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The dilemma of choosing between conventional energy and renewable energy sources is a topic of discussion in various economic and social sectors. This problem is not only a matter of the country's energy security but is also an important element of sustainable development that affects the functioning of future generations. The analysis of this process must cover all aspects of operation, with particular emphasis on tourism, including ski resorts. The aim of the work is to assess the current state of ski infrastructure in terms of the possibility of using green energy to power these types of devices, with an indication of the profitability of implementing this project. This analysis will cover the types of renewable energy sources and how they are used in winter sports resorts around the world, whilst additionally focusing on the energy structure of Poland and the European Union, as well as on energy transformation plans in Poland. An important aspect of this analysis is to understand the barriers to the development of the unconventional energy sector and the ski resorts themselves. The impact of ski resorts on the natural environment was also examined. When analyzing the profitability of introducing green energy to power ski slopes, the costs of traditional energy sources in a Polish ski resort were analyzed. The benefits of introducing green energy were indicated by comparing SWOT analyses of the Polish coal sector with renewable energy sources. In the economic context, the profitability of the proposed renewable energy installation was presented, using the NPV, IRR and payback period methods. The analysis of the cost structure of traditional energy sources allowed for the identification of a potential investment in renewable energy technologies, showing the share of electricity costs in the structure of energy carriers used on the ski slope. As a result, the profitability of the installation project was indicated as photovoltaic with specific power and parameters. Although the presented considerations refer to the realities and legal regulations applicable in one of the selected European Union countries—Poland, a country where energy from photovoltaic panels is developing the fastest among all renewable energy sectors in Europe—these considerations can be used in practice to indicate further directions and development prospects for other regions of the world. At the same time, the content of the considerations creates the basis for further development of research on these processes in order to popularize Poland's energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The primary goal of this article is to compare the role of green energy portals/applications in shaping sustainable societies in selected countries: the People's Republic of China, Spain, Poland, and Türkiye. Design/methodology/approach: The comparisons were made for data collected at the turn of 2022/2023, in the PRC, Spain, Poland and Türkiye. The data was collected using a CAWI survey distributed in the academic environment of the countries analyzed in the study, supplemented by statements obtained through mailing lists and social media platforms. The study included 1209 people, of which a total of 608 individuals completed the entire survey questionnaire. Differences in the obtained results were evaluated using Euclidean distance. The hypothesis was made about the existing differences between the average ratings of attributes of individual green energy portals/applications and it was proven to be true for the Poland-Türkiye, Poland-PRC, and Poland-Spain relationships, but not for the pairs of other countries. Portal/application ratings were made using a scoring method and the proprietary conversion method. Findings: Respondents in all analyzed countries use information technology infrastructure on a daily basis to communicate with the Internet (by smartphones and PCs): in the PRC, Türkiye, Poland and Spain, 53% of the surveyed people are very familiar with and well-versed in issues related to green energy, and they have the greatest knowledge about it. Research limitations/implications: The limitation of the study was that it was mainly conducted in the academic environment of selected countries. Its most important achievement is the comparison of opinions on the use of green energy portals for countries that are so different culturally, economically, and demographically. Practical implications: Practical implications of the study may be useful for business practitioners in selected countries to indicate possible strategies for designing green energy portals/applications that support the creation and development of a sustainable society as well as showing the method of using these results. Originality/value: The value of the research was achieved by creating a pattern to follow, pre-design analyses, as a guideline for analysts and designers of portals, for establishing functionality and HCI techniques and for comparing methods used to evaluate modern ICT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years, the increase of energy derived from renewable sources in the total production of electricity, has been an important aim for both central and local authorities in many countries, including Poland. –Many investments undertaken in this area contribute to sustainable development. One of the branches of "green energy" may be prosument production induced by residential self-sufficient estates. The number of technologies and facilities-related developments have been growing in each EU country every year. The current article, aims to examine the potential influence of self-sufficient estates on "green energy" production and thus on sustainable development in Poland. In order to achieve the above, case studies were undertaken. They showed the profitability of examined photovoltaic installations and capability of the sector in energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research aims to identify (1) whether consumers have an impact on the energy sector, (2) to what extent consumers have an impact on the energy sector, and (3) whether there is so-called energy communism. We understand this phenomenon as the process of energy suppliers imposing energy sources on which the end consumer has zero or very little influence. The research, therefore, focused on a B2C analysis, in five selected countries: the USA, Canada, Australia, the UK, and Poland (N = 500). The research subjects are a homogeneous group in terms of the sources of green energy, and the volume of production of this type of energy and its increments. The investigation was conducted using the procedure appropriate for the triangulation of research methods. Three hypotheses were verified. The first one was rejected, which aimed to determine whether individual consumers are guided by green energy in their choices. The second hypothesis—that energy suppliers do not take into account customer needs/expectations and pursue their strategies—was partially confirmed but was also directed for further exploration. The third hypothesis was whether the consumer is free to make the decision to switch energy suppliers—if so, what is the hierarchy of the most and least decisive factors in the choice of supplier? The verification of this hypothesis indicates that there is no specific pattern that consumers follow when choosing an energy supplier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disruption of fossil fuel supply chains due to the war in Ukraine has resulted in the need for an urgent reorganisation of the energy supply system, the cost of which has created a substantial increase in electricity prices in many markets. In light of the above, the need for the development of a renewable energy market has become stronger than ever; hence, the authors of this study have oriented their efforts towards investigating the development of the renewable energy market in countries bordering the line of armed conflict in Ukraine, i.e., Poland—strongly dependent on traditional forms of energy production—and Lithuania. The primary objective of the paper is to review the literature on wind energy, which is necessary to establish the current role of this energy dimension in the renewable energy market in the energy systems of Poland and Lithuania. Therefore, this review paper is oriented towards a review and evaluation of the available thematic literature and industry studies, as well as conclusions related to the number and direction of research topics in the area of the explored issues. The basic finding of this review is that the reviewed literature and studies are most strongly oriented towards a general assessment of the ongoing energy transition in the world, in which the thread of the assessment of the energy situation in Poland and Lithuania, including the thread of the analysis of wind energy, is part of broader assessments, most often regarding EU countries. The wind energy of the countries included in the scope of the review is not discussed comprehensively. The gap identified in this respect relates in particular to the aspect of wind energy development potential concerning solutions targeted at the individual consumer. In quantitative terms, studies addressing wind energy in Lithuania represent a lower percentage of the thematic literature acquired for the review. In the area of noted niches, the need for research and analysis is recommended to increase the information supply for developing the renewable energy market in Poland and Lithuania. In doing so, it is important to explore the technical and technological solutions (with a focus on the individual customer) and the economic aspects of wind installations from a micro and macro perspective. In addition, there is a lack of sufficient studies revealing the position of public opinion regarding the development of this dimension of the RES market and the direction of its changes. This is an important problem—particularly in Poland, where the so-called distance law constantly blocks the development of this dimension of RES and where the need to develop energy from renewable sources is particularly urgent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of hydrogen exists in various sectors in Poland and Germany. Hydrogen can be used in industry, transport, decarbonisation of the Polish steel industry and as one of the low-emission alternatives to the existing coal applications in this sector. Limiting climate change requires efforts on a global scale from all countries of the world. Significant economic benefits will be realized by stimulating the development of new technologies to deal with climate change. The scenarios show an increasing demand for industrial hydrogen in the future. The key is to replace gray hydrogen with green, and to convert industrial processes, which will create additional hydrogen demand. The condition for the development of a green hydrogen economy is access to adequate installed capacity in renewable energy. Germany will become the leading market in the era of energy transformation in the coming years. The implementation of the hydrogen assumptions in Poland is possible, to a greater extent, by the efforts of entrepreneurs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to identify the associations that young Polish recipients have with green energy, considering their self-assessment of the level of knowledge about green energy and the importance attributed to the energy sources they use on a daily basis. An analysis of the world literature on the subject indicates that there is a cognitive and research gap in the level of market awareness of individual recipients regarding green energy and its sources. This issue has been neglected even more among young people in the context of their associations with this type of energy. To eliminate these research gaps, five hypotheses were formulated. To this end, primary research was carried out using the survey method to collect data. The research covered 311 individual representatives of recipients in Poland aged between 18 and 24. The primary data collected was subjected to quantitative analysis, using specific tests and statistical analysis. Among other things, the following was discovered: (1) the dependence between the self-assessment of the level of knowledge about green energy and the importance attributed to the sources of energy used; (2) the dependence between the self-assessment of the level of knowledge about green energy and the associations with it (mainly negative ones); (3) the dependence between the importance assigned to the sources of energy used and the associations with green energy (mainly positive ones); and (4) that there were sets of recipients characterized by identical associations with green energy within the groups of people selected among the total respondents and among respondents assessing their level of knowledge as low or high, as well as among respondents attributing high or low importance to energy sources. The research results and the conclusions drawn have significant cognitive value and practical application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Employment and the competencies of employees in the energy sector are coming into particular prominence in economies around the world. It is one of the few sectors positively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, a significant global change in the awareness of society occurred in favor of increasing pro-health and pro-environmental activities, which can be seen in the green transformation. Poland can also boast such changes in recent years, as evidenced by the dynamic development of renewable energy sources (boom for photovoltaics) and the increase in prosumption. Correlated with this is the increase in demand for employees with specific competencies, the so-called multi-competencies that are a compilation of technical, business, and soft and hard competencies, as well as interdisciplinary ones. The paper emphasizes the need to better adjust the education system to the real needs of the labor market in a turbulent environment with the use of the Sectoral Qualifications Framework in Energy, developed in cooperation with stakeholders from the industry. Therefore, the authors analyzed the employment structure in the energy sector in Poland, with particular emphasis on the factors and conditions of this structure and made an attempt to identify and create a competency profile of employees in this area. For the purposes of this article, two key research problems were formulated: What are the key competencies of employees in the energy sector? How is employment changing in this area? The following research hypothesis was also put forward: The transformation of the energy sector towards green energy affects the increase in employment in this area and the increase in the demand for soft competencies. The analysis was based on statistical data, reports, job advertisements, and a review of the results of empirical research to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generation Z is gaining more and more importance in the market—not only is it attaining purchasing power, but it is also setting trends. This is the generation that spends a lot of time on various social media channels, and the content posted there is a source of information, inspiration and motivation for them. Its representatives are very skeptical about traditional marketing messages, so the best way to reach them is to use influencer marketing. They are also sensitive to environmental problems and ecology. For this reason, the purpose of this paper was to identify the possibility of using influencer marketing to promote green energy in the perspective of Generation Z in Poland. The CAWI method of research was carried out April–June 2022 on a sample of 533 people aged 18 to 26, selected using a quota method. The analysis used statistically significant structure indices (percentages) and measures of correlations between the variables. The results presented confirmed the enormous popularity of social media among the representatives of Generation Z, as well as the great involvement of young consumers in tracking the activity of influencers. More than half of the respondents indicated the usefulness of influencers promoting green energy, but at the same time the vast majority of them declared that the choice of green energy in their case was determined by the opinions of other people, and that the role of influencers was negligible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the article is to show the possible effects of implementation of the European Union climate policy on the economy and the labour market in Poland. The specified research objective and introductory literature review were the basis of the following research hypothesis: the EU climate policy will cause great uncertainty in strategic sectors of the Polish labour market and economy. The hypothesis has been examined by a method based on critical analysis of Polish and foreign literature on the EU climate policy and its economic effects. The critical analysis of literature and of available statistical data and economic forecasts con- firmed the research hypothesis. It means that implementation of the EU climate policy will lead to considerable increase of uncertainty in the Polish labour market. The situation in traditional branches and sectors, such as mining, metallurgy, cement plants and traditional power plants industries is particularly worrying. On the other hand there is an expectation that in sectors based on green energy and in industries producing low emission technologies the demand for jobs will increase, but the scale of the increase is not clear and any predictions here may turn out to be incorrect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The European Union's New Green Deal generates changes in the socio-economic development of regions. An element of this change is the transformation of the regional profiles of the energy portfolio towards more pro-ecological ones. The aim of this article is to identify the conditions and reasons for the transformation of the energy portfolio of the Eastern Poland macroregion, and to define the directions of the energy portfolio evolution caused by the need to implement the goals of the European Green Deal by 2030, in order to consequently develop the forecast energy portfolio for the Eastern Poland macroregion. It has been assumed that the energy transformation of the Eastern Poland macroregion will be implemented through gradual transformation of the energy portfolio towards dispersed sources of local and civic energy. The research is based on both qualitative and quantitative approaches. The qualitative research was carried out on the basis of the diagnostic survey method with the use of the proprietary questionnaire as well as with the analysis of the content of strategic documents of the voivodships included in the Eastern Poland macroregion. The basis for the preparation of research questions was the extended PEST method which stands for: political, economic, socio-cultural, technological. Research efforts were focused on developing an energy portfolio for the region using the assumptions of the Boston consulting group matrix (a strategic planning tool). The originality of the conducted research consists in the adaptation of the BCG matrix to the development of the forecast energy portfolio and the preparation of a proposal for the aggregated energy portfolio of the Eastern Poland macroregion. The obtained results indicate that the macroregion's energy portfolio is diversified, though with the key significance of conventional sources. It is predicted that by 2030, the following sources will change their positions within the portfolio for the Eastern Poland macroregion: solar energy, wind energy and bioenergy. However, it will retain the character of a "youth wallet". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU's energy policy is geared towards introducing changes in order to stop or avoid negative climate change. The determinants of the energy policies of Poland and Germany are presented along with the priorities until 2050. The possibilities of reducing the impact of energy on the environment were interpreted, emphasizing its common goal. Activities supporting the EU and maintaining the level of energy security are indicated. Possible negative effects in the social and health sphere are presented as a response to the failure to implement these demands. The literature was analyzed and proprietary questionnaires were carried out, and the results realized in the EU by the independent FBI Economic Department were implemented. On the basis of earlier pilot studies, variants of a successful transformation were implemented, assuming different roles performed by a citizen (entrepreneur). Opportunities to tackle climate change and global challenges have been identified based on innovation and motivation. The opinion on the way of thinking in Poland and Germany was compared, and a descriptive model was prepared to increase the achievement of the assumed goals, together with a model based on innovation. Citizens should be active in efforts to promote renewable energy. The EU has a strong base to work to avoid climate change. What is needed is innovative thinking and a motivation to introduce changes with the involvement of every citizen through solidarity, efficiency, and justice. The existing foundations of legal solutions create adaptation possibilities and the ability to achieve goals through self-discipline, comparing with the assumption of EU civic awareness, significantly affecting the successful implementation of RES. Analyzing the attitudes of Poland and Germany, it seems that the distant social consequences are not sufficient. It is necessary not only to perform selected management functions (planning, organizing), but also partly to motivate. There is a strong need to increase motivation and implement the control process required under the threat of negative consequences in the current period as a key strategic preventive action. The analysis of the opinions of Poland and Germany against the background of the European Union allowed for no significant differences, subject to Germany's readiness to take greater risk. Most of Poland is less inclined to take risks. The lack of an unambiguous opinion may indicate incomplete awareness of both the negative effects of climate change. Both countries are concerned about the unplanned costs of transformation. Germany, unlike Poland, has dedicated employees to handle the climate, and conducts an energy audit and is of interest to investors, thanks to investment plans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy sources help in decreasing negative environmental impacts and in reducing energy-import dependency. Among all renewable energy segments, photovoltaic panel (PV) installations are one of the fastest-growing. Growing concern about climate change, as well as public policies promoting the development of PV installations, have changed consumers' behaviors and attitudes. This study uses the theory of consumption values to identify factors influencing consumers' choice behavior regarding photovoltaic panel installations. There is little research on consumers' perception of value related to green energy in Poland, especially in the case of photovoltaic panels. We fill this cognitive gap by testing an extended green consumption values model that includes functional, social, emotional, conditional, epistemic, and environmental values. The research was conducted on 250 Polish consumers using a self-administered questionnaire as the research tool. The results of structural equation modeling showed that only functional value and environmental value had a positive impact on consumers' choice behavior toward photovoltaic panels. Photovoltaic panel installations are an important investment for Polish households; however, our research results showed that consumers are able to pay for high quality, environmental protection, and future savings. Individuals' environmentally positive attitude related to environmental concern, environmental knowledge, and responsibility was the strongest determinant of adopting photovoltaic panel installations. New findings concerning Polish consumers' behaviors can provide references for other countries, especially in Central and Eastern Europe. Our results can be useful for marketing managers and policy marketers in developing strategies concerning the successful promotion of the installation of photovoltaic panels in European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy strategy and environmental policy in the European Union are climate neutrality, low-carbon gas emissions, and an environmentally friendly economy by fighting global warming and increasing energy production from renewable sources (RES). These sources, which are characterized by high investment costs, require the use of appropriate support mechanisms introduced with suitable regulations. The article presents the current state and perspectives of using renewable energy sources in Poland, especially photovoltaic systems (PV). The specific features of Polish photovoltaics and the economic analysis of investment in a photovoltaic farm with a capacity of 1 MW are presented according to a new act on renewable energy sources. This publication shows the importance of government support that is adequate for the green energy producers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal light electric vehicles (PLEVs) are a phenomenon that can currently be observed in cities, intended to be an ecological form of transport. The authors of the paper make an attempt to determine electricity consumption by PLEVs in the context of managing a large city in accordance with the concept of sustainable development. The article is of a cognitive nature. Research questions posed against the background of the goal formulated are as follows: how strong will the demand for PLEVs be (in the example of e-motor scooters, taking into consideration the number of vehicles) and for the electricity consumed by PLEVs. The method used is a simulation model. The conducted analyses demonstrate that a dynamic growth of PLEVs will result in an increased energy demand, which must be taken into account by the cities, developing according to the sustainable development conception. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]