Conference Agenda

The growing global demand for energy, coupled with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, has led to a significant rise in the utilization of wind power and a surge in the construction of wind energy facilities. The establishment of wind power plants is a multifaceted endeavor that spans several years and encompasses numerous tasks, including the planning and execution of various analyses. A critical component of this process is the wind estimation analysis, which assesses the wind potential at a specific site and evaluates the economic viability of the project.

This wind estimation process is intricate and involves multiple steps, with simulations based on meteorological and topographical factors such as altitude, surface roughness, and obstacles. These simulations can be conducted using various physical models, including the well-known linear BZ model utilized by the WAsP program, as well as the increasingly popular Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models. This study employs the WAsP program to analyze the existing wind power plant "Danilo," located near Šibenik, Croatia, in order to assess the impact of topographical parameters on wind estimation. The research primarily focuses on altitude data that closely represent the actual terrain surrounding the wind power plant. This data has been sourced from six different global Digital Elevation Models (DEMs), topographic maps at a scale of 1:25,000, and the Digital Elevation Model provided by the National Geodetic Administration of the Republic of Croatia. The contour lines derived from these sources have been categorized into four groups based on varying equidistances of 2.5, 5, 10, and 20 meters. Simulations were carried out within a radius of 5, 10, 15, and 20 kilometers around each turbine of the "Danilo" wind power plant. By testing various areas and altitude datasets, a total of 136 combinations were generated. The findings indicate that the estimated average power output is 12 to 15% lower than the actual power generation, depending on the altitude source used.

Large parts of the Ústí Region in the Czech Republic have long been affected by intensive opencast lignite mining. In some of the opencast quarries, mining has already ceased, and hydraulic reclamation has been used to restore parts of these former quarries - for example, the creation of the post-mining lakes Most, Milada and Matylda. In other parts of the region, intensive mining within other large quarries is just ending (CSA quarry) or is still ongoing (quarries: Nástup Tušimice, Vršany, Bílina), but under the influence of EU climate protection policies, coal mining is expected to end here as well. The end of mining is expected in 2033 or even in 2030 (depending especially on the prices of emission allowances). On the one hand, ambitious visions have arisen that a system of lakes connected to canals with hydroelectric power plants could be created within the quarries, thus could partly replace energy from coal mining. On the other hand, other studies have warned before that the current system of creating large post-mining lakes is outdated under climate change conditions because there is not enough water in the region. Previous experiences with the results of hydraulic reclamation have shown that technical forms of solutions can be problematic in terms of economic and environmental sustainability, because, for example, in the case of post-mining lakes Most or Matylda, it was and is necessary to regularly provide financially demanding replenishment of water levels from water sources outside the basin. In the case of some other quarries, such as CSA, the new development concept documents recommend the creation of an isolated lake that will be filled only with water from the basin, with the understanding that the situation may change - if an investor can be found who is willing to finance the construction of a pumped storage plant as well as the costly controlled filling of the lake to the target level from water sources outside the basin. Qualitative interviews with selected actors were conducted as part of the research activities and their opinions on various options for the future use of hydraulic reclamation in the Ústí Region were identified. The survey found that some actors prefer traditional hydraulic reclamation and expect large public investments from the state or the EU, while other actors are sceptical about the creation of large post-mining lakes under climate change conditions.

Energy regulation and energy strategies do not take into account the use of wind energy on settlement inner area, and building legislation on the municipal environment severely restricts such development.

Investors are understandably focusing on the areas with the best wind potential. To achieve maximum efficiency, both the size of individual turbines and the size of wind farms are constantly increasing. However, despite their undisputed role in the energy transition and in curbing global warming, these installations are increasingly carving out a slice of the natural and agricurtural environment. Clean energy production from wind will therefore lead to the development of new areas.

At the same time, the urban environment, already intensively used for multifunctionality, has significant renewable energy potential that is currently untapped. The exploitation of this wind potential does not necessarily require the construction of new facilities. With creative industrial and architectural design, existing buildings and landmarks can be used to generate energy. These objects, in addition to their current function, can also be used to harness kinetic energy generated naturally and by artificial landforms.

The research assesses the perceived or real reasons for this situation and shows the potential of wind energy for municipalities. Our investigations have included exploring the reasons behind restrictive legislation and verifying its relevance. The analysis attempts to demonstrate that wind energy generated in municipalities can contribute a significant share of local electricity demand. According to the methodology used, a site was selected from the elements of the municipal landscape that, in addition to its current function, is also suitable for wind energy production. This choice was made for light poles, which are existing objects, have low space requirements, reach a cleaner wind zone due to their height, and are available in large numbers. Among the turbines, vertical axis wind turbines were chosen, which are better adapted to the conditions of the urban environment, are suitable for small-scale wind power generation and can be installed in large numbers. The number of electricity poles installed in Hungarian cities, municipal wind data and factory production data of the selected turbines were used for the analysis.

Curbing carbon emissions to meet the targets set in the Paris Agreement requires the global deployment of low-carbon technologies. The positive impact of low-carbon technology trade on energy transformation has been confirmed, but quantifying its influence on national energy structures remains a critical and pressing task. This study utilizes deep neural networks to construct the relationship between low-carbon technology trade and energy productivity. It then employs the world induced technical change hybrid (WITCH) model to quantify the impact of global low-carbon technology trade on greenhouse gas emissions and energy structure transformation under future SSP scenarios. The results show that: (1) The emission reduction potential of global low-carbon technology trade is uneven. Developed regions can achieve effective carbon reduction through low-carbon technology trade, while developing regions produce more greenhouse gases emission by trading low-carbon technology products. (2) Low-carbon technology trade promotes the green transformation of energy structure in developed regions. By 2050, the proportion of renewable energy use in developed countries will increase by nearly 15% under the influence of low-carbon trade. (3) Trade in low-carbon technologies can improve overall social welfare while reducing carbon emissions, but this sustainable development effect only works in developed regions. (4) The technological content of traded products leads to uneven carbon reduction potential effects among regions. This study highlights the need to reduce tariffs, promote the liberalization of low-carbon technology trade, and enhance the technological sophistication of traded products to facilitate the global dissemination of green technologies.