At present the solar energy is not yet commercial, as it is more expensive than the conventional energy.
     The comparative prices of various energies, estimated by USA Energy department in 1996 are presented in the table below:

     Within the framework of the scientific program six posts for solar radiation lifetime registration have been established, and now there are 15 posts altogether. Thus in Lithuania the first stage of solar monitoring - the monitoring of solar radiation lifetime - has been introduced and is in operation. The computerized post for parameter measuring and registration of solar radiation lifetime has been designed and tested in Kaunas technology university as well as the Lithuanian monitoring system structure has been elaborated. Kaunas specialists are ready to realize the second solar monitoring stage - the monitoring system of solar radiation energy in Lithuania.
     Main objectives. To establish a solar monitoring system in Lithuania. In order to estimate potential application opportunities of solar energy in separate specific regions of Lithuania, it is expedient to perform short-term investigations making use of available mobile monitoring posts in Nida, Taurage, Kybartai, Panevezys, Raseiniai and Ukmerge.
     To establish the exploitation efficiency monitoring of demonstration solar power equipment.
     To carry out such investigations, it is necessary to prepare a technical documentation of the developed SMP and manufacture an experimental batch. After testing and design specification they could be employed in the future monitoring system of solar energy flux. They can also be used in testing of solar equipment and for teaching purposes in high schools and universities.

2.1.2. Photovoltaics

     Situation. Photovoltaics is considered as the most promising renewable energy species in the Worlds Solar Program 1996-2005. In EU White Paper (Energy for the Future: Renewable Sources of Energy) the capacity of photovoltaics equipment in EU has to be increased by 100-fold till 2010.
     At present the efficiency of commercial solar cells converting solar radiative energy into electricity consists ~15%, that of experimental cells - ~20%, in experiments with multijuncture semiconductors ~30% efficiency has been documented. 150 kWh/m² of electrical energy from one square meter can be produced annually using modern commercial solar cells.
     The efficiency of photovoltaic system does not depend on it's power. Consequently, in Lithuania, where an electrical grid is well developed, photovoltaic equipment should be gradually connected to the grid.
     At present there are no photovoltaic equipment in Lithuania. Joint venture company "Saulės energija" has realized some 3 kW overall power photovoltaic modules in Lithuania in 1994-1998. However, they are used in tourism or for feeding specific electronic devices and cannot be regarded as demonstration energy objects. Low-power (25-100 W) equipment are already established or being under construction in MSI, LZUII, KTU.
     The development and deployment of solar energy technologies are hampered by a very high cost of installed one watt that is several times higher than that of conventional electric energy. At present the cost of 1W-power solar cell is ~8-12 Lt, the cost of installed 1W-power in solar elements reaches 20-40 Lt.
     Main objectives. Reducing the photoelectricity price is a basic and global task aimed at promoting the photovoltaics development world-wide. This can be accomplished in two ways: enhancing the solar cell efficiency and thereby obtaining more electric energy from the same area or diminishing the cell production cost. Cosmetic upgrading is insufficient in this case. The situation can be changed radically by introducing new materials and appropriate technological principles. According to the program, scientific research and technology development are carried out in three directions:

• self-formation principles in solar cell technology (the end objective - increased efficiency and production cost reduction);
• new three-component semiconductor solar cells (the end objective - increased efficiency);
• new organic materials and amorphous silicon for solar cells (the end objective - production cost reduction).

2.1.3. Heat

     Current situation. At present the solar energy for thermal purposes can be used through establishing solar collectors for water warming, solar collectors for drying agricultural products and systems for room heating. There are several water warming systems using solar thermal collectors assembled in Lithuania. Their overall area is about 1000 m². The enterprise "Santechnines detales" (sanitary engineering parts) manufactures solar collectors employing stamped steel heating radiators. The comparative price of such collector amounts to 300 Lt/m², energetic efficiency - about 250-290 kWh/m² per season. The model project is intended to be put into operation with assistance of Danish Energy agency: 150 m² of solar collectors for water warming in Kacergine children sanatorium. Under present conditions, when there is no incentives and support, the use of solar collectors for water warming is in most cases economically unjustified. Recently film solar collectors for drying of products have been designed and commenced to be employed in country agriculture. Their seasonal capacity - up to 200 kWh/m², they pay off in 1-2 years. Yet, such collectors are inconvenient in terms of assembling and storing, the polymeric film itself is not everlasting. Small farmers might use such collectors. The overall area of collectors for drying of agricultural products at present is 180 m² in Lithuania.
     Research is launched aimed at substantiating solar energy employment for house warming. However, such recommendations are yet in preparatory stage and actually operating heating systems are absent.
     In National program on increasing the energy utilization efficiency, the utilization potential of solar energy for heating is evaluated assuming that this energy can meet 10% of heating and about 30% of hot water preparation needs, i.e., 3.0 TkW per year. It is most appropriate to use solar collectors and receivers of domestic production for water warming. The price of the system is about 400-500 Lt/m², efficiency 150-300 kWh/m² per year, the service lifetime 10 years. It is also possible to arrange local industrial production of collectors making use of imported absorbers. The price of such a system would be about 1000 Lt/m², efficiency up to 330-400 kWh/m² per year, service lifetime about 15-20 years. In addition, polymeric absorbers (without transparent coating) could be more widely used for swimming pools, fishery and vegetable watering.
     Solar collectors have a good outlook when used for drying agricultural produce. In 1997 more than 3 Mt of grain and more than 2 Mt of hay were produced in Lithuania. Using thermal dryers, about 1.1-1.7 kWh of energy need to be consumed to evaporate 1 kg of water from grain, whereas using active ventilation with solar collectors - only 0.33-0.39 kWh of energy. Drying one ton 24%-moisture grain to 14%-moisture level with thermal dryers requires about 184 kWh/t, using active ventilation with solar collectors - only about 47 kWh/t of energy. High-quality fodder can be prepared employing active ventilation with solar collectors for hay drying. Estimates show that the potential of drying agricultural produce in the country makes up about 4 million of square meters of collector area. Such collectors should be matched in future with building constructions.
     In Lithuania the overall annual heat losses in dwelling houses totaled 23.2 TWh of energy in 1995. Preliminary estimates show that, making use of passive systems for house heating with solar energy and under favorable position and orientation of a building, the energy expenditure for heating can be reduced by 20%. Besides, such passive systems can be employed for heating water and air used in various technologies.

     Main objectives. It is planned that in 2005 the heating equipment area will reach the figure over 1000 m2 and more than 260.000 kWh of thermal energy will be produced annually.
     For the implementation of the program should be performed researches:

• of solar collectors matched with building constructions designed for drying of agricultural products;
• of passive building heating systems capable of complex heating of water and air used for technological purposes;
• to evaluate opportunities and identify measures aimed at accumulating in a greenhouse of thermal energy taken away from greenhouse in daytime.

2.2. Wind power

     Current situation. To improve environmental conditions in many West European countries (Denmark, Germany, Netherlands and others) wind energy is already widely used. In up-to-date power plants wind energy is transformed into electricity, which is used for domestic needs and its surplus is supplied to the network. In 1991 The Closed Joint Stock Company "Vejas" designed the first wind plant in Lithuania, which was built in the Prienai district. Later the Closed Joint Stock Company "Jegaine" was founded, which continued this activity. Several power facilities were designed each being of 60 kW range, one of these was built in Kaunas. In the Klaipeda district one power plant was built, which was designed by the staff of the Klaipeda Technical University. Not all plants could work quite successfully, a series of technical problems have arisen concerning wind power efficiency, operational reliability and other issues. Solution of these problems requires investigations of wind energy climatic aspects, data on the wind energy distribution depending on wind velocity profiles and other data. These issues arc successfully dealt with in Denmark, Germany, Austria and other countries. No such investigations were initiated earlier in our country.
     Wind energy resources and possibilities of their utilization are very specific for various countries, therefore, experiences of separate countries can not be mechanically transferred into our country for application. Even on the scale of Lithuania the universal way, applicable for all regions equally, is absent. It depends on local natural conditions, on energy infrastructure development level of the region, on population demand for energy resources and a series of other factors. Implementing wind energy is associated with great investments; therefore wind power utilization may be initiated only after thorough scientific and economic investigations.
     Main objectives. Initial wind energy resources evaluation was carried out in Lithuania, as the first step of utilization, their calculation methods were developed using long year meteorological data supplied by the meteorological stations. The investigation show, that wind energy may be used in our country and it is feasible. However, solving there issues requires fundamental research to ensure efficient operation of wind power plants and reliability of structures in air flow. Before wind turbines building begins, measurements of wind energy parameters must be carried out using special instrumentation lasting not less than 6 to 12 months as required by legal regulations. It allows suitable choice of wind power facilities, preparing optimal operation regime and timetables, forecasting power generation and evaluation of economic indicators.
     In addition, it is necessary to examine variation of wind parameters, wind gust forming wind velocity profiles, taking into account unevenness of surrounding grounds and level of building areas over, and wind flow formation behind the natural and urban obstacles.
     Up-to-date technologies must be used for development of wind power in Lithuania, databases must be compiled, analysis of engineering and economic indicators of wind power installations, must be carried out to evaluate locality conditions and to prepare strategy of building wind power plants. In table there are following works must be carried out for implementation of the program.

2.3. Hydropower

     Situation. Hydro energy-national, renewable, ecological and technologically well-developed source of energy. Utilization of hydro energy is not sufficient in Lithuania comparing with the experience of developed countries and bearing the EU requirements (member countries are required in 2010 to cover 12% of they energy demand using renewable energy sources (RES)). Today, the share of RES in total energy balance-of Lithuania is only 7% and it is formed by 2 only traditional RES-wood and hydro energy. It means, that this EU requirement could be meet only by extension of hydro power utilization in Lithuania. Only about 14% of available technical hydro energy resources are being utilized in Lithuania. Their share in the total energy balance is only 1% and in the electricity balance -3%.
     2. The technical or real hydro energy resources consist of 2,7 109 kWh/year In Lithuania. About 2,2 109 kWh/year or 80% of all resources fall on the share of the 2 biggest rivers -: Nemunas and Neris. The share of all middle and small rivers (470) is about 0,5 109 kWh/year or 20%. Though big HPP are more attractive than small HPP from economic and significance points of view, but due to surplus of capacities in power system, strict environmental requirements, big investments and they are rather the problem of further perspective. However it is necessary to study their possibilities already now.
     3. At this time small HPP, with installed capacity lower than 10MW, constructed on middle and small rivers especially on the sites of existing water ponds are economically efficient and profitable right now, because of unified construction, standard equipment, fully automatic operation, small amount of personnel needed. They construction examples in Lithuania confirm this fact. Nearly 15 new SHPP were constructed and the total number of SHPP operating in Lithuania are 24 with total capacity of about 7MW. The business of small HPP became attractive for private investors. Although the SHPP construction is relative expensive, especially for smaller HPP, but because of low operating costs they could pay back with any risk. The biggest and oldest HPP is Kaunas HPP (100 MW), which produces 350 106 kWh/year and is a good example of hydro energy efficiency. Kruonis hydro pump power station (800MW) is operating in Lithuania too.
     4. SHPP construction in Lithuania will be completed in two stages:

• Reconstruction of abandoned SHPP and construction SHPP on existing water ponds (1/3 cheaper as to construct on new site). The real possibilities are 131 SHPP with total installed capacity 16 MW and electricity production 60 106 kWh/year. The time period is 5-10 years.
• Construction of new SHPP on new sites according to environmental requirements. The real possibilities are evaluated about 500 106 kWh/year. They will have a lower water head and bigger water flow comparing with SHPP built on existing water ponds. The time period for the construction is 15-20 years.

• Technical-economical evaluation of renewable energy sources using the concept of avoided damage for environment;
• Hydro energy and complex utilization of water resources
• Determination of the most suitable sites on rivers for SHPP construction
• Methodology of determining the optimal hydro development scheme
• Selection of energy equipment for SHPP in Lithuanian conditions
• Arrangement, structure and types of SHPP hydrotechnical constructions in Lithuania
• Determination of environmental protection means for SHPP
• Preparation of legal basis for hydro energy regulation in Lithuania.

2.4. Biomass

2.4.1. Plant Biomass Utilization as Solid Fuel

     The plant biological mass (wood residues, straw, energy plants) is one of the most significant renewable energy sources in Lithuania, that comprises the important part of the local fuel. The bio-mass is ecologically clean fuel.
     The annual potential of the wood fuel is approximately 3 Mm³ (1,4 Mm³ of the felling waste, 0,6 Mm³ waste of timber industry and 1 Mm³ of the fire-wood). Now about 2 Mm3 of the fire-wood and timber waste, i.e., approximately (60 - 70) % of the total potential of the wood fuel, is used for the energy requirements. About (20-25)% of this amount is used in the central heating boiler houses, the total power of which is 100 MW. The rest part is used in the small decentralized heating equipment, the efficiency coefficient of which is not high. There are many companies in Lithuania that produce and assemble the boiler-houses and their equipment. Such equipment is also imported. The power of the boiler-houses using the wood fuel is constantly increasing.
     About 4 mln. tons of the straw annually is gathered in Lithuania. About 0,5 mln. tons could be used as a fuel. Now 5 boiler-houses using the straw as a fuel with the total power of 3,5 MW are operating in the country. Only 1 % of the straw resources is used for the energy needs. Several enterprises of Lithuania make the equipment for the straw burning in Lithuania. Such equipment is also imported from Denmark.
     About 1 Mm³ (i.e., about 7 PJ) of the wood fuel (mostly the felling residue) is still not utilized in Lithuania. For this purpose the boilers with the total power of 300 MW should be installed and reconstructed.
     The great possibilities has the straw as a fuel (i.e., about 0,5 Mt or 7 PJ). For this purpose the boiler-houses using the straw with the total power of 300 MW and the thermal generators should be installed.
     The energy potential of the wood fuel and the straw is 0,67 Mtoe (28 PJ).
     Besides about 30 thousand hectares of the land are not suitable for agriculture in Lithuania and there are about 20 thousand hectares of the peat-bogs the exploitation of which soon be finished. The plantations of the energy plants or quickly-growing trees can be grown there. With the average yield of 10 tons/ha of the dry biomass, 500 thousand tons of the bio-mass can be harvested annually. There is a possibility to use the silt of the effluent from the water treatment plants to fertilize these plantations. Such investigations were started in Lithuanian Institute of Forestry.
     The resources of the biomass fuel can be replenished by using some part of the arable land for the growing of energy plants (agricultural crops and grasses). Such energy crops can give about 10 t/ha of the dry biomass every year, these plants do not exhaust the soil, as they keep the nitrogen in the soil, the usual agricultural machinery is suitable for their harvesting, these areas can be readily re-cultivated. But all these technologies (either tree plantations, or the cultivation of the areas of the energy plants, the plant care, the yield harvesting, the storage and the fuel preparation) must be substantiated. The growing of the energy plants would increase the employment of the village inhabitants.
     It is anticipated that the total power of the equipment using the plant biomass as a fuel will reach 350 MW and 1,75 TWh of the thermal energy will be made by the end of 2005.
     For the fulfillment of the program, the investigations determining the expansion possibilities of the utilization of the plant biomass as a fuel in different regions of the country are made and its trends are defined, as well as the technologies for the gathering of the felling residue and its utilization as a fuel.
     In order to replenish the resources of the fuel made from the plant bio-mass, the technologies and the strategy of the growing of the plantations of the energy trees and plants must be prepared. The resources of the biomass (agricultural crops and grasses) suitable for the fuel, their growing, the utilization methods and means for the energy needs must be determined.
     As the significant part of the biofuel is burned in the water heating boilers of the small power, their burning regimes should be investigated and their design must be optimized.
     In order to prepare the means and recommendations for the improvement of the operation efficiency of the boilers using the biofuel, the exploitation analysis of such boiler-houses and the burning equipment should be done and the ecological efficiency must be estimated.
     Besides the optimum variants of the financing of the construction of the equipment using the biofuel should be analyzed and defined.
     As the resources of the straw as a fuel are not sufficiently used at present, the air heater of the 500 kW power for the grain dryers, premises and green-houses must be created in the production field. The furnace for the burning of the wood waste of 0,5, 1,0 and 2,5 MW power will be designed and its production will be started in the future.
     The demonstration energy plantation of the trees and plants should be planted and cultivated.
     The growing of the energy plants for the fuel would increase the employment of the village inhabitants. Besides the biomass is the ecologically cleanest fuel.
     The booklet must be issued about the utilization of the biomass as a fuel and in the education field the workshops should be organized for the specialists of the Agricultural consulting services, agricultural communities, for the specialists of the municipal economy of the self-government bodies, the lecturers of the agricultural schools and the farmers.
     To make the favorable conditions to use the biomass for the energy purposes and to make such situation legal, the normative documents for the biomass preparation and the proposals for the legal base should be prepared.

2.4.2. THE Liquid Biofuels and Oils

     The available situation. Approximately 550 thousand tons of diesel fuels and 15 thousand tons of various oils are used annually in Lithuania. The fuels are made of imported crude oil and the oils are imported from abroad. Minimizing the import expenditures and with the employment and environmental problems in mind, it is expedient to substitute some part of the mineral fuels and oils by the biological ones, produced from the rape grown in Lithuania. The rape in the country is grown in the area of 37,4 thousand hectares, but this area could be increased up to 180-240 thousand hectares without the violation of agricultural practices. (Program of development of cultivate the rape and the provision of population with oil) 50 thousand hectares of the rape is sufficient for the vegetable oil, thus the remaining amount of 540-720 thousand tons of the rape seeds can be used to produce 178-238 thousand tons of the biolfuels and oils. We can get an extra 500 thousand tons of the oil-cake, that is the valuable admixture for the feeds, that can be used instead of the soy.
     About 34 thousand tons of ethanol is made annually in Lithuania, but the production capacity is twice as much. The ethanol produced from the extra grain and other agricultural products could be used in the process of the petrol production in company "Mazeikiu nafta".
     The technological processes of the production of biofuels and oils are widely investigated and introduced in many European countries. The biggest production companies of tractors and cars gave the licenses to use them without any restriction. There is enough data in the literature about the impact of the biofuels and oils to the environment. The utilization of these products is stimulated by the directives of the European Community (AUTO OIL I and II, COM(97)481, 92/82/EEC etc.). The preliminary tests of the production and utilization of the biofuels and oils are made in Lithuanian Agricultural University and Lithuanian Institute of Agricultural Engineering. Before the economic estimation of the production of biological fuels and oils, the economic and energetic evaluation of the local materials used must be made corresponding the specific situation of Lithuania. "Nova" summarized experience in other countries in this sphere and fulfilled technical economic estimation of this renewable energy.
     The main purposes. The experience of the European countries and the investigations fulfilled in Lithuania enable to conclude, that it is expedient to build the demonstration plant for the production of biofuels and oils, the output of which would be not less than 1000 tons of the rape methyl ester (RME) per year. The project of such plant (for the production of biofuels and oils) should be done in Lithuania with the cooperation with the personnel of scientists and engineers. The technological equipment should be also made in Lithuania. Only the elaborate equipment (presses, filters, control and automation devices) should be imported from abroad. The demonstration plant should be built from the state means and the means of various funds: (Lithuanian investment fund of environment protection, Rural support fund) and international funds, Municipal environment protection fund. The tender should be organized for the construction of the demonstration plant.
     Produced biofuels and oils should be used in the public transport of the big cities, in the forest works and recreation zones.
     The normative documents meeting the requirements of EC with the specific situation of Lithuania in mind must be prepared to ensure the successful use of biofuels and oils.

2.4.3. Biogas

     The available situation. The resources of the organic materials that can be used for the production of biogas are constantly accumulating and regenerating in the agricultural production of the countries. The most important of them are the animal manure and the organic waste of the food processing industry. But profitable processing of these organic materials in order to get the gas is possible only in big production objects. Such are 26 complexes for 6 - 30 thousand pigs. The total number of the pigs kept there is 339 thousand pigs. There are 343 farms housing 200 pigs that belong to the communities and the private farmers. The total number of the pigs kept there is 162 thousand pigs. There are 704 farms for more than 50 cows or cattle. There are 270 thousand cattle there. The annual energy potential of the manure accumulated in the pig complexes is 15 mln. m3 of biogas; it is 7,2 mln. m3 of biogas in the private farms and the farms of communities; and it is 65,2 mln. m3 of biogas in the cattle farms of the same category. The total energy potential accumulated in the mentioned farms is 87,4 mln. m3 of biogas per year or 524,4 GWh.
     The reduction of the demand of the agricultural products in the country minimized the use of the arable lands by 0,5 mln. ha. This area could be used to grow the energy plants. The utilization of the green mass in the anaerobic processing during the summer would maximize the energy potential of the biological digesters installed in the farms. The produced biogas could be used to dry the hay and the grain and the processed bio-mass can be used to fertilize the soils.
     There are three power plants of 2,1 MW total capacity in the country at present. There is a power plant of 1.5 MW capacity in Panevėžys, that processes the production waste of the alcohol company "Sema". There is a power plant of 0,3 MW, that processes the effluent of the cleaning facilities of Utena and there is the power plant of the same capacity, that processes the pig manure in the agricultural community "Vycia" in Kaunas region.
     The main purposes. The capacity of the power plants will not be significantly increased by 2005 due to big investments, required for the construction of new power plants. It is planned to build the power plant of 0,1 MW capacity. The main object of the fulfilled works is to prepare the better technologies for the production and utilization of the biogas, to reduce the investments for the development of the new power plants of bio-gas production and to improve their energetic and economic efficiency.
     The energy potential of the organic materials used for bio-gas production, the technical and technological possibilities of their use, the energetic, economic and environmental efficiency of their processing are investigated. Possibilities of biogas proceeding from plant mass and biogas accumulation in the largest dumps of Lithuania also will be investigated.
     Monitoring of the operating demonstration power plants and the updating of their technologies will be proceeded.

2.5. Geothermal Energy

     Earth energy - one of the Renewable Energy - is already in use in Lithuania. Private users in Vilnius and Klaipėda have instaled capacity of 114 kW from the aquifers up to 100 m deep.
     Utilization of Geothermal energy is very different. It can provide single or centralized users with heat and electricity in a comfortable and environment friendly way. It is also possible complex utilization of hydrosphere resources especially for medical treatment, healthresort, agriculture ( market-gardening, fish farming, flax processing, corn, hay drying, etc.), industry (wood, fish, fruits drying, other technological processes), infrastructure (to melt in and snow from roads and runways), other fields / etc.
     Geothermal energy can be extracted while applying heat pumps technology.
     The main objectives. The knowledge and experience in the field of geothermal explorations gained during more then 10 years must be continued, expanded and implemented practically.
     Main criteria for geothermal explorations development should be the following:

• shallow geothermy (applying heat pumps, heat accumulation into aquifers);
• hydrogeothermal resources of Cambrian, Middle-Lower Devonian, Upper-Middle Devonian
• HDR (Hot Dry Rocks) and their utilization perspectives.

• to evaluate entire geothermal resources in Lithuania and include them into National balance of resources.
• to collect information on spheres of utilization of Geothermal Energy and technologies applied.
• to perform operation analysis and ecological evaluation of geothermal power-supply stations exploitation.
• to perform geological, technical and economical evaluation of possibilities to renew and adapt existing and closed wells for production of Geothermal Energy.
• to perform geological, technical and economical calculations for geothermal electric power plant.