Comparison of Metals Content in Peatlands with Different Anthropo pressure in Welski Landscape Park (Poland)

Analiza metali ciężkich na torfowiskach

Wind energy in Poland – History, current state, surveys, Renewable Energy Sources Act, SWOT analysis

The history, current state and prospects for the development of the wind power sector in Poland have been presented. Poland has a long tradition of using wooden windmills, mainly post mills for economic purposes. Basing on the data of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, the speed of wind was calculated in Poland at a height of 100 m. The highest wind speed in Poland is noted in the northern part, the central part and, most of all, in the south-western part. In the December 2015 there were 1016 wind installations in Poland of total power of 5100 MW in Poland. There are also 37 wind farms. At the largest farm – Margonin – there are 60 wind turbines in operation, each of power of 2 MW. The new formal and legal framework for the wind power sector in Poland was described in relation to the new Renewable Energy Sources Act (RES Act). The new regulations on funding the wind power sector; that is, an auction system, were presented. The outcomes of the sociometric surveys conducted among investors were described. The SWOT analysis of the wind power sector in Poland was presented. The three scenarios of the development of the wind power sector in Poland were described

Farmers’ willingness to supply biomass for energy generation: evidence from South and Central Poland

The objective of this survey-based study was to investigate farmers’ willingness to supply biomass for power generation in the south and in the centre of Poland. In total, 210 farmers participated in this study by filling in a self-instructed questionnaire. The results indicate that the majority of farmers (two-thirds) in both regions appeared unwilling to collect, store and transport biomass to the market or to the energy production facility. It is likely that an unstable biomass market marked by low demand and low prices has led to unwillingness by farmers to engage in bioenergy production in Poland. Increasing the role of biomass as a renewable energy resource and recovering the farmers’ confidence in the market would require fixing the shortcomings in the biomass market and the provision of clear public policies that aim at long-term market stability

Farmers' perceptions of the challenges facing the biomass market in Poland; a case study from South and Central Poland

Farmers’ perceptions and values are a fundamental part of a polycentric approach aimed at improving the financial feasibility of biomass-based enterprises. In this survey-based study, 210 farmers from central (Torun province) and southern (Upper Silesia region) Poland completed a self- instructed questionnaire dealing with their perceptions of the challenges currently facing the biomass market and their willingness to change from traditional farming to feedstock production for energy generation. The results indicate that only 12% of the farmers are willing to switch to biocrop cultivation. Moreover, selected socio-economic and demographic variables (gender, age) had an impact on their willingness to adopt energy crops. All the presented challenges appeared to be of high relevance to the farmers who participated in this study. However, farmers from Torun province attributed substantial relevance to the social transformation in the agriculture sector, and to the lack of seasonal workers. In the Upper Silesia region, the lack of a well-established biomass market was of greatest relevance. A cross-tabulation method revealed statistical differences between the perceived value of farming and the farmers’ perceptions toward the challenges facing the biomass market. These findings are insightful for policies that aim to address the shortcomings in current biomass market development in Poland

Vegetation of Humic Lakes in Relation to their Trophic State

Ejankowski W., Iglińska A.M.: Vegetation of humic lakes in relation to their trophic state. Ekológia (Bratislava), Vol. 33, No. 2, p. 160-170, 2014