Renewable energy sources (RES): alternative possibilities, which could be implemented in Poland

AGH University of Science and Technology

^a Corresponding author: wiktor@agh.edu.pl

Abstract

The Kyoto Protocol and the EU’s Renewable Energy Directive [1] are the World and the EU’s legal regulations, which put pressure on most of the countries to extensive use of renewable energy sources (RES), in exchange for a reduction of energy from conventional sources. The main goal of the legal regulations is to reduce greenhouse gas emission. In European Union, from 1990 till 2014, share of the renewable energy sources has increased about 173% [2]. The data show that RES share in energy mix is increasing, and still has to increase. Therefore, all European’s countries are obligated to build new RES installations and to improve the efficiency of existing installations. That is the reason of that paper. In this article, on the base of own field research carried out in Germany and in Poland, author presents two alternative methods of energy obtaining, in which former mining excavations are used. In first method the excavations are adapted as the elements of the hydroelectric power stations and in second method they are used as a source of geothermal energy. In the end of the paper, author presents the proposals for the implementation of similar solutions in Poland.