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The use of renewable energy is discussed, monitored and regulated by organizations all over the world in the current context of transition to green economies. Moreover, the focus of the debates in the scientific world is targeted towards emissions reduction which has become one of the most significant impact assessment tool of the renewable energy use. By the extensive review of the publications regarding energy access and the monitoring of sustainable development around the world, it can be concluded that the data regarding the access to energy of the majority of countries (including developed ones) is superficial and the reports use inaccurate generalizations regarding what the European Union refers to as the right of its citizens to have their homes connected to the local electricity network. The results of researches conducted on the subject generally indicate that first poverty must be combated and education programs must be implemented before accessing renewable energy. This paper discusses the significant social issue which is disregarded in the current reports about the monitoring of energy at national levels, namely the access to energy, and proposes a shift in perspective from the purpose of on-grid connections of the households to accessing renewable energy resources which could represent the solution of this social issue worldwide. In order to sustain this proposal, data provided by the World Bank in the latest energy report is processed using Microsoft Power BI. Only by considering important dimensions other than the environmental or economical ones, which would seriously benefit from the use of renewable energy, a fair assessment can be made regarding the impact of transitioning to a green economy. Therefore, the discussion about the social dimension must start with emphasis on the assumptions which are made when assessing the status quo, which is one of the main discussion in this paper. By correctly identifying the social issues, the appropriate solutions can be then implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The special resources of renewable energy identified in Romania have generated far more extensive concerns and research on their capture, storage and use. The first part of this paper presents a couple of renewable energy sources, technologies for their capture and conversion, and also several new storage methods and technologies applied worldwide, in order to know the issue, scale and complexity of the field, advantages and difficulties encountered in harnessing these resources. By this we aim to identify the new evolutions, directions and trends emerging in recent years in the field of renewable energies so that to direct our own research towards the global trend. The second part of the paper presents several already achieved results consisting, in addition to documentation studies, in filing a patent application submitted to the Romanian patent authority (OSIM), and also in developing an experimental energy conversion and storage station project, which is to be physically developed and tested in the next step. The ultimate goal is to increase the capitalization of renewable sources, with increasing energy efficiency in converting, storing and using, by optimizing the structures and promoting new solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental restrictions get every day more demanding; therefore, energy policies focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, setting clear targets relative to the renewable energy contribution in meeting electricity demand. Thus, the global tendency towards fossil fuel replacement by renewable energy sources (RES) is progressively sharpening. Sustainability of power systems with high renewable energy penetration rates is a topic of major interest, especially considering the intermittency of RES production and the actual growing trend of energy consumption. Addressing such a complex concept requires particular designs approaches, taking into account several points of view (technical, economic, social). In accordance with the established objective (certain performance or quality indexes), multiple criteria should be selected and assessed so that the final project achieves long term sustainability. In the context previously described, design, operation and control of power systems are Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) processes and follow particular algorithms. This paper presents first a brief introduction, followed by a description of the most used MCDM algorithms for RES integration in power systems. Further, a case study is detailed, applying the above-mentioned algorithms to a small-scale system, comprising RES generating components and storage elements. Results are compared and discussed in the Conclusions section, highlighting also the different weights of each criterion in the final result. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper defines a new concept for designing buildings with high energy autonomy, whose energy consumption from conventional sources may become insignificant in relation to the total amount of energy necessary that will be covered mostly from the energy produced by the covering of the building itself.This concept involves innovative solutions of elements and components of energy converter - generator type, characteristic to a multifunctional covering, with energy capturing elements of active or passive type. This paper presents research on a functional model of a building covering constructed in an integrated system, with water modules which acquire a multifunctional role of thermal and soundproofing closing, of mechanical insulation from the exterior, of energy converter - generator for heating, cooling and active protection against fire.The accumulation of energy in the infrastructure of the building, in the foundation soil and in accumulation reservoirs integrated in the covering of the building capitalizes on a thermal massiveness 5 times greater than any other dense construction material.The proposed solutions serve to bring the functioning of a building closer to the behavior of the environment, where water, as a fundamental element, must ensure the safety and functionality of a building, considering its major qualities of thermal accumulator and antidote to fires [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessment and evaluation of quality of life is part of sustainability. It allows you to compare and evaluate the development of human society. The very quality of life and its perception is the result of complex relationships and closely linked to the quality of the environment. Protecting the environment enhances our quality of life economize and the protection of fossil fuels, increased use of renewable energy sources. Efficient use of energy sources contributes significantly to improving the quality of life of the population, particularly in connection with the possibility of management and regulation of consumption in order to optimize its use in specific circumstances. The main goal of optimizing the use of the delivery of only the amount of energy required to ensure the comfort of life. The paper is dedicated indicator of renewable energy sources and its impact on improving the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]