The study on the SWOT analysis of renewable energy sector on the example of the Pomorskie Voivodeship (Poland)

SWOT analysis of renewable energy in Poland on the example of Pomorskie Voivodeship has been described. The current state of and development prospects for renewable energy in the Pomorskie Voivodeship have been presented. In this region, there are 40 wind installations of total power of 424 MW, 108 hydropower plants of total power of 34 MW, one power plant co-firing biomass with coal. There is 102 million dm(3)/year of bio ethanol and 159 million dm(3)/year of biodiesel produced. There are five biogas plants located at municipal waste landfill sites and four biogas plants at sewage treatment works as well as nine agricultural biogas plants. A few hundred solar collectors and heat pumps have been installed in the Voivodeship. The conducted SWOT analysis shows that the further development of renewable energy sector in Poland is strongly depended form the following: the Act on renewable energy sources, simpler legal regulations, more effective financial support for new investments, introduction of guaranteed certificate prices, education of the public, and investors and decision-makers in the filed of renewable energy sector development.