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Due to the ever-growing importance of resource conservation and sustainable lifestyle, people are searching for new, alternative solutions that will enable a more sustainable use of resources. Because energy production is one of the most pollution-intensive industries, a major factor is renewable energy, which reduces the amount of industry pollution and facilitates sustainable use of resources. One of the sustainable energy resources are Salix and the wood chips produced from them, which are used in energy production at cogeneration plants. The quick-growing nature of Salix make Salix wood chips a valid alternative for fossil energy resources. The objective of this paper is to research the economic opportunities for planting and developing Salix fields in Latvia. The paper analyses the theoretical aspects of renewable energy industry, and the growing and utilization of Salix. The research part focuses on analysing Salix fields in Latvia, calculating the economic gross margin per one hectare of Salix fields with a 25-year life cycle and a 3-year harvesting period on the basis of the gross margin models, developing a MET matrix to discover the environmental impact of Salix growing, as well as surveying Salix growers regarding the cultivation, utilisation and future potential of Salix. The research concludes that Salix growing is an economically viable process. Planting material costs account for the majority of the initial expenses, but this investment is fully returned by the third harvest. The greatest impact on the environment and climate is caused by land cultivation, with toxic materials as the main contributor. According to Salix growers, this is an economically viable field if making use of non-agricultural land and cultivating large areas to reduce machinery costs. The future potential of Salix growing is substantiated by the cogeneration stations in Latvia which are in need of fuels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for secure and reliable applications will increase due to the growing necessity for sustainably and independently produced energy. For example, the amount of energy generated by individuals at their homes will probably grow fast in the near future so requiring for easy-to-use and precise solutions. To transform and facilitate the processes related to energy sector it is possible to use blockchain technology. The aim of this paper is to evaluate and analyse different areas of blockchain application in the renewable energy sector. Using content, SWOT and PESTLE analysis, the results show that the main strengths and opportunities are confidentiality, immutability of recordings and potential involvement of each individual, while weaknesses and threats - scalability, compatibility and legal framework. Latvia is already using more (42.1%) renewable energy than in the European Union on average (22.1%) but in order to meet the binding targets for the Member States by 2030, the blockchain technology could promote development in this sector. The results of the study improves the scientific opinion on blockchain technology in sustainable energy field by identifying potential implementation benefits and challenges; thus, gathering the knowledge for easier moving towards real-life implementations and also highlighting the areas with the need for specific further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Production of bioenergy (especially biomass) has emerged as a major issue in renewable energy policy, rural development and natural resource management. Bioenergy is widely believed to have among the largest employment potential of the renewable energy sector, particularly in the rural areas. The aim of research, presented in the paper, is to evaluate the impact of subsidies and support measures, inter alia, sub-measures, under Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2007-2013 for encouraging bioenergy production on sustainable rural development. For example, to assess job creation and preserved work places; to evaluate further sustainability regarding the principles and framework of latest European Union legislation and guidelines in the sphere of renewables. The appropriate qualitative and quantitative research methods have been used in the process of study, using the data from different databases. Only impact in the primary sector and several activities in the secondary sector (e.g. chipping, operation of pellet mills, operation of biogas plants etc.) have been evaluated. The main socio-economic impacts, such as the establishing enterprises (e.g. biogas plants), creation of new jobs, have been investigated. The support under RDP for encouraging entrepreneurship and diversification into non-agricultural activities have been granted for existing enterprises (i.e. microenterprises), agricultural farms and for founding and development of new enterprises. The findings of research show that there are both the benefits and shortcomings or some negative effects. Despite the support for the bioenergy projects, having provided new jobs and retaining the existing ones in rural areas, the cost of new jobs is comparatively high. The sub-measure of RDP 2007-2013 "Support for energy production from agricultural and forestry biomass" is the least effective (i.e. capital intensive) from the point of view of creating jobs. On the other hand, the sub-measure "Support for creation and development of micro-enterprises" is most productive in terms of net job creation (the average amount of investment per job created is the smallest). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union (EU) is hurrying towards a climate-neutral economy, which includes increasing the use of renewable resources, including wood for heating. This direction means that the use of wood is increasing every year in the EU and beyond. The by-product of this activity, biofuel ash, is correspondingly increasing, so its further use should be considered a long-term issue. Energy producers face the challenge of making the best use of ash and often landfill it, thus moving countries further away from the EU Directive target. EU Directive 1999/31/EC and the National Waste Management Plan 2021-2028 require the amount of municipal waste landfilled (% of municipal waste generated) in 2035 will not exceed 10%. Otherwise, EU countries may face significant penalties. The energy produced from renewable energy sources (RES) In 2019, the total consumption of renewable energy sources (RES) in Latvia was 75.5 petajoules (PJ), according to the Central Statistical Office (CSO). In the five years 2015-2019, RES consumption increased by 16.7%. The decrease in RES consumption in 2019 was driven by a decrease in hydropower (HPP) generation, due to lower rainfall than in 2018. The main types of RES in Latvia are fuel wood (firewood, wood residues, fuel wood chips, wood briquettes, and wood pellets) and hydropower. Since 2010, the use of wood fuels for heat supply in Latvia has been increasing rapidly. Increasing the consumption of domestic energy sources reduces energy dependence on imported energy sources from 63.9% in 2005 to 44.3% in 2018. Fuel wood accounts for 82% of RES energy consumption. The share of fuel wood in total RES consumption was 82% in 2019 (80.7% in 2018). Biogas (landfill gas, sewage sludge gas, other biogas) consumption in 2019 was 3.4 PJ, 7.3% less than in 2018 (3.6 PJ), with a decrease of 8.1% or 0.3 PJ over the five years. The study aims to help solve the problems of district heating companies by preventing waste generation and reducing the costs for companies in its disposal. In addition, it can reduce, albeit slightly, the tariffs of heating users for the heat supplied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]