This study departed from a research basis being somewhat lacking in the context of green building certification and especially the two-folded problem, regarding the characteristics of the network of business relationships and how an energy supply company should exploit opportunities in this network context and its relationships. As such, the purpose of this study is to investigate and analyse the network context and its business relationship characteristics, as well as to present recommendations of how an energy supply company can engage green building certification and cope with the business relationships in order to exploit business opportunities. Based on previous research regarding the real estate industry, energy service industry and the construction industry, a well-founded literature base could be extended further by applying theoretical concepts related to business relationship elements and strategy-making. The nature of green building certification and to fulfil the purpose of the study, called for a qualitative research strategy performed through a multiple-case study design. This led to the investigation of four certification projects, subject to certifications in the systems of EU GreenBuilding and Miljöbyggnad, where the most important actors, relationships and project contents constitute the empirical data. The findings of this thesis suggest that the relationships are characterized as having a short-term focus and an avoidance to become interdependent. In this manner elements such as commitment and adaptation are shown as rather shallow, where actions of commitment are not typically short-term sacrifices for a long-term mutual benefit and adaptations mostly occur with respect to specific projects. The adaptive behaviour is also more or less explained as a standardized procedure, avoiding relationship specific investments. Trust is an important element mostly in order to reflect the competence of the counterpart, where previous successful projects indicate the skill and knowledge. Despite the characteristics of the relationships, the benefits of long-term, high involvement, cooperative relationships were highlighted as good aspects to consider in this context. These characteristics, along with outspoken market demands, acted as the basis for the development of recommendations for an energy supply company in terms of a step-wise action framework. In this sense, the first acknowledgement of the framework is that the current position related to green building certification projects of an energy supply company is rather unestablished, with only one exception found. This implies a strategic approach in terms of understanding how to develop and maintain their business relationships, with respect to the previously mentioned characteristics. Through a successful utilization of the action framework (with respect to certain barriers to overcome), this thesis emphasizes a wide range of opportunities such as to have a proactive approach, maintain interactions between projects, to develop the knowledge, to offer a holistic approach and to utilize long-term cooperative relational benefits. The analysis and framework is highly suitable when applied by an energy supply company, but the authors also argue for the findings to be of relevance also for other practitioners in the context of green building certification. In addition, the authors believe that the orientation of this thesis might be a trigger for future similar research approaches, applied in different contexts.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe nagrinėjamos decentralizuoto (paskirstytojo) generavimo ir atsinaujinančių energijos išteklių panaudojimo sprendimai, aprūpinant pastatą įvairia energija – šiluma, vėsa, karštu vandeniu, elektra. Energija aprūpinama panaudojant tokius įrenginius – kogeneratorių, kompresorinę ir absorbcinę šaldymo mašinas, saulės kolektorius, dujinį katilą. Apibūdinami pasirinkti įrenginiai, jų veikimo principai, savybės, atskleidžiami jų privalumai ir trūkumai. Parengiamos trys alternatyvių variantų principinės energijos sistemų schemos, suformuotos iš minėtų įrenginių derinių. Pristatomi šių alternatyvių įvairios eneregijos gaminimo variantų galios ir energijos kiekių rodikliai. Parenkamas optimalus naujų technologijų derinys. Alternatyvių variantų ekonominis pagrįstumas įvertinamas, parenkant optimalų energijos generatorių derinį atsižvelgiant į jų bendrą atsiperkamumą. Apibendrinus teorines žinias ir gautus skaičiavimo rezultatus, pateikiamos baigiamojo darbo išvados ir pasiūlymai. Darbą sudaro 6 dalys: įvadas, teorin�� dalis, analizinė dalis, ekonominė dalis, išvados ir pasiūlymai, literatūros sąrašas. Darbo apimtis – 61 psl. teksto be priedų, 34 iliustr., 11 lent., 46 literatūros šaltiniai. Atskirai pridedami darbo priedai. / Solutions of decentralized (distributed) production and application of renewable energy sources in the case of different energy - like heating, cooling, hot water, electricity - supply for a building were analyzed in the final master thesis work. Energy supply sources are cogenerator, compressor and absorption cooling machines, solar collectors, gas boiler. Selected devices, their principles of work, characteristics, their advantages and disadvantages were described. Three schemes of principal energy system alternative were described, using combinations of devices mentioned above. Power and energy amount indexes of different energy generating alternatives were specified. The optimal combinations of new technologies were selected. After the optimal combination of energy generating system was done, economical validity of alternatives were estimated taking into account their total payback time. After theory and received results were summarized, the conclusions and suggestions were presented in the end of the final master work. Work consists of 6 parts: introduction, theory, analysis part, economical part, conclusions and suggestions, literature source. Size of Work: 61 pages of text excluding the appendixes, 34 pictures, 11 tables, 46 literature sources. Appendixes of the work are attached separately.

Diversification of the energy mix is one of the main challenges in the energy agenda of governments worldwide. Technology advances together with environmental concerns have paved the way for the increasing integration of Distributed Generation (DG) seen over recent years. Combined heat and power and renewable technologies are being encouraged and their penetration in distribution networks is increasing. This scenario presents Distribution Network Operators (DNOs) with several technical challenges in order to properly accommodate DG developments. However, depending on various factors, such as location, size, technology and robustness of the network, DG might also be beneficial to DNOs. In this thesis, the impact of DG on network planning is analysed and the implications for DNOs in incorporating DG within the network planning process are identified. In the first part, various impacts of DG to the network, such as network thermal capacity release, security of supply and on voltage, are quantified through network planning by using a modified successive elimination method and voltage sensitivity analysis. The results would potentially assist DNOs in assessing the possibilities and effort required to utilise privately-owned DG to improve network efficiency and save investment. The quantified values would also act as a fundamental element in deriving effective distribution network charging schemes. In the second part, a novel balanced genetic algorithm is introduced as an efficient means of tackling the problem of optimum network planning considering future uncertainties. The approach is used to analyse the possibilities, potential benefits and challenges to strategic network planning by considering the presence of DG in the future when the characteristics of DG are uncertain.

The formation of modern society has been dominated by coal and oil, and together these two fossil fuels account for nearly two thirds of all primary energy used by mankind.  This makes future production a key question for future social development and this thesis attempts to answer whether it is possible to rely on an assumption of ever increasing production of coal and oil. Both coal and oil are finite resources, created over long time scales by geological processes. It is thus impossible to extract more fossil fuels than geologically available. In other words, there are limits to growth imposed by nature. The concept of depletion and exhaustion of recoverable resources is a fundamental question for the future extraction of coal and oil. Historical experience shows that peaking is a well established phenomenon in production of various natural resources. Coal and oil are no exceptions, and historical data shows that easily exploitable resources are exhausted while more challenging deposits are left for the future. For oil, depletion can also be tied directly to the physical laws governing fluid flows in reservoirs. Understanding and predicting behaviour of individual fields, in particularly giant fields, are essential for understanding future production. Based on comprehensive databases with reserve and production data for hundreds of oilfields, typical patterns were found. Alternatively, depletion can manifest itself indirectly through various mechanisms. This has been studied for coal. Over 60% of the global crude oil production is derived from only around 330 giant oilfields, where many of them are becoming increasingly mature. The annual decline in existing oil production has been determined to be around 6% and it is unrealistic that this will be offset by new field developments, additional discoveries or unconventional oil. This implies that the peak of the oil age is here. For coal a similar picture emerges, where 90% of the global coal production originates from only 6 countries. Some of them, such as the USA show signs of increasing maturity and exhaustion of the recoverable amounts. However, there is a greater uncertainty about the recoverable reserves and coal production may yield a global maximum somewhere between 2030 and 2060. This analysis shows that the global production peaks of both oil and coal can be expected comparatively soon. This has significant consequences for the global energy supply and society, economy and environment. The results of this thesis indicate that these challenges should not be taken lightly.

L’innovation dans les technologies de l’énergie bas-carbone est entravée, d’une part, par les externalités sur l’environnement et, d’autre part, par les externalités de connaissance. Ces défaillances de marché nécessitent d’être corrigées par l’intervention des pouvoirs publics. L’objectif de cette thèse est d’établir les conditions d’un soutien efficace à l’innovation dans les technologies de l’énergie bas-carbone. Le travail de recherche mène des analyses théoriques sur le traitement de ces défaillances de marché en conjonction avec des évaluations empiriques des politiques de soutien à l’innovation dans ces technologies mises en place jusqu’à présent. Cette thèse se structure en cinq chapitres. Le Chapitre 1 interroge la nécessité de mettre en place des politiques spécifiquement dédiées à l’innovation dans les technologies de l’énergie bas-carbone, en opposition à un soutien à l’innovation de la part des pouvoirs publics ne discriminant pas ces technologies des autres. La revue des instruments économiques mis en place jusqu’à présent est ensuite proposée et indique la prédominance du soutien à l’innovation dans ces technologies par la demande, plutôt que par l’offre. Le Chapitre 2 resserre l’analyse sur les instruments de soutien par la demande. Un modèle micro-fondé de diffusion est utilisé en vue de mener une analyse contrefactuelle évaluant les effets de ces instruments sur la diffusion de la technologie éolienne dans six pays européens. Le Chapitre 3 développe une méthode économétrique de mesure de la connaissance produite dans les technologies de l’énergie bas-carbone. L’utilisation d’un modèle à facteur latent commun permet d’estimer un indice de qualité des inventions brevetées entre 1980 et 2010, dans quinze types de technologies et dans six pays innovateurs. Le Chapitre 4 revisite la question du design optimal du système de brevet quand il s’adresse à une invention de procédé dont la rémunération dépend des politiques de tarification des externalités sur l’environnement. Le Chapitre 5 résume nos résultats et en déduit les principaux messages. / Innovation in low-carbon energy technologies (LCETs) is impeded by externalities on the environment on the one hand, and on knowledge on the other hand. These market failures need to be addressed through public policies. The purpose of this thesis is to investigate the conditions for effectiveness of policies aiming at supporting innovation in LCETs. It does so by having recourse to theoretical analyses in conjunction with empirical assessments. The thesis is structured into five chapters. Chapter 1 questions the need to implement innovation policies specifically dedicated to LCETs — as opposed to neutral innovation policies that do not discriminate between these technologies and other technologies. A review of the economic instruments that have been implemented is proposed and indicates the predominance of a demand-pull approach — over a supply-push approach — to support innovation in LCETs. Chapter 2 evaluates the effects of demand-pull support instruments by conducting a counterfactual analysis to determine the extent to which the diffusion of wind power in six European countries is imputable to these instruments. Chapter 3 develops an econometrical method aiming at providing a robust measure of the produced knowledge that pertains to LCETs. A common latent factor model is used to estimate the quality of inventions that have been patented by six countries between 1980 and 2010 in fifteen low-carbon energy technologies. Chapter 4 revisits the question of the optimal design of a patent system when specifically dedicated to a process invention, whose reward depends on the pricing of environmental externalities. Chapter 5 summarizes our results and articulates key issues and messages.

This master-thesis analyzes issues of suggestion configuration of power supply network of industrial business. The option of the scheme of the configuration, the voltage level, the way of compensation of the reactive power, the way of the suppretion of the energetic interference and other requirements is included in the main tasks. This option has to be convenient with the requirements of the industrial business. The important point of this proposal is to prevent the influence of the superordinate distribution network. The compensation which keeps the power factor in the prescribed limits is one of the precautions against the influencing of the network. The second precaution is the elimination of energetic interference. The higher voltage, the fluctuation and the asymmetry of the voltage are the interferences which have the biggest impact on the industrial networks. The master-thesis offers the summary of the possibilities and ways of the elimination of the basic elements of the energetic interference.

The aim of this Graduation Thesis is to devise a system of energy supply intended to provide supply of electric and heat energy to a vacation property. The main feature of this energy supply project stands for a shift from mains power supply to alternative energy supply using renewable resources. The reason for this change is the fustiness of power lines and their negative effect on the surrounding landscape. Due to the fact that authorities did not permit renovation of these power lines, the only way to preserve the functionality of the vacation property is to secure its power supply by employing renewable resources. The vacation property (a mountain cottage) is located in Hrubý Jeseník Mountains, approximately 15 kilometers from the town of Šumperk. The thesis also contains a description of the way outlying settlements are currently supplied with energy, including the possibility of accumulation and a brief description of each electrical appliance’s power consumption. In the design itself, I calculated the necessary collector surface and analyzed the most effective collector placement. As for the wind energy system, I had to found the best spot to place the turbine. Last but not least, the thesis contains the technical-economical comparison of the proposed alternatives.

Oliver Tambo Institute of Governance and Policy Studies. / MPM

The submitted thesis called "The Relevance of Azerbaijan and Georgia in New Energy Geopolitics" deals with the topic of perception of energy security from the perspective of the European Union with special emphasis put on two southern Caucasian countries - Azerbaijan and Georgia. The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the topic by means of the constructivist approach. The theoretical framework is based on the redefined theory of securitization. The methodological basis is represented by the discursive analysis of the official documents issued by the European Union, embedded in the context of European Neighbourhood Policy and the Eastern Partnership initiative respectively whilst taking into consideration the external influence of the Russian Federation in the time period of approximately ten years, i.e. from 2003, when the European Neighbourhood was established, up to the present. The main objective of the submitted thesis is to assess the perception of energy security from the point of view of the European Union and to identify key contextual links and discursive themes that dominated the political discourse of the European Union in particular moments of the respective period.

The Member States of EU27 need to accelerate the integration of energy efficient technology solutions to reach the 20% energy efficiency target set for 2020. At current pace, projections indicate that only half of expected primary energy reductions will be reached. To meet the energy demands of growing populations and a vibrant economy, while simultaneously reducing primary energy supplies, the European continent faces a new kind of challenge never previously encountered. The identification and application of feasible, competitive, and comprehensive solutions to this problem are of highest priority if the remaining gap is to be closed in time. How is this multi-dimensional and complex dilemma to be dissolved? In this work, expanded use of district heating technology is conceived as a possible solution to substantially reduce future primary energy demands in Europe. By extended recovery and utilisation of vast volumes of currently disregarded excess heat from energy and industry sector fuel transformation processes, district heating systems and combined generation of heat and power can improve the general efficiency of the European energy balance. To investigate the possible range of this solution, this thesis introduces a set of methodologies, theoretical concepts, and model tools, by which a plausible future excess heat utilisation potential, by means of district heat deliveries to residential and service sectors, is estimated. At current conditions and compared to current levels, this potential correspond to a threefold expansion possibility for directly feasible district heating systems in European urban areas and a fourfold increase of European excess heat utilisation.