÃO E ECONOMIA

ECONOMIA REGIONAL E URBANA

Docente Prof. Doutor A.Fernandes de Matos

Regional possibilities of Poland in renewal energy.

Magdalena Grabowska

Karolina Myzia

Monika Strugała

16.11.2011

Covilhã

Table of Contents

Introduction              3

1.              Renewable energy              4

1.1              Mainstream forms of renewal energy in world:              5

1.1.1              Wind power              5

1.1.2              Hydropower              5

1.1.3              Solar energy              6

1.1.4              Biomass              7

1.1.5              Biofuel              7

1.1.6              Geothermal energy              8

1.2              Advantages and disadvantages of renewal energy.              9

1.2.1              Wind power,              9

1.2.2              Hydropower.              9

1.2.3              Solar energy,              9

1.2.4              Biomas (wood, straw, droppins),              10

1.2.5              Biofuel (biogas)              10

1.2.6              Geothermal energy.              11

1.3              The energy policy in EU.              11

2.              Renewal energy in Poland.              13

2.1              The policy and instruments promotion              13

2.2              The past, future and structure.              14

2.2.1              Wind power,              14

2.2.2              Hydropower              15

2.2.3              Geothermal energy,              15

Conclusion              17

Bibliography:              18

Introduction

Since the 90s of the twentieth century, the EU has encouraged the use and production of renewable energy. Such a promotion leads to the restriction of fossil fuel consumption.
It also results in the diversification of used energy sources and contributes to the protection
of energy supply, and the development of new industries and technologies. In recent years,
a rapid development of techniques for collecting energy from renewable resources (wind, solar, biomass, geothermal) has been observed. However, the prices relating to traditional fossil fuels are getting higher. This stems from the fact that more and more people start paying attention to the environmental problems at the same time increasing their environmental awareness as well. On the other hand, the main reason for this may also be hidden in the policy and economy crisis, which is responsible for the immediate price rise. Luckily, the cost of devices used for renewable energy production are becoming cheaper. Thanks to this, is it more likely to find a group of potential buyers. Besides, there have been a lot of legislative changes to promote the use of renewable energy in many cases allowing one to apply
for preferential loans or grants to make the investment.

The aim of this project is to focus on the subject of the renewable energy, its definition and various types. The worksheet will also present the attitude of both EU and Poland towards the Renewable Energy Sources (RES).

1.     Renewable energy

According to the definition the renewable energy is energy which comes from natural resources like sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat. They are all renewable, which means that can naturally replenish.  It is assumed that about 16% of global final energy consumption comes from renewables, with 10% out of traditional biomass, which is primarily used for heating, and 3.4% from hydroelectricity. New renewables such as small hydro, modern biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, and biofuels have been estimated to be about 3% and they are increasing very fast. The share of renewables in electricity generation is around 19%, with 16% of global electricity coming from hydroelectricity and 3% from new renewable.[1]

For instance, Brazil has one of the biggest renewable energy programs in the world, involving production of ethanol fuel from sugarcane, and ethanol now provides 18% of
the country's automotive fuel. Ethanol fuel is also widely available in the USA. Moreover, wind power is increasing at the rate of 30% per each year, with a worldwide capacity of 198 gigawatts (GW) in 2010. It is extensively used in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Furthermore, solar thermal power stations operate in the USA and Spain, and the largest of these is the 354 megawatt (MW) SEGS power plant in the Mojave Desert. In addition,
the world's largest geothermal power installation is the Geysers in California, with a rated capacity of 750 MW.

“While many renewable energy projects are large-scale, renewable technologies are also suited to rural and remote areas, where energy is often crucial in human development. As of 2011, small solar PV systems provide electricity to a few million households, and micro-hydro configured into mini-grids serves many more. Over 44 million households use biogas made in household-scale digesters for lighting and/or cooking, and more than 166 million households rely on a new generation of more-efficient biomass cookstoves. United Nations' Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said that renewable energy has the ability to lift the poorest nations to new levels of prosperity.”[2]

All concerns about the climate change, in connection with high oil prices, peak oil,
and growing government support, help in a way to increase renewable energy legislation, incentives and what is more commercialization. No wonder that new government spending, regulation and policies facilitated the industry weather the global financial crisis better than many other sectors. According to a 2011 projection by the International Energy Agency, solar power generators will possibly generate the majority of the world’s electricity within 50 years, radically restricting the emissions of greenhouse gases that damage the environment.

1.1  Mainstream forms of renewal energy in world:

1.1.1        Wind power

Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form of energy, such as using wind turbines to make electricity, windmills for mechanical power, windpumps
for water pumping or drainage, or sails to propel ships. Nowadays, the long-term technical potential of wind energy is supposed to be 40 times current electricity demand or five times total current global energy production. This might require wind turbines to be set up over huge areas, predominantly in regions of higher wind resources.

·         Wind power usage

There are now many thousands of wind turbines with a total nameplate capacity
of 194,400 MW. The United States pioneered wind farms and led the world in installed capacity in the 1980s and into the 1990s. In 1997 German went beyond the U.S., but in 2008 the U.S. got back its position. In addition, China rapidly expanded its wind installations in the late 2000s and in 2010 to become the world leader.

Europe had 48% of the world total wind energy in 2009. In 2010, Spain achieved 42,976 GWh becoming the Europe's leading producer of wind energy. Nonetheless, Germany took the first place in Europe as far as installed capacity goes, with a total of 27,215 MW
at December 31, 2010. Wind power is approximately 21% of electricity use in Denmark,18% in Portugal, 16% in Spain, 14% in the Republic of Ireland, and 9% in Germany

1.1.2        Hydropower

Hydropower is power that is taken from the energy of falling water, which may be used for practical goals.

It is widely known that hydropower has found its use in irrigation and the operation
of different mechanical devices, such as watermills, sawmills, textile mills, dock cranes,
and domestic lifts, since the ancient times. Furthermore, the term defines the combination with the modern development of hydro-electric power, the energy of which can be easily passed on great distance between where it was produced to where it was consumed.

·         Hydropower usage

Energy in water can be harnessed and used. As water is about 800 times denser than air, even a slow flow of water, or moderate sea swell can yield significant energy amounts.
There are quite a few forms of water power presently in broad usage, and other forms which are still in phases of development. The majority of hydropower is used mainly to produce...