The paper explores the impacts of changes in renewable energy sources (RES) financing in Poland on the profitability of coupled photovoltaic panels and heat pump systems. The profitability analysis is conducted with the use of Net Present Value calculation and the return on investment period. The degree of change in profitability of using photovoltaic panels in Poland is dependent on the method of their financing. The analysis is carried out for two different photovoltaic support schemes: (1) the net-metering scheme currently in force in Poland; (2) the net-billing system scheduled for implementation in the year 2022. It is assumed for the analysis that two alternative heating and electricity supply systems for a single-family building will be operated: (a) a standard solution used in Poland consisting of a natural gas-fired boiler for heating and the purchase of electricity from the power grid, (b) an air/water heat pump used to heat the building, and electricity obtained from photovoltaic panels, also used to power the heat pump. A sensitivity analysis is carried out, examining the impact of several key parameters relevant for the profitability of such investments, such as average annual increase in the purchasing or selling prices of electricity, purchasing prices of natural gas, and inflation rate. The conclusions concern the possible consequences of introducing a new support scheme for photovoltaics in Poland. The highest profitability of all considered solutions is for the current scenario for heat pump and pv installation with the capacity to meet the demand in the last year of operation. The introduction of changes in the new RES law (2021) in Poland will reduce the profitability of investments in pv panels, leading to a slowdown in the investments in the pv installations.

In this article, the authors analyzed two extreme investment variants considering the installed capacity of Poland’s residential pv installation: (a) pv installation meets electricity demand only in the first year of operation, and in each subsequent year it is necessary to purchase electricity at market prices; (b) installation meets electricity demand even in the last year of operation, and in each previous year, the excess of generated electricity needs to be transferred back to the grid, with the limited (by law) right of drawing it from the grid for free in the future. In the article, a sensitivity analysis was performed, and profitability changes were established based on the NPV value, depending on case (a) or (b). The performed analyses showed that the pv installation profitability should not be analyzed, assuming only one moment when it meets 100% of the household’s electricity demand. It was shown that the choice of such a moment, depending on the value of particular technical and financial parameters, can lead to a change in the NPV value, even over 10%. Although the studies were done for Poland, such an approach can be implemented in other countries.

Wydawnictwo Naukowe Uniwersytetu Szczecińskiego

The energy mix significantly influences transport external costs and the environmental benefits of alternative powertrains. This paper compares environmentally preferable urban bus and passenger car technologies (electric, hydrogen, CNG, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and diesel) in Poland and Spain, considering electricity emission factors. The study examines how differences in national energy mixes affect the environmental benefits of cleaner transport solutions for urban bus fleets and passenger cars. It hypothesizes that coal-dependent electricity systems generate higher external costs across vehicle types than less carbon-intensive energy mixes. The findings confirm this assumption. In both countries, electric vehicles initially generated the highest external costs; however, as the share of coal in electricity production declined, these costs decreased substantially, eventually becoming the lowest among all analyzed powertrains. The results highlight the importance of aligning transport support schemes, including public subsidies, with the evolving energy mix in a given country.

Rozwój gospodarczy z jednej strony jest realizowany w dużej mierze dzięki rozwojowi transportu drogowego poprzez wzrost pracy transportowej (w przypadku pojazdów użytkowych), z drugiej strony to właśnie rozwój gospodarczy umożliwia rozwój transportu drogowego dzięki rozwojowi technologii, przy jednoczesnym wzroście dochodów i oczekiwań społeczeństw. Te obustronne powiązania generują zarówno szanse, jak i zagrożenia dla środowiska i społeczeństwa płynące z rozwoju transportu drogowego. Celem artykułu jest zidentyfikowanie i przeanalizowanie szans i zagrożeń, jakie niesie ze sobą rozwój transportu drogowego dla środowiska i dla społeczeństwa. Analizie poddano zagadnienia związane z ochroną środowiska, uzupełniając je o zagadnienia techniczne oraz społeczne. Wskazano i przeanalizowano poszczególne aspekty w ramach tych zagadnień i każdorazowo zakwalifikowano je jako szansę bądź zagrożenie. Wyciągnięto wnioski dotyczące kierunku rozwoju transportu drogowego ze społecznego punktu widzenia przy uwzględnieniu zasad zrównoważonego rozwoju.

Pollutant emissions are one of the main reasons why the European Union supports the use of electric and hydrogen vehicles. However, the environmental benefits depend on the energy mix used to produce electricity. This study examines the reduction of pollutant emissions resulting from the substitution of internal combustion vehicles with electric and/or hydrogen vehicles in Poland and Spain. The analysis applies the COPERT methodology to estimate emissions and the external cost monetisation approach to assess environmental impacts. The findings indicate that in Poland, by 2027, replacing conventional vehicles with hybrids yields greater environmental benefits than substitution with electric or hydrogen vehicles. However, across the entire analysed period, electric and hydrogen vehicles are more environmentally beneficial. If the share of renewable energy in Poland’s mix does not grow as expected, replacing traditional vehicles with hybrids may be more sustainable. In Spain, increasing alternative vehicles remains the most favourable scenario.