Renewable energy sources, in particular those based on solar radiation, are growing rapidly and are planned to play an instrumental role in building power systems to reach the 2030 and 2050 energy and climate mitigation objectives. However, new actors have been introduced into the energy field, highlighting the importance of the role of citizens and communities in building such energy systems. To outline the significance of citizens in the development of solar energy communities and to describe the benefits of and barriers to their implementation so far, a comprehensive literature review has been carried out based on 64 thoroughly selected, reliable scientific publications (published within 2015–2021), revealing the latest trends, technologies and research in this field. The research focuses on four consumer interest areas: policy, economic, technical and social, covering the following subsections: policy, trading model, economic assessment, business model, energy management, demand response, modelling tools and consumer adoption. Within each subsection the conducted review seeks to answer the questions related to the further development and implementation of PV energy communities, considering consumer needs and revealing the possible solutions.

The quality assurance process for international study programs are developed taking in to account requirements on the national level, Bologna process, as well as international experience of EU partners. The establishment of successful study program in engineering topics is analysed in the article. The quality assurance on international dimension, and development project quality monitoring activity plan for Erasmus plus KA 2 projects are discussed. The internal, external as well as international procedures are discussed. The quality control planning in cooperation with EU neighborhood region e.i. Western Balkan region countries, as well as Russia, Mongolia, Vietnam and Kazakhstan are discussed as examples for new academic programs and double diploma study programs.

In the next ten years, the Baltic countries ― Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania ― are planning large investments in renewable power generation and transfer capacity, substantial phase-out of fossil-based power generation, and desynchronization from the Russian electricity grid. In this article, the operational impacts of these changes on the Baltic energy system from 2017 to 2030 are studied with an open-source Backbone energy system model. The operation of Estonian, Latvian and Lithuanian power and heat, transport, and building sectors are optimized simultaneously on an hourly level, and results are analysed with operational, environmental, economic, and security indicators. Results suggest that the planned transition would support Baltic targets in renewable generation (from 45% to 92%) and self-reliance (2.3 TWh increase in domestic power generation and 5.5 TWh decrease in natural gas imports) with a moderate impact on system costs. However, an increase in transport CO2 emissions could risk national non-ETS targets. The hourly operation of the system, with a high share of wind and solar, is based on active use of storages and interconnectors. Model results raise concerns about the amount of Estonian dispatchable capacity, the commercial feasibility of Latvian natural gas CHP’s, and the high ramping rates of Lithuanian interconnectors.

The hybrid AC/DC grid, based on a significant share of renewable energy sources, is gradually becoming an essential aspect of the modern energy system. The integration of intermittent renewable generators into contemporary energy systems is accompanied by the decommissioning of power plants containing synchronous generators. Consequently, this leads to a reduction in system inertia and an increase in the risk of stability disruption. The abrupt disconnection of the primary generator or power line can result in an unanticipated mismatch between power generation and consumption. This discrepancy can trigger substantial and swiftly evolving alterations in power distribution, angular speed, load flow, and the frequency of generators. The risks of an energy system collapse can be mitigated through automation, enabling rapid adjustments to generation and load capacities, as well as power flows, in the electrical network. This article justifies the utilisation of a power control method for high-voltage power line interconnections. The technology of hydro storage power plants and measurements of voltage phasors are employed. The potential for easing power flow restrictions and realising substantial economic benefits is supported by the results obtained using simplified dynamic model of the Baltic power system and Nord Pool electricity market model.

This study explores the challenges posed by the transition to large-scale deployment of renewable energy sources, which lead to a significant reduction in the inertia of power systems. It focuses on enhancing resilience and frequency stability in response to sudden disturbances, such as generator failures or transmission line disconnections. The paper critically evaluates the limitations of conventional under-frequency load shedding (UFLS) methods and advances a novel Rapid Load Shedding (RLS) approach. The RLS method harnesses the active power response of synchronous condensers (SCs) to enable faster load shedding, thereby improving system stability and addressing operational constraints from a reliability perspective. The study demonstrates the feasibility of implementing new control systems using the proposed structure of a special protection scheme. It also examines the economic benefits of enhancing the allowable transfer capacity in the Baltic Power System (BPS) through this method. The findings highlight how the RLS approach can enable higher transfer capacities whilst maintaining system resilience. Additionally, the results indicate that the RLS method can significantly mitigate frequency deviations and enhance system stability, offering a promising solution for low-inertia power systems with high levels of renewable energy integration.

Energy poverty is a growing concern in the European Union. Following energy market liberalization, the problem of energy affordability has entered the political discussion, making it necessary to estimate its dimensions, develop and implement a policy and means for its mitigation. To evaluate the situation in Latvia, the paper reviews the way energy poverty is currently defined and measured, investigating the advantages and shortcomings of various definitions and approaches. It then provides a brief analysis of energy poverty in three char-acterising dimensions: low income, high costs of energy services and unsatisfactory housing conditions (primarily related to energy efficiency aspects), using available statistical data. The characterising indicators of energy poverty are compared with the EU average values. Finally, this paper highlights individual policy measures for diminishing energy poverty.