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The study introduces the current situation of electric vehicle technologies, the possibilities and possible directions of their market, as well as the economic and environmental aspects in the eastern region of the EU, with special regard to Hungary. Our calculations show that despite the higher costs of ownership, in the case of 7 years of use (among Hungarian conditions), the total cost of the Battery Electric Vehicles (BEV) is lower than that of the Internal Combustion Engine Vehicles (ICEV) in each of the four segments analysed. The purchasing power of the population in the eastern regions of the EU is clearly lower compared to the western regions, yet people in this region spend beyond their financial means on motorization. Despite its unfavourable position, Hungary is in a particularly advantageous position compared to other countries in the region per vehicle and per capita in terms of the spread of BEVs. In the long run, even taking higher prices into account, the use of electric cars, in general, has significant advantages from an economic point of view; lower maintenance costs and fuel prices (especially with increased use) make EVs more cost-effective overall.

Local level sustainable energy production via the use of agricultural side products and waste can provide a good solution for present world energy crises. The aim of the examinations presented here is to estimate the amount of vine pruning waste suitable for energetical use in a traditional vine growing region of Hungary in Tokaj-Hegyalja. To reveal the significance of the field we have carried out a theoretical potential estimation on the base of internet data bases for the Tokaj-Hegyalja region first. To make our estimation more accurate we have carried out measurements on the amount of vine pruning waste produced annually in the region considering the local endowments and factors that determine the amount of vine pruning waste. Results of the measurements supported the hypothesis that there is a significantly larger amount of vine pruning waste produced in the studied area than the processing capacity. A further aim of this research is to call attention to local opportunities in reducing energy dependence and the importance of the use of agricultural side products and wastes in energy production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The European Union and Hungary are committed to increasing the share of green energy in the energy mix. There are two main challenges for the Hungarian energy sector today. The first is energy safety that is to provide enough energy to fulfil the industrial and residential electricity demands and meeting environmental requirements at the same time. The other is to prepare for potential shifts in industrial and residential consumer habits. We deal with the political and economic impacts on the energy balance, the booming of electricity consumption, the development of the Hungarian electrical grid and challenges induced by weather dependent energy sources. We present some best practices, in particular low or no cost examples that can contribute to the balance of electricity production and consumption. We examine the conditions of economical operation of microgeneration solar photo voltaic systems after the potential lapse of net metering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]