Search Results (456)

This study investigates food-oriented revitalisation (FOR) of Poland’s large-panel housing estates, focusing on the widely used OWT-67 prefabricated system, and proposes an architectural framework for integrating food production into residential retrofit. The research combines (i) a critical review of scholarship on coupling housing and productive functions with (ii) a design-led case study that evaluates the potential of flat rooftops for cultivation, developed for an OWT-67 building in the Kolorowa estate (Ursus, Warsaw), and complemented by an analysis of available financing pathways. The case study translates structural and operational constraints into a buildable rooftop farming scheme based on lightweight cultivation devices arranged around a central circulation deck. The financing review shows that renovation support in Poland is dispersed and predominantly credit-based, suggesting that rooftop food programmes are most feasible when packaged with eligible measures such as energy upgrades, roof refurbishment, climate-adaptation actions and renewable-energy installations. Overall, the proposed rooftop production would meet approximately 8% of the annual fruit-and-vegetable demand in the 45-resident scenario and about 4% in the 100-resident scenario. Accordingly, the OWT-67 roof is best understood as a source of seasonal fresh produce and a socio-educational infrastructure that supplements—rather than replaces—conventional food supply systems. Full article

This paper examines the relationship between macroeconomic scale, the structure of energy consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions in Poland over the period 2000–2023, against the background of the country’s energy transition under European Union (EU) climate policy. The study aims to identify the extent to which gross domestic product (GDP), hard coal consumption, natural gas consumption, and electricity generation from renewable energy sources (RES) explain the level of CO₂ emissions in a coal-dependent economy undergoing gradual structural change. The empirical analysis is based on annual data from Statistics Poland and applies two complementary econometric approaches: an Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) model to capture the baseline relationships and an Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) model to examine short-run dynamics and lagged effects. The OLS results show that the model explains a substantial share of emission variability and that coal consumption is the only statistically significant determinant of CO₂ emissions, with a strong positive coefficient. GDP, natural gas consumption, and RES production do not exhibit statistically significant effects in the baseline specification. The ARDL results indicate that coal has the strongest contemporaneous statistical association with emissions, while also suggesting weak autoregressive properties of the emission system and the absence of statistically significant short-run associations for GDP, gas, and renewables. Sensitivity analysis further shows that coal remains the variable most strongly associated with emission levels, whereas the estimated associations for GDP, gas, and RES are comparatively weak. The findings suggest that, in Poland, emission dynamics are more closely linked to the carbon intensity of the energy mix than to the scale of economic activity itself. The study suggests that effective decarbonization is likely to be associated with a structural reduction in coal dependence, while the emission-reduction potential of renewable energy expansion may become more visible over a longer time horizon. These results have important implications for the design of Poland’s energy and climate policy, suggesting that the success of the transition is closely linked to changes in the structure of energy carriers in a way consistent with economic and infrastructural constraints. Full article

The increasing demand for energy, the finite nature of fossil fuel resources, and the necessity to reduce greenhouse gas emissions have intensified research on renewable energy sources of plant origin. Among potential energy feedstocks, herbaceous biomass has attracted growing interest due to its high productivity, rapid growth, and widespread occurrence. The aim of this study was to evaluate the energy potential of select sedge species (Carex spp.) commonly occurring in Poland as an alternative to fossil fuels. Aboveground biomass of eight sedge species was collected from natural habitats located in the Warta River valley. Cellulose, lignin, holocellulose, hemicellulose, and ash content in the biomass was determined. In addition, key energy parameters, namely net calorific value and gross calorific value, were analyzed. Differences among species were assessed using one-way analysis of variance, while similarities were explored using hierarchical clustering methods. The results revealed significant interspecific variation in both chemical composition and energy properties. Most analyzed sedge species had favorable lignocellulosic composition and energy parameters comparable to those of woody biomass, particularly willow and poplar. In contrast, Carex riparia was distinguished by a high ash content and lower calorific values, limiting its suitability for energy applications. Overall, the findings indicate that select Carex species may represent a valuable renewable feedstock for energy production, especially in the context of local and decentralized biomass-based energy systems. Full article

This study benchmarks renewable energy source (RES) utilization in the Visegrad Four (V4) against the EU average using Eurostat data for 2014–2022. A multi-layer framework was used to combine technology-specific per-capita indicators, sectoral RES shares, cluster analysis, and panel regression with fixed effects. The EU substantially exceeds V4 in hydropower (774.06 vs. 270.19 kWh/person), wind (972.06 vs. 161.30 kWh/person), and solar technologies. The electricity-sector gap is most pronounced (EU 41.17% vs. V4 18.69%). Paired t-tests confirmed a statistically significant persistent gap (t(8) = −20.78; p < 0.001), consistent with delayed convergence. Cluster analysis assigned all V4 countries to a single moderate-RES tier, structurally separated from Western and Nordic clusters; panel regression confirmed that the V4 coefficient was robustly negative (β = −5.783 to −9.088 pp) even after policy controls, with fossil lock-in (β = −2.404 pp) emerging as the most consistent structural determinant, whereas V4 × fossil lock-in interaction was positive (β = +2.558 pp), suggesting partial mitigation through differentiated pathways. Intra-V4 heterogeneity—Slovakia’s hydropower lock-in, Hungary’s wind prohibition, Poland’s coal dependency, and Czech Republic’s curtailed feed-in tariff—argues against homogeneous policy responses; results support technology-specific strategies (wind/solar PV in Poland/Czech Republic; solar thermal/heat pumps in Hungary/Slovakia) and grid modernisation as cross-cutting priority. Full article

The paper examines the energy transition using Poland as a case study. The model was estimated based on annual data for Poland for the period of 1990–2024 (n = 35). The estimation was carried out using the OLS method with HAC correction, and the statistical significance of parameters was assessed using statistical tests. Based on econometric analysis, the impact was examined throughout the entire research period, with additional analysis of the structural break dummy for 2015. It was verified whether this impact had changed since 2015 compared to the earlier period. The data were used to calculate indicators, arranged in three groups: (1) capacity availability indicators (for the availability of the overall power system and for the renewable energy sources (RES)); (2) indicator of emission intensity (the indicator was defined as the ratio of total greenhouse gases emission to real GDP); (3) indicator of the economy’s energy intensity (the indicator was defined as primary energy consumption per unit of GDP). Annual summaries of these indicators constituted the input data for econometric modelling. The aim of the empirical analysis was to deepen the identification of mechanisms shaping greenhouse gas emission intensity by incorporating into the model indicators of generation capacity availability and measures of the economy’s energy intensity. The data collection based on constructed greenhouse gas emission intensity and energy intensity indicators of the economy enables the analysis of the increase in emission intensity regardless of the scale of the economy, in the system of power availability for the entire energy system, as well as for renewable energy sources. This approach makes it possible to move away from the analysis of absolute volumes toward a structural perspective that better reflects the real production capabilities of the power system as well as the efficiency of energy use in the economy. The results indicate that economic energy intensity is the dominant determinant of greenhouse gas emission intensity in Poland during the research period. The econometric analysis estimates show a positive and statistically significant relationship between energy intensity and emissions intensity, whereas generation capacity availability indicators—both for the total power system and for renewable energy sources—do not exhibit statistically significant effects. However, it was found that this impact was not constant throughout the entire period (β is 0.455 for pre-2015 and 0.325 for post-2015). Sensitivity analysis based on point elasticities reveals that a 1% increase in energy intensity of GDP leads to an increase in greenhouse gas emission intensity (by approximately 1.18% pre-2015 and 0.85% post-2015), whereas analogous changes in total capacity availability and RES availability are associated with substantially smaller effects (0.10% and 0.20%, respectively). These findings suggest that improvements in economy-wide energy efficiency played a more decisive role in reducing emissions intensity than short-term variations in generation capacity availability. Full article

Renewable energy sources (RES) will be the main source of energy in the future. The main goal of this study was to analyze and elaborate a prognosis for the development of renewable energy sources in Poland. Specific objectives included: evaluation of the prognosis developed as part of Poland’s energy policy (PEP), development of our own forecast of the share of renewable energy sources, and comparison of the forecast developed for Poland’s energy policy with our own forecast. We have also elaborated a hypothesis that the prognosis for the development of renewable energy sources for Poland prepared by PEP, and our own prognosis based on Autoregressive Moving Average (ARIMA) models, are both promising and confirm the development of the renewable energy sector in the future. We used the Augmented Dickey–Fuller (ADF) test as well as ARIMA models. Moreover, we compared own RES prognosis with prognoses proposed by the European Union. Cumulative capital expenditures from 2021 to 2040, including financing costs, will amount to PLN 300 billion, of which PLN 195 billion go towards renewable energy sources alone. Photovoltaics (PV) will account for the largest share of energy production, reaching 16 GW of achievable capacity, followed by onshore wind farms with 9.7 GW. Solid biomass accounts for the largest share of renewable energy consumption in heating and cooling, although its share is gradually decreasing from 98.6% in 2005 to a projected 75% in 2040. Heat pumps, which had no share in 2005, are expected to increase their share to a projected 11.8% in 2040. Solar technology has also increased from 0% in 2005 to a projected 5.6% in 2040. The share of renewable energy in this energy sector is increasing from 22.1% in 2020 to 31.8% in 2030 and 39.7% in 2040. The prognosis elaborated by PEP for 2025–2040 are very optimistic and the prognosis elaborated based on ARIMA models is also promising. Both prognoses predict the development of RES in the future and the transformation of the energy sector in Poland. Full article

The increasing cost of energy and the need for low-carbon solutions have strengthened interest in wastewater as a stable and underutilized source of recoverable heat. This study assesses the technical feasibility, economic viability, and environmental benefits of a wastewater heat recovery system based on a case study of the Gorzyce municipal wastewater treatment plant in Poland. Water-to-water heat pump configurations and application scenarios are analyzed together with data-driven forecasting of wastewater outflow using artificial neural networks (MLP and RBF). Operational data from 2025 were used to estimate thermal potential and support system sizing. RBF networks provided more accurate flow forecasts than MLP models, improving reliability of energy recovery planning. Results show that even with a 1 K cooling depth, the annual heat recovery potential reaches about 1.16 GWh. The proposed heat pump system achieved the COP values of 3.0–3.4 and seasonal COP around 3.2, confirming high technical performance supported by stable wastewater temperatures. The recovered heat can fully cover the facility’s heating demand, demonstrating clear technical feasibility. The economic analysis indicates annual savings of about EUR 2310 compared to gas heating, with a simple payback period of roughly 13 years, reduced to 7–8 years when combined with on-site photovoltaics. Environmental benefits include CO₂ emission reductions of about 5.5 tones per year. Overall, wastewater heat recovery supported by predictive modeling and renewable electricity is a practical, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly solution for municipal infrastructure. Full article

The accelerated decarbonization agenda of the European Union, supported by the European Green Deal, the Fit for 55 package, and REPowerEU, increases pressure on member states to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and expand renewable generation. Poland, whose power sector remains strongly coal-dependent, faces one of the most challenging and capital-intensive transition pathways in the EU. This study provides a comprehensive assessment of the costs and economic viability of Poland’s energy transition, focusing on the feasibility of replacing coal-based electricity generation with renewable technologies. The analysis applies three financial evaluation methods: net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). These tools are used to estimate investment costs of selected renewable technologies, assess the potential for coal substitution in the energy mix, and determine the profitability of renewable projects under selected scenarios. The results show that onshore wind power demonstrates the most favorable investment parameters, including the lowest LCOE and the shortest payback period, while photovoltaics exhibit lower profitability in the analyzed conditions. Nuclear energy may serve as a complementary stable source to variable renewables. The findings provide evidence-based insights supporting national energy planning and the design of future policy instruments. Full article

This study evaluates the quality and dynamics of the renewable energy transition in Poland’s electricity sector during the years 2010–2023 through an integrated Fuzzy Time Series (FTS) and Fuzzy Multi-Criteria Evaluation (FMCE) methodology. The evaluation is based on five production-related criteria: the production of renewable electricity, the capacity of installed renewable energy sources, investment costs, innovation costs, and total electricity production. Contrary to trend projection and elasticity ratio methods, the new approach determines qualitative transition states (Low, Medium, High) and their transitions over time in the presence of non-linearities and partial progress. The outcome shows a protracted pre-transformational period from 2010 to 2014, with features of perpetual Low → Low transitions and high system inertia. The first qualitatively detectable transition takes place in 2015, where the renewable electricity output regime shifts from Low to Medium, symbolizing the beginning of the moderate transition phase. The Medium regime continues until 2021, with little innovation expenditure, signifying a consolidation rather than acceleration phase. The most significant transition regime shift takes place in 2022, where the system advances from Medium to High, fueled by the cumulative growth of renewable electricity output, capacity, and total electricity production. The High regime is maintained in 2023, indicating a systemic rather than a temporary transition. The results show that the transition of Poland towards renewable energy sources has been following a non-linear and regime-dependent path, with turning points marking observable qualitative state transitions rather than the beginning of trends. The FTS-FMCE approach is a powerful method for separating growth from transformation, and it has been shown to be useful for coal-dependent economies that experience a delayed but accelerating energy transition. Full article

Protection of water resources is an urgent priority in the context of increasing freshwater scarcity. Sustainable and circular water management focuses on reducing water consumption as well as measures to recover and reuse alternative water sources. This study assesses the life cycle assessment (LCA) of a domestic rainwater harvesting (DRWH) system located in Poland. Moreover, the most significant environmental contributors and the quantification of each component’s role in the system’s overall footprint are assessed. The study used the OpenLCA tool and assumes 1 m³ of treated water as the functional unit. Findings reveal a highly concentrated impact distribution for the components. The high-density polyethylene (HDPE) tank dominates, which represents 78.69% of total environmental impacts and leads in 18 of the 18 categories examined. Its influence is greatest in non-renewable fossil energy use, where it accounts for 92% of the impact, and in photochemical oxidant formation, with contributions exceeding 90%. The data quality assessment (DQA) of the system resulted in uncertain temporal and geographical correlation. Further Monte Carlo simulations confirmed the uncertainties regarding climate change and energy-related impact categories. The methodology aligns with ISO 14044 guidelines, providing a foundation for evidence-based environmental management decisions. Full article

Both the energy sector transition processes and the industry transformation processes should in the future be based on the use of green hydrogen (GH) obtained using renewable energy sources (RES). It is the symbiosis of RES and GH that will allow for a sustainable energy transformation of the entire economy. The calculated amount of RES in the Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship (Poland) is 18 TWh—this would provide 4.2 billion m³ (under normal conditions) (0.38 million tons) of GH. The amount of GH produced from RES surpluses in the voivodeship is about 30% of the current production of GH from fossil fuels in Poland. The calculated GH would power 2.64 million cars. The Kujawsko-Pomorskie Voivodeship has numerous salt caverns where GH can be stored. The most important barrier in the context of GH production remains the effective construction of a hydrogen economy chain, which requires a simultaneous costly transformation of the supply and demand sides. In order to implement GH technology, it is necessary to reduce the costs associated with its production, storage and transmission. Full article

The increasing share of variable renewable energy sources (RES) in power systems leads to growing challenges related to grid balancing and the management of periodic electricity surpluses. One potential pathway for utilizing these surpluses is their conversion into synthetic fuels via Power-to-X technologies. This study analyzes the technical and economic potential of surplus renewable electricity utilization for the production of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels, using Poland and Spain as representative case studies of power systems with low and high RES penetration, respectively. An original methodology based on hourly power system data was developed to identify technically feasible surplus electricity volumes, accounting for changes in renewable and conventional generation, minimum renewable energy share thresholds, and a minimum two-hour continuous operation requirement. The analysis quantifies both instantaneous and usable surplus energy on an annual basis and evaluates the resulting capacity factors of Power-to-X installations. The results show that the annual usable surplus energy amounts to approximately 886 GWh in Poland and 2329 GWh in Spain, corresponding to maximum capacity factors of about 27% and 50%, respectively. Based on these surpluses and assuming low-cost electricity during surplus periods (10 EUR/MWh), the levelized cost of green hydrogen was estimated at 4.1 EUR/kg in Poland and 2.18 EUR/kg in Spain. The resulting production costs of green methanol reach approximately 739 EUR/Mg for Poland and 378 EUR/Mg for Spain after accounting for avoided CO₂ emissions. The findings indicate that surplus-based Power-to-X systems can play a meaningful role in integrating high shares of renewable energy, particularly in power systems with high and stable RES penetration. However, their contribution remains strongly constrained by surplus availability, temporal continuity, and system-specific characteristics. Full article

This study presents an analysis of selected approaches to transforming the Polish power system towards a net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emission economy by 2060. The generation-side system models primarily comprise renewable energy sources (RES), supported by nuclear power plants. Two system balancing scenarios were examined: Model G, based on biomethane-fired gas turbines and electrolysers utilising surplus energy; and Model H, which relies primarily on reversible fuel cells (RFCs) operating in a Power-to-Power configuration. Both models were considered under two demographic projections for Poland in 2060: maintaining the current population level (100%) and a decline to 71%. Simulations were performed with an hourly time step over a nine-year period, starting from 2060, using weather data from 2015 to 2023. The total electricity demand in the analysed scenarios ranges from 352 to 542 TWh/year, representing 2.1–3.2 times the current level. The proposed systems include 64 GW of onshore wind capacity, 33 GW of offshore wind, 136 GW of PV, 10 GW of nuclear generation, and extensive storage systems for electricity, heat, and gases (biomethane and hydrogen). In Model G, biomethane and hydrogen storage play a crucial role, requiring storage capacities of 5.8–7.5 billion Nm³ for biomethane and 6.2–7.0 billion Nm³ for hydrogen. In Model H, long-term storage relies on hydrogen reservoirs (approximately 12.5 billion Nm³) integrated with RFC units. The results demonstrate that the choice of architecture dictates the scale and technical requirements of the storage infrastructure. Notably, hydrogen serves as an effective energy storage medium, enabling the elimination of peak gas turbines from the system. Consequently, biomethane resources can be redirected to support the decarbonisation of other sectors of the economy. Full article

The introduction of the article presents the state of renewable energy development in Poland and statistical information on its dynamics in the context of sustainable development, highlighting both the positive aspects of this situation and the potential risks to the national power system. These risks stem from the inherent instability of renewable energy generation and the seasonal variability of production. The main part of the article provides a comprehensive statistical analysis of time series data (wind energy generation and solar energy generation) aimed at identifying the appropriate input variables for forecasting models. In addition to the two time series of electricity generation, other exogenous variables and feature engineering techniques were incorporated. In the forecasting section, short-term forecasts of energy generation in the national power system from wind farms and solar power plants were developed. The forecasts for both types of renewable energy sources (RESs) were conducted separately and then integrated into a single time series to assess which forecasting approach is more effective. A detailed analysis was carried out to determine the optimal hyperparameters for individual machine learning models. Subsequently, an ensemble model was developed, integrating multiple single models. The article concludes with final insights and practical recommendations regarding the selection of preferred models and input variables that ensure the highest forecast accuracy. Additionally, potential future developments of the models and further research in this field are discussed in the context of sustainable development. Full article

The emission of greenhouse gases associated with the combustion of hydrocarbons is a key factor in climate change, and in this context, increasing emphasis is being placed on the development of clean energy sources. The novel contribution of the article lies in identifying the energy potential of surface waters within energy systems transitioning away from fossil fuels. In the case of Poland, whose energy system has been based on coal for many decades, there are still many opportunities to expand energy production from renewable sources. One such source is the heat contained in surface waters. The research presented in this article focuses on the thermal structure of nine stratified lakes in Poland, examining changes over time and across different spatial profiles. Considering all temperature profiles, values ranged from 8.3 °C in May to 10.1 °C in September. In general, water warming occurs from May to the July–August transition, reaching a maximum of over 6 °C, while cooling takes place in the later phase of the analyzed season at a lower level, not exceeding 6 °C. It was found that the most thermally stable part of the water body was the layer between 15 m in depth and the bottom of the lakes, for which the heat resources were calculated. Using the basic physical properties of water, the amount of heat for this layer was determined. Assuming that technological processes do not reduce the water temperature below 4 °C (maximum water density), the hypothetical amount of available energy ranges from 630 to 101,000 MWh. The results indicate the high energy potential of lakes, which could be utilized in the future, provided further legal and economic analyses are conducted for specific cases. The study highlights the need to expand the long-term thermal monitoring of lakes, covering their entire vertical structure. Priority for such measurements should be given to lakes located near human settlements, as these have the highest potential for practical use. Full article