MANAGEMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT: EUROPEAN EXPERIENCES AND STEPS FORWARD

The issues of the renewable energy and regional development have become major priorities for public policymakers across the globe. Therefore, this study explores some European experiences and steps forward in the field of the management of renewable energy and regional development. Firstly, an overview of renewable energy issues in European regions is revealed, and secondly, some measures and actions for managing regional development of renewable energy in Romania taking into account the financial allocations through the Cohesion Policy are disclosed. The results of this study may be used for upcoming research in the area of implementing renewable energy projects for urban and rural development of the regions.management, renewable energy, regional development, European Cohesion Policy, Romania

ANALYSIS OF RENEWABLE ENERGY IN ROMANIA’S CENTER DEVELOPMENT REGION

Nowadays various problems and requirements of the society and of the development of cities and regions may be solved by using environmental technologies that provide energy from different renewable sources. Therefore, this study examines the renewable energy potential in one of Romania’s development regions that is Center Development Region. The findings of this study reveal that this region has high renewable energy potential, distributed in all its six counties, which makes Center Region an attractive location for people who want to invest in green energy. The study was carried out by combining a wide variety of sources, such as statistics, research reports and articles. The results reported in this study could be used for further research in the area of implementing green energy projects for urban development of the regions.renewable energy, urban management, regional development, Center Development Region, Romania.

MANAGING RENEWABLE ENERGY IN THE EUROPEAN UNION

This study investigates the instruments used by governments in order to support renewable energy sources in the European Union. The findings of this study reveal that policy goals could be achieved by using a large variety of instruments. The study was carenewable energy, environmental protection, policy instruments, supporting schemes

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF RENEWABLE ENERGY

This study investigates the public policy in the field of renewable energy and explores how can practically be involved the local public administration in renewable energy projects’ implementation. Hence, the public policy in the field of renewable energy is disclosed, and the partnership public administration – private companies for regional development of renewable energy is explored, revealing the role of municipalities in renewable energy projects, the community resistance to implementation of renewable energy projects, and some local measures for developing renewable energy projects. The results of this study may be used for future research in the area of implementing renewable energy projects at regional level through partnerships between the public administration and private companies.public administration, renewable energy, regional development, public-private partnership.

Renewable Energies: Economic and Energy Impact in the Context of Increasing the Share of Electric Cars in EU

Renewable energies have an essential role in reducing various forms of pollution. The policymakers within the European Union place more and more emphasis on the replacement of internal combustion engine vehicles with electric vehicles in order to reduce emissions. The aim of this research is to analyze the current trends in producing and using renewable energy until 2028 and to estimate the impact of replacing the current internal combustion engine cars with electric cars. The significance of this study emerges from the estimation of the amount of electricity needed to replace current cars with electric cars and if it can be covered from green sources, based on the forecast of green energy until the year 2028. In addition, we also calculate in this study the impact on the public budgets of the European Union member states, as a result of the reduction of excise duties for fuels, following the reduction of their consumption. The research was carried out based on the extensive literature on the subject and data from Eurostat. The data used in this study are from 1990 to 2021. In this research we have used the IBM SPSS application with two of the most used forecasting algorithms: exponential smoothing model and autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA), based on the statistical analysis of the historical data. The estimated results showed that the replacement of traditional fuels will lead to an increase of 12.18% for electrical energy, and it could be covered 100% from green sources, if needed, even before 2028. There are many implications of this study for policymakers and the population. The results show that we still need policies to stimulate electricity production from renewable sources. There is a challenge regarding reducing government revenue due to fuel excises, which can be compensated by updating tax policies, with an impact on population and living standards. Furthermore, maintaining and adapting support schemes for electric cars, as well as expanding electric car infrastructure and smart grids are also challenges that need to be addressed by the policymakers and the industry

The Use of Virtual and Immersive Technology in Creating Personalized Multisensory Spaces for People Living With Dementia (SENSE-GARDEN): Protocol for a Multisite Before-After Trial

Background: The number of people living with dementia is rapidly increasing. With dementia’s impact on memory, communication, and self-identity, it is important to identify ways of meeting individual needs of diagnosed individuals and their caregivers. This study will test a new intervention, SENSE-GARDEN, that integrates autobiographical music, films, pictures, and scents with innovative technology to create an immersive environment tailored specifically for the individual. Objective: The SENSE-GARDEN study is an Active Assisted Living Program–funded multicenter project. The primary objective of the study is to assess whether a personalized, innovative technology-based intervention can improve the well-being of older adults living with moderate to severe dementia. The study will also assess whether the intervention can improve coping and reduce burden in caregivers. Methods: A controlled before-after study design will be used. There will be 3 sites in 3 trial countries: Belgium, Norway, and Portugal. A total of 55 people with dementia (PWDs) will be recruited. All eligible participants for the study will be randomized into the intervention or control group. For the first three months of the study, all participants will receive the SENSE-GARDEN intervention. For the final month of the study, the intervention group will continue visits to the SENSE-GARDEN, and the control group will discontinue visits. A mixed-methods approach will be used, including the use of standardized outcome measures, quantitative physiological data, and qualitative interview data. Results: The trials commenced recruitment in August 2019, and all data are expected to be collected by the end of May 2020. A user-centered design process is underway, with results from the first phase of user interviews indicating that people with mild cognitive impairment, family caregivers, and professional caregivers consider the SENSE-GARDEN to be a potentially valuable tool in providing numerous benefits to dementia care. Feasibility testing of the SENSE-GARDEN has been completed and results are expected to be published in October 2019. Conclusions: Findings from the SENSE-GARDEN trials will provide insights into the use of technology for personalizing interventions to the PWD. This will have potential implications on not only dementia research, but it may also have influences on care practice