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Europe is currently facing the potentially biggest energy crisis in history. There are many reasons for this, and the current geopolitical situation makes it clear that we are being forced to take immediate action to ensure sufficient energy supplies to consumers. Until recently, the European Union was dependent on Russian energy resources (mainly oil and gas). For many years, the EU countries had been shutting down their own production and importing much cheaper raw material from Russia. The threat of a blackout is becoming increasingly possible. European governments are preparing businesses and households for the energy crisis in various ways, but there is also a great deal of mobilization to accelerate the development of renewable energy sources (RES). The aim of this study was to identify the barriers and prospects for RES development in Poland in the current geopolitical conditions. The reasons for insufficient grid HC were analyzed. Additionally, the article aimed to assess the prospects for solar energy development in Poland. Wind power was discussed only in general terms because the development of wind farms is inhibited by the regulatory framework. Particular attention was paid to hosting capacity (HC) and the condition of the power infrastructure as the main determinants of RES development in Poland. Numerous documents developed by power companies and government agencies responsible for implementing and managing energy in Poland were analyzed. Special attention was paid to legal regulations and the need for legislative changes. As a country, Poland has one of the highest growth rates in photovoltaic (PV) installations. The forecasts for increasing HC, as a prerequisite for RES development in Poland, are not promising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Directive 2010/31/EU introduces a new building standard (NZEB) in all member states of the European Union from 1.01.2021. In Poland, a low-energy building has been defined. The design, construction and use of such building is a complex process and requires knowledge of many aspects concerning building materials, general construction, building physics, installations, renewable energy systems and architectural design. Implementation of the current technical requirements in this area encompasses examining many parameters of an entire building but also of its external walls and joints. Defining them according to the applicable legal regulations and relevant standards evokes many questions and uncertainties regarding calculation procedures and interpretation of physical aspects. On the basis of conducted calculations and analyses, the authors have started a discussion on calculation methods in this field, proposing changes in legal regulations and calculation procedures. The paper describes selected factors influencing low-energy buildings: physical parameters of building envelope elements, support of modern ventilation systems, energy performance parameters. The calculation part of the work concerns the analysis of physical parameters of the elements of low-energy building envelope and energy performance parameters of a buildings with consideration of energy saving and thermal insulation criteria. Formation of material systems of external walls and building joints requires taking into account innovative insulation materials and specific parameters of the air inside and outside of a building. The use of professional software for calculations and analyses provides reliable results. Many coherent factors such as: architecture of a building, structural and material solutions of the external walls and their joints (elements of the building envelope), type and efficiency of the ventilation, central heating and hot water systems, use of renewable energy sources, integral management of the building in the field of energy production help to obtain optimal parameters of energy performance of the building and reduce emissions of CO2 to the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]