ЭКОНОМИКА ВТОРИЧНО ВОЗОБНОВЛЯЕМЫХ ИСТОЧНИКОВ ЭНЕРГИИ

Abstract

Against the background of diminishing traditional energy sources, increasing negative impact on the environment, also due to some energy sectors, as well as the growing threat of extreme increase in the waste on a global scale, SRES have a serious potential to play the role of one of the key methods to achieve a sustainable balance, without any harm to the economic development. In practice, if assumed that the total population of the Earth is 7 billion people, at least 5 million tons of waste is generated on a daily basis (not counting the industrial ones). Of them, circa 2 million tons are non-recyclable, but these could be transformed into energy. Modern technologies offer up to 50% conversion of the source materials into usable free energy––i.e. there is a potential for the generation of approximately 1 million МW/h per day, or at least 300–350 TW/h per annum. This amounts to the whole electricity consumption of 5–10 small developed countries likeBulgaria,Slovenia, etc. The improvement and implementation of the SRES technologies will require significant expenses for scientific research and development. A part of these expenses can be covered by the general provision of incentives for alternative energy sources, another part should be provided by external sources, including funding from the central budgets, grants, as part of public-private partnerships, etc. The offered article examines the economics of the SRES, and all related factors, including their role and place in the energy sector, significance for the protection of the environment and for the achievement of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), adopted within the UN. An attempt is made to develop the existing and to offer new criteria for a more accurate and universal definition of the SRES. The objective of the article is not to claim to be an universal and exhaustive study of all aspects, related to the nature and use of the SRES, but it is rather an attempt to systematize and carry out a comparative analysis of the main problems, related to the SRES, as well as to draw the attention and stir a wider discussion on a topic, which––according to the authors––undeservedly fails to be sufficiently incorporated into the studies and research, related to the alternative energy development. Special attention is drawn to the opportunities provided by waste-to-hydrogen solutions alongside with other waste-to-energy approaches. Authors are also introducing for the first time the notion of “double-green-solution” as a specific feature of the waste-to-energy solutions. The article may be of interest to economists, investors and practitioners.