The potential of microalgae as a source of renewable energy received lately large attention. Microalgal biomass is a potential source of renewable energy and it can be converted into energies such as biodiesel, ethanol, combustible gasses or it can be used to produce pharmaceutical, food additives and other. If microalgal biofuel production is to be sustainable and economically acceptable, further optimization of microalgae production and its conversion to viable compounds is needed. Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms with simple growing requirements (light, sugars, CO₂, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) that can fixate CO2, produce lipids, proteins and carbohydrates in very short periods of time.
These products can be processed into both biofuels and valuable co-products. Municipal, agricultural and industrial wastewaters are able to satisfy growing requirements of microalgae and hence provide cost-effective sustainable biofuel production with simultaneous wastewater treatment. Integration of biofuel production and wastewater treatment has major advantages for both industries, however major challenges needs to be overcome in order to implement such facilities in large-scale. This paper reviews current status of this topic with focus on fuel production with simultaneous algae wastewater treatment and major technological challenges.

The emissions trading scheme, EU's flagship climate policy tool, is at a turning point. With the price of carbon hovering way below €5 per tonne and a glut of permits on the market, something must be fixed or the instrument will turn to dust. As a first step towards correcting the problem, the European Commission has proposed a measure to withhold pollution permits temporarily, a process called ‘back-loading'. Back-loading appears harmless enough as all withheld allowances would re-enter the market before the end of this decade. Therefore the European Commission and many stakeholders recognise that structural measures are needed so that the ETS would support the transition towards a low-carbon economy.

In order to assess the diffusion rate of solar and wind power plants in the Czech residential sector, we analyse data on licenses for business in the energy industries. We arbitrary set the maximum installed capacity for installations on residential roofs on 10 kWe and find out that the current number of such installations corresponds to 0.5 % of inhabited family houses in the Czech Republic, with most installations being in the Pilsen region and least in the Karlovy Vary and Liberec regions.
When compared with the overall development of solar power plants, it shows that the installations of up to 10 kWe accounted for about 35 % of all the solar power plant installations, but only for 1.9 % of the total installed capacity. Micro wind turbines are up to now not very expanded; we found only 20 installations of micro wind turbines.

Forestry and forest management plays many roles in the landscape and in the socio-economic area. Forests represent a landscape stabilizer, the best preserved part of the landscape of predominantly natural character with significant application of natural, spontaneous process. It also serves as a source of material benefits to human society. The wood-producing function of forests was questuioned in this country in recent years. Above all, leaders of various environmentalist movement are demanding ever greater proportion of forests without economic activity. However, forestry is afflicted by such influences by decades and the aim of this paper is to demonstrate possible implications of these trends for forestry and subsequent economic sectors.

The paper analyses available data sources on the use of renewable energy in Czech households from which it is possible to derive the current distribution of these sources in the Czech residential sector. Available data provide information about biomass, solar and heat pump installations. The data indicate that the most frequently used renewable energy source among Czech households is biomass, which is the main source of heating in approximately 8 % of inhabited dwellings. Heat pumps are installed in 0.5 % and solar energy is used in at least 1 % of all the Czech inhabited dwellings. It also indicates that these renewable energy sources are far more used in detached family houses rather than in apartment houses. Overall, most of the renewable energy sources used in Czech households are in the Central Bohemian Region, the least in Karlovy Vary Region and the capital city of Prague. Although the datasets do not provide enough evidence to derive any reliable development trends, they provide useful information on the minimal distribution of these resources in the past 10 years and also the effect of selected policy instruments to support the use of these resources on Czech households in comparison with the situation before they came into force.

The paper analyses available data sources on the use of renewable energy in Czech households from which it is possible to derive the current distribution of these sources in the Czech residential sector. Available data provide information about biomass, solar and heat pump installations. The data indicate that the most frequently used renewable energy source among Czech households is biomass, which is the main source of heating in approximately 8 % of inhabited dwellings. Heat pumps are installed in 0.5 % and solar energy is used in at least 1 % of all the Czech inhabited dwellings. It also indicates that these renewable energy sources are far more used in detached family houses rather than in apartment houses. Overall, most of the renewable energy sources used in Czech households are in the Central Bohemian Region, the least in Karlovy Vary Region and the capital city of Prague. Although the datasets do not provide enough evidence to derive any reliable development trends, they provide useful information on the minimal distribution of these resources in the past 10 years and also the effect of selected policy instruments to support the use of these resources on Czech households in comparison with the situation before they came into force.

This report is the result of processing all the available statistical sources that relate to the development of small combustion devices supply on the domestic market and its structure. Department of Resources and Energy Statistics acceded to this investigation due to the lack of comprehensive information about the number of devices, and to demand for this type of information.

The University Centre of Energy Efficient Buildings is a newly established interdisciplinary research institute of Czech Technical University focused to energy efficient buildings having the healthy indoor environment that, at the same time, are environmentally friendly. The main objective for the Centre establishment is the development of technologies for the energy demand reduction and the efficient improvement of natural sources concerning new constructions and reconstructions of existing buildings. The objective is to be achieved by the holistic approach, the expert knowledge concentration from the field of architecture, construction, mechanical engineering, information technologies, and hygiene of indoor environment and the top instrument equipment of the Centre.

In relation with the implementation of the revised EU Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings are currently changing some of Czech legal regulations and new methodology for energy performance assessment is introduced . This article focuses on an example rating the standard family house with conventional solution of building envelope and technical systems, using the new evaluation method. For this object will be also an obligation to issue an energy performance certificate as required by the Consolidated Act No. 406/2000 Coll., as amended.

Net metering is a way of trading electricity from renewable sources. It also works as an effective incentive to purchase renewable energy source and represents an alternative to other forms of support. In the easiest way it can be described as “turning the meter in both directions”.

Other important aspects of wind conditions over the area of the Czech Republic are discussed in the second part of the article. This include the distribution of wind speed and prevailing wind direction, which, can vary significantly between the sites in the Czech Republic.

While an actual map of the mean wind speed at the height of 100 m above ground (i.e. at the height of state-of-the-art "large" wind turbines) was created and published in 2007 – 2008, only less accurate older data were available for the conditions closer to the ground. This gap is filled by presented article and concurrently published map of the wind speed at the height of 10 m. Furthermore, other important aspects of wind conditions over the area of the Czech Republic are discussed. These results can form a useful tool for those interested in construction of small wind turbines.
To calculate the average wind speed at a height of 10 m above the surface the same procedure and the same input data as for “wind map” at a height of 100 m above the ground were used. The resulting wind map is a synthesis of three calculation models used for long time at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics AS CR: VAS, WAsP and PIAP.

The European Union is committed to reducing energy consumption in the built environment. Since the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) represents approximately 11% of the total electricity consumption in Europe, these systems are an important part of the commitment of the EU. In this article, we discuss two specific aspects of HVAC energy efficiency, both are based on that understanding how the commercial buildings work in real life is the first step towards reducing energy consumption.

In connection with the implementation of the revised European Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings, certain legislative provisions such as Decree No. 148/2007, Coll. Replaced by Decree No. 78/2013, Coll. are currently amending. This article is focused on the changes associated with the energy certification of buildings, the "ENB", from the perspective of changes in the evaluation ENB.

The new standard CSN 75 5409 is valid from March 1^st 2013. Technical Report on protection against Legionella will apply from May 1^st 2013. In case of conflict of energy saving and hygiene prevails hygiene. Size of the hot water tank is chosen according to the requirement of heat pump. Volume of accumulation of solar systems is about 50 l / m ² of collector area.

Czech legislation introduced special regime of responsibility and funding of recycling of the photovoltaic modules installed until 2012. The special regime was motivated by the fear that PV modules will remain in the field at the end of life as its owner will go bankrupt controlled.
For every other electronic devices their producers are responsible for recycling since 2005. For photovoltaic modules the producers responsibility in the Czech Republic starts from 2013. For the modules installed until 2012 the owners are responsible for recycling. Before June 30 2013 the owners must enter into contract with a recycling company dedicated to photovoltaic modules recycling, which must be founded by at least four manufacturers of electronic devices (not necessarily photovoltaic modules). The recycling company have to estimate a fee for recycling despite of that no company in the Czech Republic has experience with large-scale recycling of photovoltaic modules. The owners then must pay the fee between 2014 and 2019. Regarding 30-year lifetime of PV modules the recycling will only rarely occur before 2040.
There is no obligation to deposit the collected fees on a blocked account nor another restriction for its use. This implies there is fear the recycling company will go bankrupt controlled. The supposed problem was not solved it was only shifted to another level.

This report is the result of processing all the available statistical sources. Report contains just evaluation of statistical data. It cannot cover all the techno-economic issues and relations in the sectors, which go beyond the survey. The report includes data on molded fuels (briquettes and pellets) made from biomass (wood and plant), peat, coal and paper.