Recently, biomass application as a renewable energy source is increasing worldwide. However, its availability differs in dependence on the location and climate, therefore, agricultural residues as cow dung (CD) are being considered to supply heat and/or power installation. This paper aims at a wide evaluation of CD fuel properties and its prospect to apply in the form of pellets to direct combustion installations. Therefore, the proximate, ultimate composition and calorific value were analyzed, then pelletization and combustion tests were performed, and the ash characteristics were tested. It was found that CD is a promising source of bioenergy in terms of LHV (16.34 MJ·kg⁻¹), carbon (44.24%), and fixed carbon (18.33%) content. During pelletization, CD showed high compaction properties and at a moisture content of 18%,and the received pellets’ bulk density reached ca. 470 kg·m⁻³ with kinetic durability of 98.7%. While combustion, in a fixed grate 25 kW boiler, high emissions of CO, SO₂, NO, and HCl were observed. The future energy sector might be based on biomass and this work shows a novel approach of CD pellets as a potential source of renewable energy available wherever cattle production is located.

This article presents an approach to locating wind farms based on open-source data, GIS software (QGiS v.3.32 Lima), and multicriteria decision-making methods such as AHP, TOPSIS and Borda. The article aims to check the availability of the most suitable sites for wind farms in Podlaskie Voivodeship, Poland. After the site-selection process, 704 plots were selected after three stages of exclusion (technical–natural, social, and economic). These plots cover a total area of 32.50 km², about 0.16% of the region’s area. The results show that Podlaskie Voivodeship has the most considerable clustering of suitable sites for wind farm construction in three districts, with a total area of 21.53 km². The first district is in the southwestern part of the region, with an area of 14.84 km²; the second district is in the southeastern part of the region, with an area of 5.59 km²; and the third district is in the northern part of the region, with an area of 1.1 km². A selected area of 32.50 km² for wind farms and single turbines could increase the power capacity by 62% with 131.5 MW. The GIS and multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology is repeatable and can be used for further research in other voivodeships in Poland and other countries. International and Polish investors and renewable energy sources (RESs) developers can use the research results to select new locations for investments that fit their strategy in the local market.

With global shifts towards sustainable energy models, the urgency to address rising fossil fuel prices, military conflicts, and climate change concerns has become evident. The article aims to identify the development of wind energy in Poland. This study introduces an integrated methodology for enhancing renewable energy capacities by selecting new construction sites for onshore wind farms across Poland. The proposed methodology utilises a hybrid model incorporating multiple criteria decision-making methods, such as the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS), alongside the semiautomated spatial analysis method using QGiS software (v. 3.32 Lima). The model considers economic, social, and environmental criteria and limitations, offering a comprehensive approach to the decision-making process. It was found that wind farms occupy 460.7 km² in Poland, with a 250 m buffer around each turbine and a total power capacity of 5818 MW. The results show that an additional 7555.91 km² of selected areas, 2.34% of the country’s area, theoretically offer significant opportunities for wind energy development. The spatial analysis identifies potential sites with promising opportunities for domestic and international renewable energy investors. The study’s findings contribute towards achieving national and EU renewable energy targets while offering a replicable framework for informed spatial planning decisions in other regions.

Nigeria has the potential to generate 12,522 MW of electricity, but can only dispatch 4000 MW, which is insufficient for a population of over 200 million people as of 2022. Therefore, Nigerians use solid fuels including firewood and charcoal as an alternative to insufficient electricity for domestic use. The consumption of firewood and charcoal in Nigeria is estimated at 23,745,458 tons and 4,828,689 tons, respectively in 2021, by far the most consumed domestic solid fuel sources in Nigeria. Although there are domestic solid fuel alternatives, such as dung, agricultural residues and coal, to firewood and wood charcoal, their sustainable adoption has been slow in Nigeria, indicating that there is insufficient knowledge of domestic solid fuel sources. This requires a review focused on assessing Nigeria’s national sources of solid fuels. This article presents an overview of the sources of domestic solid fuels in Nigeria, an exploration of different types of firewood and charcoal studies, the impact of solid fuels on climate change and the environment, health risks associated with solid fuel and biomass briquettes and pellets as domestic solid fuel alternatives to charcoal and firewood. The continued production and use of firewood and wood charcoal as domestic solid fuel sources encourage deforestation, desertification and greenhouse gas emission, which in turn pose a threat to a sustainable environment and good health. It is necessary to limit the felling of trees for firewood and charcoal production to curtail their negative impacts on the health of users and the environment. This review covered the thermal, mechanical and physical properties of briquette and pellet fuels as substitutions for firewood and charcoal. It was shown that employing briquettes and pellets as a source of solid fuel in the home will lessen the negative impacts that these fuels have on users’ health, the climate and the environment.