At present, it is said that Industry 4.0 is the fourth industrial revolution. Like the previous ones, it also has the ability to transform economies, jobs and societies. Our expectations are changing to the speed of obtaining answers to the questions asked. This is done by introducing new technologies and processes. This is an opportunity for Polish participants of local heat markets, or participants of the power or energy market. who are currently facing profound changes and investments forced, among others, by BAT conclusions. Such mega-processes as digitization, automation, artificial intelligence, IoT, machine learning are increasingly penetrating the world and business. More than 200 years have passed since the first industrial revolution, which was the use of the steam engine, and the requirements for testing the efficiency of enterprises have changed, which themselves are changing very quickly. The basic efficiency measures used in a given sector often result from the specifics of the sector and its degree of development on a macroeconomic scale. Therefore, it is worth placing the energy company in this environment and presenting its role to better match the instruments used. The above is also associated with increased reporting and the need to use additional evaluation measures, e.g. effectiveness of individual projects. It is therefore worth analyzing the available literature in this area, and the performance measures available and used in it, which will help in assessing the effectiveness of management, despite political and regulatory turmoil, and help us use the opportunities brought by the fourth industrial revolution.

The European Union aspires to pursue an ambitious climate policy. The energy sector is a key tool to ensure success in this area. At the same time, excessively ambitious targets can be a serious problem for individual member states. The aim of the article is to analyze the possibilities available to the Polish energy sector in the context of the assumed EU climate neutrality goals by 2050.

The analyzed research problem concerns, in particular, two areas of strategic importance for Poland: the coal sector and the renewable energy sources sector. The role of the former should be significantly reduced in the coming decades, while the position of the latter should be substantially strengthened. The juxtaposition of these challenges with the Polish economic, social and techno- logical realities is the main subject of analysis in this text. The method of system analysis with elements of a decision-making approach will be used. This will allow for an effective analysis and review at the research level of the most important problems and challenges faced by Poland in light of the necessary adjustments to be made in order to achieve the priorities assumed by the European Union.

The hypothesis of the article is that Poland is able to effectively meet European climate targets, although the implementation of this challenge requires decisive action on the part of the government, as well as an adequate response from investors and society. To this end, appropriate actions must be undertaken at both a strategic and operational level.

The concept of a Circular Economy assumes that the value of products, materials and resources is to be maintained in the economy for as long as possible to ultimately reduce waste generation to a minimum. In this concept, raw materials are repeatedly put into circulation many times, often passing from one branch of industry to another. So energy, water, metal ores, oil, gas, coal and others, and wherever possible, their replacement with renewable resources (wind and solar energy, natural resources). It is important, and this is the essence of the Circular Economy, the maximum re-use of scarce materials and raw materials from already produced and used products. This concept has found the support of the European Commission and activities in this area will successively be implemented through appropriate legal acts of the European Union. The need to implement solutions in the field of minimizing the consumption of raw materials, materials and energy or reducing waste production is also felt by consumers and industry. The packaging industry is particularly interested in implementing the concept of a Circular Economy. Due to the dynamic growth of the packaging market, which in 2017 reached around EUR 9.6 billion in Poland (data from the Polish Chamber of Packaging) and the increasing amount of post-consumer waste, it is necessary to introduce solutions limiting the consumption of raw materials and energy throughout the product life cycle.

The aim of the article is to present current practices regarding the reduction of the negative impact of packaging on the environment and the indication of directions for the implementation of the Circular Economy concept in the packaging industry.

Hydrogen-based power engineering has great potential for upgrading present and future structures of heat and electricity generation and for decarbonizing industrial technologies. The production of hydrogen and its optimal utilization in the economy and transport for the achievement of ecological and economic goals requires a wide discussion of many technological and operational – related issues as well as intensive scientific research. The introductory section of the paper indicates the main functions of hydrogen in the decarbonization of power energy generation and industrial processes, and discusses selected assumptions and conditions for the implementation of development scenarios outlined by the Hydrogen Council, 2017 and IEA, 2019. The first scenario assumes an 18% share of hydrogen in final energy consumption in 2050 and the elimination 6 Gt of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The second document was prepared in connection with the G20 summit in Japan. It presents the current state of hydrogen technology development and outlines the scenario of their development and significance, in particular until 2030. The second part of the paper presents a description of main hybrid Power-to-Power, Power-to-Gas and Power-to-Liquid technological structures with the electrolytic production of hydrogen from renewable sources. General technological diagrams of the use of water and carbon dioxide coelectrolysis in the production of fuels using F-T synthesis and the methanol production scheme are presented. Methods of integration of renewable energy with electrolytic hydrogen production technologies are indicated, and reliability indicators used in the selection of the principal modules of hybrid systems are discussed. A more detailed description is presented of the optimal method of obtaining a direct coupling of photovoltaic (PV) panels with electrolyzers.

The future and the development of power industry are the one of the major issues in the domestic and global policy. The impact of the power sector on the earth climate changes and the attention for sufficient funds of energy in the following years are the primary challenges which the power industry is facing. The article delineates the current state of the domestic sector of energy production. In the prospect of the next few years, it will draw on conventional power engineering nevertheless, with the growing involvement of renewable energy sources. However, it is important to develop the new energy strategy, which will point the direction of domestic energy production sector changes. What is more relevant, the new legal regulations connected with environmental protection will definitely restrict using fossil fuels in the power industry. In addition, the paper discusses the most important aspects involved in creating a country’s energy mix. The first aspect is the current state of the energy sector in Poland, i.e. the percentage of particular technologies in the present power and electrical energy balances, the technical state of the manufacturing sector’s infrastructure. Based on historical data of Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne SA regarding the energy consumption and demand, a mathematical estimation for electricity demand and its consumption forecast was performed. The obtained forecasts were then used to conduct a simulation of power and energy demand fulfillment in the national power system. Finally, several possible scenarios were presented, taking different factors affecting the energy sector in Poland into consideration.

Offshore wind power is a relatively new sector of the economy with a tremendous potential for development. Its main advantage is foreseeable production and a high capacity factor, estimated at 50% (with prospects to increase to 60%), which makes it the most efficient energy source of all renewable energy technologies. In the Baltic Sea Region, Poland has the largest potential for the development of offshore wind energy. This has been reflected in plans by investors interested in offshore investments within the Polish marine areas. European energy and climate strategies, which define principles and objectives for the transformation of the European energy sector in line with the principle of sustainable development, underline the importance of offshore wind in the effort to achieve climate neutrality of the EU economy and contribute to energy security in Europe. Decision-makers in Poland endeavor to create conditions favorable to the development of the offshore wind sector. The article presents European and Polish conditions for the development of the offshore wind energy. To assess threats and opportunities for the development of the technology in Poland, the article examines whether the offshore wind potential has been included in strategic policy papers related to the development of the Polish energy sector, as well as how the state intends to support the development of the technology. A particular emphasis has been put on the latest draft of the Energy Policy of Poland until 2040 due to the crucial role of the document, since it sets directions for the development of the Polish energy sector for the next 20 years.

The aim of the paper is to present and discuss traces of a long-distance contacts of the Early Neolithic Linear Band Pottery Culture registered at two sites, of which one is located in the Polish Lowland and second in the uplands of the southern Poland. They are manifested by the presence of obsidian finds and application the wood-tar substances, both of which being considered as a Transcarpathian phenomenon.The paper focuses on determination of characteristic chemical elements of obsidian artefacts from the two Polish Early Neolithic localities using non-invasive Prompt Gamma Activation Analysis (PGAA) as well as on a physicochemical analyses of composite organic-mineral substances found on pottery. The results of the analyses allow a discussion on the relationships between the Early Danubian societies inhabiting territories located on both sides of the Carpathians.

The article is devoted to topical issues of energy saving management of a business organization.

The concept and essence of saving are considered. Based on the systematization of the totality of

manifestations of saving energy, the following types are distinguished: economic, ecological, ecological-

economic, reputation and social. External and internal factors of saving energy in a business

organization are identified, which reflect the conditions of its operation in the context of saving

energy. It is determined that energy efficiency barriers, which are proposed to be divided into technical-

economic, organizational-behavioral and cognitive, characterize the energy saving process in

terms of restraining factors in improving the efficiency of fuel and energy resources, reflect specific

obstacles within the energy saving process in a particular business organizations and are of an

intra-organizational nature. It is determined that to improve energy saving processes in a business

organization the use cycles of continuous development, in particular, the Deming cycle is advisable.

For the purposes of energy management, the use an appropriate business model that determines

the order of formation of the economic advantage of the entity through energy savings and reflects

a set of solutions that characterize the process of creating value for stakeholders are advisable.

Based on the formalization of the business model of energy efficiency of the business organization,

the use of an saving energy program aimed at removing barriers to energy efficiency and the impact

on internal energy saving factors, as they are the levers that a business organization can influence to

improve energy efficiency, is proposed.

The primary aim of this paper was to assess the development of prosumer energy sector in Poland. In the first point, the basic notions connected with prosumer energy (micro-installation, prosumer) were discussed on the basis of Law of Renewable Energy Sources of February 20, 2015 (Journal of Laws, item 478, as amended) and the main aspects of the European Union energy policy where presented in the context of the development of the prosumer energy sector. In this part of the study, numerous benefits for the Polish economy and consumers of electrical energy, connected with the expansion of prosumer energy sector, were presented. On the other hand, many obstacles which stall this sector in Poland were noticed. In the second point the most important regulations from the Law of Renewable Energy Sources of February 20, 2015 were analyzed (In the second point the most important regulations from the Law of Renewable Energy Sources of February 20, 2015 (hereinafter: the RES act) were analyzed). On the basis of this legal act, the so called “rebate system”, which is currently used in Poland to support prosumers of electrical energy, was described. Moreover, many legal and administrative simplifications implemented by the RES act were indicated. The analytical approach to the RES Act in this study resulted in the detection of many regulations in this legal act which may have an adverse impact on the development of the prosumer energy sector in Poland. In the third point, programs co-financed by the Polish government or the European Union, which financially support the purchase and installation of energy technologies using RES, were described. Statistical data connected with the prosumer energy sector in Poland was presented in the fourth point of this paper. On the basis thereof, the authors attempted to find the correlation between the number of prosumers and the share of the amount of electrical energy from renewable energy sources in gross electrical energy consumption. In the fifth point issues connected with energy technologies used in the Polish prosumer energy sector were discussed. Moreover, this point focuses on the great popularity of photovoltaic modules among Polish prosumers and results in the reluctance of Polish prosumers to install wind microturbines and small hydroelectric power plants.