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The issue of energy self-sufficiency is currently crucial. The concept of energy selfsufficiency is closely related to the concept of energy security; yet, there are many definitions for the term energy security. The essence of all of them is for a country to secure enough energy resources to cover its needs. If a country can secure these resources on its own without depending on imports from other countries, one refers to energy self-sufficiency. Energy self-sufficiency can be achieved in a number of ways such as reducing energy demand, improving fuel efficiency, securing physical infrastructure networks, increasing storage capacity, or increasing the use of renewable energy sources. Fundamental forms of energy self-sufficiency are external self-sufficiency, internal selfsufficiency, and energy consumption; overall, energy self-sufficiency consists of four components: availability; affordability; energy and economic efficiency; and environmental stewardship. Low energy self-sufficiency has a significant economic and social impact, which is reflected in a country's balance of payments and employment, it can lead to economic crises and price instability. Lack of access to reliable and affordable energy can result in food insecurity; health problems; limited access to education, social and economic development. The linkages between energy, food self-sufficiency, and self-sufficiency of water resources are considered in terms of the so-called WEF Nexus (Water-Energy-Food Nexus) that focuses on the interconnectedness of water, energy and food systems to promote sustainable development and address global climate change. Based on the application of scientific methods in relation to the investigation of energy self-sufficiency (the "E" Matrix in the framework of the WEF Nexus) on the background of quantitative & qualitative sustainable development and CSR trends, the main aim of our paper is to assess energy self-sufficiency in the context of the WEF nexus as well as in the light of the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in order to formulate opportunities arising from the European Union Recovery and Resilience Plans. When documenting quantitative & qualitative sustainable development trends in the context of the WEF Nexus, our paper addressed the United Nations 2030 Agenda (alias "SDG diplomacy") as well as the NextGenerationEU Agenda (alias "Green Deal diplomacy"). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problems in shipping belong to the most important research topics in the marine sector, where a number of technical and operational measures to improve environmental friendliness of ships can be found in the literature. Most of the fishing vessels are powered by diesel engines and alternative fuels or full electrification of the ship power system as the ultimate game changer are regularly considered in the literature as technical measures that offer both environmental and economic benefits. It is clear that emerging of alternative powering options is affected by the relevant infrastructure and their availability at the location of use. This paper investigates the availability of alternative energy sources in Croatia and their perspective to improve the environmental friendliness of fishing vessels in the Adriatic Sea. In this sense, trends in prices of diesel fuel, alternative fuels such as for instance hydrogen, LNG, biodiesel, as well as renewable energy sources for electricity production are considered. Potential benefits of their use in the fishing sector are quantified based on the energy demand of a typical purse seiner in the Adriatic Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the world adopts the technological era, the adverse effects of climate change have been experienced by the increasing population, which has led to a rise in energy demand. Heavy industries depend on dirty fossil fuels that release GHG emissions into the atmosphere. This paper aims to review the integration of a nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system (NRHES) to produce green hydrogen in decarbonizing hard-to-abate industries in the ASEAN region. In this study, the two main hydrogen production methods were identified, including thermochemical and electrolytic processes. The available renewable energy sources in ASEAN countries, such as solar, hydropower, biomass, geothermal, and wind, were also determined to evaluate the possible routes for coupling with nuclear power. Thus, considering the zero-emissions and baseload electricity from nuclear energy, integrating this with renewables in the region can accommodate their intermittent characteristics and supply the minimum electricity demand. This article suggests that as the region is rich in agriculture, nuclear-biomass is the most viable combination of energy sources to overcome different global issues. Furthermore, the prospects of hydrogen and its potential for industrial applications--mainly in transportation, manufacturing, chemical plants, and refineries--were presented in this analysis. This review determined the economic, technical, and societal impacts and policy frameworks of implementing NRHES for green hydrogen production to examine the possible challenges faced by Southeast Asia. Therefore, these challenges and gaps enable further exploration of the integration of NRHES to produce hydrogen as an alternative energy source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 paper presents the studies of an improvement of techniques for energy saving management on the principle of sustainable development. The authors proposed a hypothesis for the sociocultural, environmental and economic aspects of the sustainable development principles and their correlation with the management of energy-saving procedures in civil construction. Qualitative and quantitative efficiency from improving techniques of energy-saving managing are highlighted. The baselines of the energy consumption are identified and ranked upon the aims and purposes of the building functioning. A complex of improving managing techniques based on organizational principles, technical measures, and motivational effects is proposed. A general list of passive and active procedures contributing to energy-saving efficiency and resource consumption reducing is systematized on the detailing of goals, effects and applied technologies. Additional procedures that provide energy saving through the use of waste, secondary, renewable energy resources are focused. Managing techniques for energy saving highlighted in groups dealt with the building’s functioning regime, operation and maintenance of the building’s systems, energy consumption schedules, responsibilities assigning, energy and resource saving promotion, energy audits, and energy monitoring. The paper concludes the energy-saving management is to be improved on the basis of the principle of sustainable development considering the energetic, economic, ergonomic, social, environmental and financial effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents an analysis methodology, based on artificial neural networks, for the influences of environment characteristics on generated wind power in Republic of Moldavia. The necessity to reduce the pollution, on one hand and the increasing energy consumption on other hand, leads to an extensive use of so called "renewable energy sources" between these the most targeted being wave and wind energy. For the countries without exits to seas or oceans - like Republic of Moldova is - the wind energy remain the only one source to exploit. In order to obtain an optimal transformation of wind power into electricity, influences of several factors must be analyzed, like: wind speed and terrain roughness over the areas of wind turbine mounting and the turbine height. Based on several years of meteorological recordings, needed data are available. Due to the rapid changes in the weather conditions and terrain aspect the estimation of wind power based on regular mathematical equations is difficult to obtain. The artificial neural networks, through the capacity to find relationships between presented input-output data, are useful tools for analyzing and optimizing the values involved into wind power transformation. In the present paper, the recorded values of wind speed, terrain roughness and turbine height were used for an artificial neural network model building with the goal to find which the most influencing factor is and to optimize the turbine height for a specified placement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most important stages of the rehabilitation process, in the case of historical buildings, is to find the best solutions that can ensure, in the most efficient and nonaggressive way, the thermal comfort inside the building. In the study of this case, the authors identified several essential aspects in determining the best practices for assuring the heat consumption in buildings declared as historical monuments dating back to the 18th century. Among these we can mention: the destination of the building (tourist purpose), the dimensions and areas with the most significant heat loss, its location in a geographic area rich in geothermal water sources, as well as the thermal level of the thermal springs. It is obvious that taking into account the location of the analyzed building, the most convenient solution to occur is the use of heat from the thermal waters that feed the baths from the tourist premises. This method, taken by itself, in the climatic conditions in Romania, fails to cope with the peak demand for thermal energy during cold winter periods. For this reason, we must also call on additional sources such as electric radiant panels, hot water pipe panels (heated water or coming from renewable sources - source temperature is approximately 55 °C) or heat pumps. From calculations resulted that in the cold periods, of the maximum thermal load required, with the best solution for using the heat from the geothermal source, can cover about 35 %. The remaining 65 % requiring the installation of additional heating systems. It has also been studied the possibility of introducing a micro-cogeneration source, to ensure not only optimal thermal parameters but also a high degree of energy autonomy. In this sense, it will be interesting to analyze, in a future paper, solutions not only from a technical point of view but also from an economic point of view. One of the most important stages of the rehabilitation process, in the case of historical buildings, is to find the best solutions that can ensure, in the most efficient and nonaggressive way, the thermal comfort inside the building. In the study of this case, the authors identified several essential aspects in determining the best practices for assuring the heat consumption in buildings declared as historical monuments dating back to the 18th century. Among these we can mention: the destination of the building (tourist purpose), the dimensions and areas with the most significant heat loss, its location in a geographic area rich in geothermal water sources, as well as the thermal level of the thermal springs. It is obvious that taking into account the location of the analyzed building, the most convenient solution to occur is the use of heat from the thermal waters that feed the baths from the tourist premises. This method, taken by itself, in the climatic conditions in Romania, fails to cope with the peak demand for thermal energy during cold winter periods. For this reason, we must also call on additional sources such as electric radiant panels, hot water pipe panels (heated water or coming from renewable sources - source temperature is approximately 55 °C) or heat pumps. From calculations resulted that in the cold periods, of the maximum thermal load required, with the best solution for using the heat from the geothermal source, can cover about 35 %. The remaining 65 % requiring the installation of additional heating systems. It has also been studied the possibility of introducing a micro-cogeneration source, to ensure not only optimal thermal parameters but also a high degree of energy autonomy. In this sense, it will be interesting to analyze, in a future paper, solutions not only from a technical point of view but also from an economic point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, in order to satisfy consumer's profits and the requirements of the environment, manufacturers strive for more ecological, modern and innovative solutions in the area of heat distribution. The paper presents the results of the examinations of the importance of information systems in the process of distribution of heat for final recipients. The main research problem of the paper was to determine the answer to the question of whether IT systems used in the process of heat energy distribution are important for the final customer. The related literature was used to prepare theoretical basis for author's own research. Next, the questionnaire survey was performed and a research tool was prepared (an online questionnaire). The on-line survey was completed by 232 people from Poland, among whom only 22 failed to fill in the questionnaire. The paper is composed of two parts. This part of the paper presents briefly the theoretical basis of the problem of distribution and used IT solutions. The results of the study were also presented: opinions of the respondents concerning the validity of the use of IT solutions in heat energy distribution. The first part of the paper contains a brief presentation of theoretical fundamentals of the concept of distribution and a reference of smart district heating networks to advances in distribution in the heating sector. The results obtained during the study in the heat energy sector were also presented in numbers compared to consumer awareness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, in order to satisfy consumer's profits and the requirements of the environment, manufacturers strive for more ecological, modern and innovative solutions in the area of heat distribution. The paper presents the results of the examinations of the importance of information systems in the process of distribution of heat for final recipients. The main research problem of the paper was to determine the answer to the question of whether IT systems used in the process of heat energy distribution are important for the final customer. The related literature was used to prepare theoretical basis for author's own research. Next, the questionnaire survey was performed and a research tool was prepared (an online questionnaire). The on-line survey was completed by 232 people from Poland, among whom only 22 failed to fill in the questionnaire. The paper is composed of two parts. The first part of the paper contains a brief presentation of the theoretical fundamentals of the concept of distribution and a reference of smart district heating networks to advances in distribution in the heating sector. The results obtained during the study in the heat energy sector were also presented in numbers compared to consumer awareness. The second part of the paper presents briefly the theoretical basis of the problem of distribution and used IT solutions. The results of the study were also presented: opinions of the respondents concerning the validity of the use of IT solutions in heat energy distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Countries around the world are concerned with securing enough fuel and energy for their national economy. At present it is important supply of buildings with energy and their efficient consumption. The economical use of energy and fuel in the nonproductive sphere consists of rationalizing energy consumption in the building and energy supply to the buildings. The most energy consumed is recording heating of buildings the reason is to cover thermal losses. The European Union is focusing on supporting the modernization and renovation of apartment buildings. The aim of this paper was to analyze the socio-economic factors and their impact on the renovation of apartment buildings. Our aim was to assess by research the current position on building insulation. Based on the distribution analysis, we identified the social factors that affect the final decision of the target segment - customers. In this paper we analyzed socialeconomic factors by statistical method - multidimensional regression analysis. The results of analyzes highlighted the key socio-economic factors affecting the renovation process of apartment buildings in Eastern European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the increased focus on the Arctic zone is influenced by a number of reasons: The Arctic zone of the Russian Federation (the Russian Arctic) has the potential to become a new oil and gas region for our country; the military and strategic importance of the Arctic; the future outlook for the Northern Sea Route. The development of the Russian Arctic aims to enhance the social and economic growth of the region in line with the priorities set forth by the state policy and based on the range of socio-economic issues. The bottleneck that limits further improvement of local settlements as well as construction of new industrial and infrastructure facilities is power, a vital component in the industrial infrastructure. Power supply is key to any infrastructure and greatly affects the quality of life and the possibility of developing a region. In general, the Arctic zone of the Russian Federation can offer significant energy resources, but individual areas are facing power shortage. The paper describes limitations and possibilities of implementing RES in the Russian Arctic; it substantiates the need to use RES in the environment of decentralized power supply; the paper also provides characteristics of the regions and potential RES consumers; it also considers prerequisites for putting RES into operation and analyzes the resources of wind and solar energy in the Arctic region. Acknowledgement. The research was funded by the Russian Scientific Foundation, Project No. 17-78-20145, Social and Economic Levers for Mobilizing Human Resources to the Arctic Region of the Russian Federation. Saint-Petersburg Mining University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the paper, the comparative analysis of results of the research concerning energy consumption of separation process and influence of operational parameters is presented. Results are acquired basing on experimental and computational research. Scope of the analysis is stated within cascade system with lack of gas recirculation and membrane system with gas recirculation. Investigation is performed using UBE NM-BO2 A capillary polymer membrane. In the paper, operational characteristics of compared systems, obtained both on the basis of experiment and computational investigation, are presented. Results were obtained basing on varying feed pressure of the membrane module, as well as varying feed flows. Furthermore, comparison of the two systems concerning influence of their selected operational parameters and possibility of application in oxy-combustion systems is performed. Rationality of discussed systems application to industrial and power oxycombustion systems is emphasized. Investigated systems are characterized by number of advantages and certain limitations caused by mechanical properties. The paper states a part of research on possibility of use of discussed membrane technology in industrial systems and power oxy-combustion units. [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]

The increase in the price for non-renewable energy resources has led to the finding of cheap alternative fuel solutions that can meet the growing demand for energy. The objective for the researchers is to use renewable energy as an alternative energy source to produce green energy. Over time, researchers have developed several types of shapes for the wind turbine: small, which have a generation capacity of 50-60 KW of power; On average, they have a capacity between 50-1500 KW and large, capable with a capacity of 2-3 MW power [8]. The location of the wind turbines must take into account the wind power in the region, the price of the land and the visual impact on the neighboring structures. In this paper we propose a more developed propeller profile in terms of determining the correct angle of the wind attack correlated with the curvature of the turbine propeller. Another purpose is to find a new design of the rotor blades to increase the rotational speed of the wind turbine rotor, when the wind force is very low. Wind energy is an inexhaustible source using for the production of energy as the source of wind, which reduces the impact of environmental pollution, so it can be regarded as a form of ecological energy. The wind is the result of the movement of air flows in combination with the alternation of seasons on land areas. While at large the space for wind power extraction remains rather limited, at large there are large areas that can be considered for future wind power extraction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When teaching in schools, especially in vocational subjects, it is very important to attract and motivate students to work independently, not only to remember important facts, but also to develop their ability to seek new solutions independently. One of the active assistants in achieving this goal can be the active use of information technology that is close to the current young person. In addition, it is essential not only to learn new knowledge in education, but also to educate them towards an active approach to environmental protection, the use of renewable energy sources and also the economic use of available resources. This paper provides an insight into energy efficiency teaching in building construction. Education is realized through an internet application, which aims to motivate students to develop their active approach to education. The new trend in education is based on the student's active approach to action, which fully meets current practical requirements, uses modern information technology and uses very rapid feedback on learning outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid growth of blockchain technologies in the world drew attention to the environmental aspects of its production. Blockchain technology is based on the use of significant computing power, which consumes a large amount of electricity. In most cases, traditional non-renewable energy sources are used, which leads to the depletion of natural resources. The scale of operations of the mining process of blockchain increased dramatically during the last years. By the end of 2017, the amount of electricity spent on mining exceeded 29 terawatts per hour. This indicator exceeds the level of the annual energy consumption almost all Eastern European and African countries. Russia occupies the third place in the world in terms of energy consumption for cryptocurrency production. To maintain the competitiveness of blockchain technology in the global market, it is necessary to develop an alternative development strategy using renewable energy sources. The need for a transition to a new economic course in the development of a “green” or “low-carbon” economy in the field of blockchain mining determines the relevance of the chosen research topic. The paper investigates the following key points: trends in the blockchain technology and digital economy; the matrix for its environmental risks analysis; determination of significant environmental aspects of blockchain mining in accordance with ISO 14001 requirements. The aspects’ assessment shows that the significant environmental aspects are linked to energy consumed by computers or farms at different stages of its lifestyle. Thus, environmental-friendly methods of mining (hydro mining) are needed. As a conclusion, possible applications of blockchain technology in Russia are considered. [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]

Heritage historic buildings are often wasteful in terms of energy efficiency. Changing their energy supply, load and consumption is particularly challenging given that heritage needs protection and interventions on the building architecture are limited. From the point of view of the renewable energy sources integration in historical buildings, the aesthetic aspects are very important and due to this reason, modern systems can be ruled out. However, the energy efficiency challenges imposed by today's society can be solved by integrating modern renewable energy conversion technologies into existing facilities. In this regard, the present paper shows the hypothetical case study in which is analyzed the possibility of photovoltaic panels (PV) integration in the roof plan of a historic building from Cluj-Napoca. The research aims to find out the efficiency of modern technology in the local setting by integrating PV into an existing historical structure. To evaluate improvements in energy efficiency of the heritage historic building through integration of photovoltaic panels into the power supply the following performance indicators were analyzed: power, annual average energy, CO2 emissions, Total Net Present Cost and Levelized cost of energy. Energy efficiency of heritage historic building is improved by saving the traditional energy consumption and improvements in environmental performance have been noted by decreasing of CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an analysis of available statistical data on changes in the area of renewable energy sources in the European Union (EU). The analysis of the results takes into account, e.g. the share of renewable energy in final gross energy consumption and the share of renewable energy in gross power consumption. The analyzed source data relate to EU member states. The presented statistical data are based on data prepared in accordance with the accounting rules set in Directive 2009/28/EC regarding the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and calculated on the basis of energy statistics covered in Regulation (EC) No. 1099/2008 on energy statistics, Regulation (EU) No. 2017/2010 last revised in November 2017. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than 50% of the world’s populations live in urban areas, and they emit almost 80% of global carbon dioxide. They are also responsible for 75% of energy consumption in the world. That increases pressure on food, water, and especially energy. These facts imply that there is an urgent need to provide low carbon dioxide level in cities with efficient and renewable energy to foster the growth of the green economy. Therefore, attention should be paid to renewable energy sources such as the Sun and be aware of the potential of solar power of some areas. In favor of this assertion, recently published studies have suggested that solar power will generate 20% of global electricity by 2027. The above-mentioned facts and predictions were the motivation for conducting preliminary research on the possibility for predicting solar potential. The predictions of solar power can be provided by means of remote sensing methods. Digitalized analog VNIR aerial images (UMK camera) with very high spatial resolution and Worldview2 channels are used as input data. For the purpose of discriminating the roofs, the classification was made by controlling both sets of images. The average number of sun hours in one day and the average consumption of an ordinary household were calculated. Initial results obtained in this preliminary research are demonstrated in this paper for an urban neighborhood in Zagreb (Croatia). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overwhelming majority of energy in Poland is produced using non-renewable energy sources. The resources are, however, slowly being depleted and traditional methods of energy production deteriorate the natural environment. This calls for a search for alternative sources of energy. Additionally, as a member of the European Union, Poland is obliged to increase the share of renewable sources of energy in its total energy consumption. Therefore, the focus on development of a power production sector based on renewable sources of energy, including biofuels, is increasingly greater in today's Poland. Agricultural biomass may be an important contributor to the energy balance of a region. This depends not only on its availability but also on the technology used to obtain and process it and then on how it is used. This paper looks at the potential of production of bioethanol in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Poland). The purpose of this paper was to analyse and assess the production capabilities and the amount of potential energy that could be generated from specific crops. The analysis used data for the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship published by the Statistical Office in Kielce. As a result of the study, the authors determined the bioethanol production capacity of individual districts of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship and attempted to assess whether the studied area could be used to produce bioethanol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of research into biomass liquefaction conditions in mechanocatalytic depolymerization process in a reactor of pump with a rotating liquid ring construction. Various methods allow to process cellulose biomass in liquid synthetic hydrocarbons (second generation biofuels). The most popular of them rely on gasification/pyrolysis process and Fischer-Tropsch synthesis; or enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. Less known, but also promising method, relying on mechanocatalytic depolymerization process, was used by Koch in the KDV technology and it was tested on a few pilot installations. However, research results published until now concern basically only thus obtained product quality, and theoretical comparisons with other methods. Nowadays, in this method are being used reactors of pump construction with deliberately lowered efficiency. That makes friction warm up raw material mixtures, and causes biomass mechanical degradation. Both phenomena are welcome from the point of view of process conditions. The paper presents research results relevant to a liquid ring pump conducted in terms of identifying mechanical influences on liquefaction process. The research was performed in industrial conditions on a 1:1 scale reactor (in reference to a reactor in pilot installations). The conducted results analysis allows to point at major mechanical degradation influence of biomass particles on liquefaction process efficiency. Moreover, the research results may be used to show the required consumption level energy in the process of processing biomass in liquid synthetic hydrocarbons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the near future, all new buildings across European Union will have to meet the nearly Zero Energy Buildings requirements, namely to have a lower primary energy consumption and lower carbon dioxide emissions. In this regard, each country set its own targets concerning the reduction of these values. The paper presents a computational study regarding the thermal performances of an apartment, insulated in the first case scenario with a common solution such as expanded polystyrene and for the second and third case scenario with nano insulation materials such as aerogel and vacuum insulation panels. The analysed insulations have different thicknesses and the apartment presents several thermal bridges which are considered in the analysis. The study establishes the level of thermal performance for each solution, computing its annual heating demand and the related primary energy consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, which are examined both from current standards point of view and also from the perspective of the Romanian nZEB targets for the residential sector. The results emphasize that the goals are achieved, without supplementary actions, only by the thickest common insulations or by the most efficient nano insulations, the latter being a better choice from the material quantity point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concept of a "passive House" has been introduced for the first time in Germany, subsequently being extended and at higher latitudes and different features climatic from those of Germany, in the south, west and south-west of Europe. Passive building has been defined by Wolfgang Feist, Passivhaus Institut, as being the building that demand for heating must not be more than 15 kWh/m2 year, and total consumption of primary energy should not be more than 120 kWh/m2 year. In this paper we strive to study at the concept of 'passive house' in the Russia. Using the Passive House Planning Package (PHPP) software 2007 calculate the heating requirements for such a House, depending on the latitude and climate conditions in the locality. For the study were selected 7 cities from Russia placed to different latitudes and climatic areas. To determine the possibility of implementing the concept "passive House" must be determined: required heating, cooling demand and primary energy demand. In order to implement this concept should not exceed maximum limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliability of renewable energy generation forecast became particularly important since its share denotes a constant growth in the global energy mix and the uncertainty of supply continuity resulting from this rises. Given the numerous geographic and meteorological factors that greatly influence the results of a more general probabilistic determination, an accurate prospect is hardly possible when enlarging the territory or the time span. Moreover, power systems disturbances and load variation, also unpredictable, overlap the inherent intermittency of renewable energy based plants electricity output, further complicating to obtain a satisfactory estimates. This paper aims to assess the variation trend of wind energy, photovoltaic, biomass and hydro energy based on momentary recording of power generation and demand for the last decade in Romania. First, the multiple variables influencing the recorded power generated by each source were identified and coefficient matrices determined by regression, for each day. Forwards, the cumulative probability of achieving a certain renewable energy share in meeting electricity demand for selected days is calculated after fitting the most suitable distribution. Results are presented for the minimum and maximum average electricity demand days, considered to be representatives in terms of system loading. Using the most recent registrations of system's electricity generation and demand, for 2017, the assessments are estimated dependences are evaluated. Available data processing and computational algorithms were developed in Matlab programming environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources (RES) are of great interest across the world, since it can be used to obtain clean, green energy, thus minimizing the environmental pollution. Romania has an important potential for development of renewable energy, in the hydro, wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass fields. But the market of RES expands or shrinks being influenced by policies, technologies and financial support change. The transposition of Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources in Romania is law 220/2008 which establishes as support scheme for electricity production from RES mandatory quotas combined with tradable green certificates. Since then and till the end of 2016, when the support ended, there have been many changes of the scheme which impacted the investments in RES based plants. The paper shows how the changes of the number of GC received per MWh established at a certain stage by the law influenced the development of the sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The major factor that may affect the ability of ground as a heat storage medium as such is the diversity of substrate materials or groundwater. The residential houses in Okotoks, in the province of Alberta, Canada are good examples of using soil as the heat storage medium. It is worth mentioning that this is not high-efficient solution and it is justified in the case of supply thermal energy needed for heating energy efficient buildings. In particular, it might be useful for passive constructions characterized by demands for heating purposes lower than 15 kWh/m²/year. Therefore, in this paper, the concept of settlement designed as number passive residential houses, and its architectural visualization is presented. The solution for heating to provide properties of the accumulation of ground as a heat storage medium is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objectives of each of cities from Romania are sustainable development, energy efficiency, use of renewable energy and ensuring a clean and healthy environment for citizens in a modern city, attractive, prosperous and a high standard of living. The climate changes, increasingly present every day in the realities of city, mainly caused by human factor, obliges us to a new approach and orientation responsible for the future of our decisions in order to rational and efficient use of resources, especially in order to combate, to reduce and adapt to climate change. The way we intervene to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, to mitigate and adapt to climate change defines us, placing us among European citizens informed, responsible and active. Renewable energy and biomass energy, a type of renewable energy, are one of the issues that have been overemphasized since the 1990s. The fact that the countries of the world turned to renewable energy sources from fossil fuels and diversified their energy sources, the increasing importance of renewable energies in the energy security context, the lack of stability in energy prices, the fact that the countries adopted growth strategies based on local dynamics, the source of which they had in their lands, reducing transportation costs, alternatives to generate electricity were among the factors that brought this issue to the agenda of the world and made the scientists conduct studies on the issue. Biomass energy that is one of the renewable energy sources is an important energy source particularly for developing countries, and the production and use of it are increasing every day. Considering the geographic features of the region, the use of biomass for bio-economy development, comes naturally. In order to create a business model for the use and integration of biomass supply- chain, this study will focus on providing an overview on the current state of biomass availability and usage in West Region of Romania, as well as providing brief presentation of roadblocks for further development of biomass supply chains. Also, the focus will be on developing transnational interactions that could be a solution to biomass development in the region. In that sense, the target of the next chapters is to assess the energetic potential of existing biomass in Western Region, and the necessary features of the supply chain, needed in order to develop a sustainable business in biomass field. In this paper it will be estimated potential production of biogas from residues and waste for the western region of the country. To accomplish this is necessary to identify the types of wastes and wastes that can be used. Identification will be made by name, quantity, the theoretical potential of biogas and waste to flow through the availability of energy use. Consideration should also be given to the methods of using these wastes and wastes time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Europe 2020 strategy sets target for reducing the greenhouse gas emissions is contributing mainly to the development of renewable energy technologies and activities to support energy efficiency, particularly in construction industry, as one of the sectors most directly linked to green or green economic activities. The assessment of the occupational hazards and risks that might be associated with new green technologies and related jobs is now becoming part of many discussions. The paper deals with the initiative of the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work aimed at examination of the potential safety and health risks associated with the technologies being used in the development of "green jobs" that are becoming an important part of the construction labor workforce. Moreover, the occupational safety and health implications and scope for emergent risks in green construction technologies are discussed in the paper. The increasing drive towards green buildings is leading to innovative design and construction processes and the use of alternative materials and so development and greater implementation of new technologies. New work situations connected with new technologies, substances and work processes connected with the design and construction of buildings that have potential to reduce energy use may result in some emergent safety and health risks. Consideration should be given to the safety and health of those who build and maintain those designs and the mentioned risks should demand some approaches to ensure high level of occupational safety and health. [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]

The present paper is the result of an applied research conducted by a Romanian team of researchers, aiming to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from the perimeter of a chemical plant. Achieving this objective is facilitated by the availability of hydrogen (a source of clean energy) obtained through a technological process. In this context, the research was focused on replacing, in high proportions, the classic fossil fuel (natural gas) used in the heating process of some thermo-technological furnaces from the plant. To reach the optimal technical solution applicable in industry, the team of researchers conducted various tests on an experimental pilot burner of own conception, working with hydrogen proportions between 44.4 - 72.7% and obtaining both a significant increase of the flame temperature from 15500C to 17500C and the reduction of the carbon dioxide concentration in wet waste gases from 8.75% to 5.04% (at the maximum used proportion of hydrogen). Implementing the optimal solution on the burners of some industrial furnaces from the chemical plant Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea (Romania) allowed its efficiency confirmation, obtaining a natural gas saving of over 494,000 Euro/year. Also, the reducing of the carbon dioxide in waste gases was calculated at 1998 thousand Nm3/year (i.e. 3922 tones/year). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presented paper deals with determination of the basic performance characteristics of solar vacuum tubes, which are in this case represented with thermal efficiency of solar collector and curve of incidence angle modifier. These characteristics are determined for the three types of solar vacuum tubes from different manufacturers. Comparison of efficiency properties of different types of solar collectors helps to analyze the factors affecting these fundamental properties of solar collector. Measuring of the basic operation parameters was carried out on the measuring apparatus developed and manufactured by authors in the Centre of Renewable Energy Sources, Faculty BERG, Technical University of Košice in the various climatic and weather condition. All measurements were made in a quasi dynamic outdoor conditions. As a results of measurements were drawn up series of efficiency curves and incidence angle modifier curves on which basis were considered solar collectors analyzed and evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In generally, low energy building design range from architectural design to the application of technologies for energy conversation. Many applications are focused on insulation of facades, roofs and floors to those that are used systems for renewable energy sources. The aim of the innovations is not only energy saving but also reduce costs and preserve natural resources. One key element of low energy building design is using the basic form and enclosure of a building to save energy while enhancing occupant comfort. Besides energy need for building operation the significant part of the total energy is energy used in the extraction, processing and transportation of materials used in building structures. Integrated assessment of building includes the evaluation of indoor environmental quality and energy produced over the entire building life cycle. This study is aimed to analyze the building materials and structures in terms of embodied energy and embodied gas emissions and monitoring of physical and chemical factors of indoor environment. The paper deals with evaluation environmental and social aspects in selected low energy family house and its optimization in order to reduction environmental impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmentally friendly building materials and constructions are intended to reduce energy and material flows during the entire building life cycle. The evaluation is focused on the assessment of consumption and depletion of material resources, especially non-renewable resources, to minimize the life-cycle impact of materials on the environment and enhance the indoor environmental quality by concentrating on the evaluation of energy flows through the building constructions. Energy effective houses increase efficiency of sources utilization (energy, water and materials) and they are designed in order to decrease effect on human health and environment during their lifecycle by means of better location, design, constructions, operation, maintenance and reconstruction. The factor of performance is their main contribution what means lower energy consumption and lower operating costs too. The energy effective houses don't present the new definition of projection but it is more improving of attested processes and adaptation to new requests. These buildings have certain specifications in the sphere of the thermal-technical demands -- on external walls, roofs, ceilings above unheated space, ground floor, windows, doors -- in comparison with common development. Constructions that divide spaces with different indoor air temperatures must meet a lot of building-constructional and building-physical conditions. Constructions that divide spaces with different indoor air temperatures must meet a lot of building-constructional and building-physical conditions. These conditions will be solved by design of consumer model. The aim of this paper is design of consumer model and environmental assessment of used building materials focused on life cycle analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today the renewable energy technologies are attracting research attention more than ever as a result of the environmentally destructive influences of the fossil fuels. Because there are numerous fossil fuel reserves in the north of the Black Sea, the trend of renewable energies in this region is less than in other countries. The use of fossil fuels in this region causes an increase in both regional and global aspects of environmental pollution. The formation of the H2S in Black Sea, which is a closed sea, affects the natural life of its inhabitants and environmental flora in this region. If the H2S can be separated to produce pure hydrogen using various methods, H2S pollution in this sea will be overcome and pure hydrogen will be used in the fuel cells for alternative energy production. The amount of H2S ensures an adequate potential of energy production in multiple countries around the Black Sea. Moreover, a large amount of the world's boron reserves are in Turkey. Boron is an ideal material for hydrogen storage. Black Sea coastal countries, especially Turkey, must incline using efficient and renewable energy. Country strategies shall be issued aiming this tendency. For the realization of a more conscious use of energy in the future, education should emphasize on energy efficiency and environmental protection. Especially to create the necessary awareness by preschool and primary school students, the topic should be included in the curricula as well as in the social responsibility projects. Accordingly, this paper aims to provide an alternative approach to the energy usage of the Black Sea coastal countries, especially Turkey. In addition, awareness of energy efficiency and environmental protection in education system are described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global electrical energy consumption is arising and there is a steady increase of the demand on the power capacity, efficient production, distribution and utilization of energy. The traditional power systems are changing globally, a large number of dispersed generation units, including both renewable and non-renewable energy sources such as wind turbines are integrated into systems at the distribution level. Building up wind turbines supposes a significant investment in the foundation construction, especially in case of difficult foundation ground conditions. These ground conditions are found in sites of Dobrogea area from Romania. In this case, there are necessary special foundations to ensure the proper workability of the foundations. In this paper are compared two foundation solutions. One of them supposes to apply a soil improvement technology by realizing compacted granular columns. The second solution consists in carrying out a limited number of piles under the foundation block. The conclusion resulted by comparing these two solutions is that the pile foundation solution is less time consuming and cheaper than the solution consisting in soil improvement with compacted granular columns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]