It is well known that electrical-power generation plays the key role in advances in industry, agriculture, technology, and standard of living. Also, strong power industry with diverse energy sources is very important for a country's independence. In general, electrical energy can be mainly generated from: (1) nonrenewable energy sources (75.5% of the total electricity generation) such as coal (38.3%), natural gas (23.1%), oil (3.7%), and nuclear (10.4%); and (2) renewable energy sources (24.5%) such as hydro, biomass, wind, geothermal, solar, and marine power. Today, the main sources for electrical-energy generation are: (1) thermal power (61.4%)—primarily using coal and secondarily using natural gas; (2) “large” hydro-electric plants (16.6%); and (3) nuclear power (10.4%). The balance of the energy sources (11.6%) is from using oil, biomass, wind, geothermal, and solar, and has visible impact just in a few countries. This paper presents the current status of electricity generation in the world, various sources of industrial electricity generation and role of nuclear power with a comparison of nuclear-energy systems to other energy systems. A comparison of the latest data on electricity generation with those several years old shows that world usage of coal, gas, nuclear, and oil has decreased by 1–2%, but usage of renewables has increased by 1% for hydro and 2% for other renewable sources. Unfortunately, within last years, electricity generation with nuclear power has decreased from 14% before the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) severe accident in March 2011 to about 10%. Therefore, it is important to evaluate current status of nuclear-power industry and to make projections on near (5–10 yr) and far away (10–25 yr and beyond) future trends.

It is well known that electrical power generation is the key factor for advances in industry, agriculture, and standard of living. In general, electrical energy can be generated by (1) nonrenewable energy sources such as coal, natural gas, oil, and nuclear; and (2) renewable energy sources such as hydro, wind, solar, biomass, geothermal, and marine. However, the main sources for electrical energy generation are (1) thermal—primarily coal and secondary natural gas, (2) “large” hydro, and (3) nuclear. Other energy sources might have a level of impact in some countries. Modern advanced thermal power plants have reached very high thermal efficiencies (55–62%). In spite of that, they are still the largest emitters of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Therefore, reliable non–fossil fuel energy generation, such as nuclear power, is becoming more and more attractive. However, current nuclear power plants (NPPs) are way behind in thermal efficiency (30–42%) compared to the efficiency of advanced thermal power plants. Therefore, it is important to consider various ways to enhance the thermal efficiency of NPPs. This paper presents a comparison of thermodynamic cycles and layouts of modern NPPs and discusses ways to improve their thermal efficiencies.

Due to emerging climate change concerns coupled with increased global energy demand, eventually the world needs to move to low-carbon-emission electricity-generating sources—nonrenewables, such as nuclear power, and renewables, as hydro, wind, geothermal, solar, and tidal. The only source is nuclear power that is reliable, concentrated, and can be of large installed capacity and operate with high capacity factors. This paper updates and presents the current status of nuclear-power deployment and small modular reactors (SMRs) development in the world. Unfortunately, within last 9 years, electricity generation with nuclear power has decreased from ∼14% before the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) severe accident in March of 2011 to about ∼10%. Therefore, it is important to follow up with and understand the latest trends in nuclear power including SMRs development.

The article presents the results of an analysis of the distribution and nature of the use of second suburban housing (second homes) in the Moscow capital region using an indicative approach based on data from mobile network operators. The research methodology included a multiscale analysis of fluctuations in the nighttime population in several marker time slices, which made it possible to indirectly estimate the usage scale of year-round and seasonal dacha housing. The dacha settlement system of the Moscow capital region forms an extensive and populous spatial structure. In addition to the classic summer residence format, dwellings that are periodically or permanently inhabited during the cold season are gaining in popularity, and the number of such summer residents, according to rough estimates, exceeds 1 mln people. The suburbanization pattern is characterized by pronounced belt-sector segmentation and can be represented as a dacha settlement model with four identified zones according to the mode of suburban housing use. The first, at a distance of 10 km from the Moscow Ring Road (MKAD), is characterized by the dominance of year-round dacha housing and represents focal inclusions of dacha settlements in a dense urbanized continuum. At a distance of 10–20 km, and to west and southwest up to 40 km from the MKAD, year-round dacha housing is widely encountered. Farther, in some places up to 60 km from the MKAD, dachas are used in a mixed summer–winter regime; past 60 km, seasonally inhabited dwellings dominate. In general, the impulsive rhythms show the blurring and interpenetration of boundaries between the city and countryside, as well as the formation of mosaic spatiotemporal residence patterns. At the same time, the gradual spread in the Moscow capital region of the year-round residence format by city dwellers in second homes, while maintaining housing in the city, serves as stark evidence of a generation of dacha innovations here, transforming both traditional Soviet and Western examples of dacha behavior.