Wind and solar energy in Poland

Wind and solar energy in Poland

Mirosław WięcławInstitute of Geography

Rotor

Tower

Nacelle

Parts of a turbine

Source: www.ecoplanetenergy.com

Wind energy is converted into electricity using wind turbines.

Representative turbine architectures from 1980 to 2010 (source: NREL)

Historical cost of wind energy (source: NREL)

Changes in total installed capacity of wind turbines in Poland in the years 2001-2013

Wind energy zones in Poland (source: IMGW-PIB)

Zones:I highly favorableII very favorableIII favorableIV little favorableV unfavorable

Province Capacity (MW)

West Pomerania Province 1154,2

Pomerania Province 459,8

Kujawy-Pomerania Province 454,2

Wielkopolska Province 319,3

Łódź Province 315,8

Warmia-Masuria Province 238,1

Mazovia Province 222,5

Podlasie Province 162,4

Opole Province 122,7

Podkarpacie Province 103,7

Lower Silesia Province 85,4

Lubuskie Province 56,6

Silesia Province 18,0

Świętokrzyskie Province 9,0

Małopolska Province 3,5

Lublin Province 2,2

Wind power capacity in Poland by province (as of 30 June 2014)

source: Energy Regulatory Office

The biggest wind farms in Poland are located in Wielkopolska Province and on the coast.

In Margonin (Wielkopolska Province) is 60 wind turbines

with a total capacity of 120 MW. A similar power is the power

station in Mieleszyn.Source: margonin.pl

Source: polskaniezwykła.pl

Source: www.energetykon.pl

Source: www.energa.pl

Source: www.kolumber.pl

Source: Google

Wind farm in Karścino near Kolobrzeg (Baltic coast)

The main uses of solar energy

photothermal conversion

photovoltaic conversion

Source: www.solar-for-energy.com

Source: www.greenspec.co.uk

Photothermal conversion involves converting solar radiation into heat energy using solar collectors. This method is used primarily for heating water.

Solar collectorInstallation for heating water

solar cell

Source: en.wikipedia.org

solar panels

Source: www.slashgear.com

Photovoltaic conversion is to conversion of solar radiation into electricity using solar cells.

Source: Monier Braas

Source: www.instalacjebudowlane.pl

In Poland, the energy from the sun is produced based

primarily on solar collectors.

Power of installed and used solar collectors in Poland is 1.2 GW

(data for 2015). On the European market every year Poland occupies one of the first places in terms of

the growth rate of installed collectors power.

Source: www.gramwzielone.pl

In recent years, also it takes a very dynamic development of solar powers using photovoltaic cells.

The increase in installed capacity in solar power plants in Poland

Source: AMB Energia

Source: UM Kolno

Source: tvn24.pl

Source: tvn24.pl

The largest solar power plants are located in Kolno in Podlasie

Province (1.8 MW) and in Gubin – Lubuskie Province (1.5 MW)

Kolno

Kolno

Gubin

Gubin

December June

02468

101214161820

MJ*

m-2

*d-1

The main disadvantage of solar energy is its seasonality. Changes in the height of the sun, the length of day and cloud cover in Poland

cause that in June, the daily sum of the total solar radiation is 10 times

higher than in December.

The average daily sum of the total solar radiation in central Poland

(on the basis: Miara, Paszyński, Grzybowski, 1987)

0:30

2:00

3:30

5:00

6:30

8:00

9:30

11:0

0

12:3

0

14:0

0

15:3

0

17:0

0

18:3

0

20:0

0

21:3

0

23:0

00

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

January July hours

Kglob (Wm-2)

Solar radiation ceases at night, and its intensity during the day

significantly is modified by cloud cover.

The average daily course of the total solar radiation intensity in Bydgoszcz (source:

Więcław, 2009)

The total solar radiation intensity depending on the degree of covering solar disc through the clouds (source: Wolf –

Technika Solarna, 2009)

The advantages of wind and solar energy:

• it helps to reduce carbon dioxide emissions,• it is inexhaustible,• its acquisition costs are getting lower,• it creates new workplaces and the possibility of the use of fallow

lands,• it allows to power hard to reach areas.