Impact of key factors on expected development of onshore wind energy sector in Poland and development scenarios

The aim of the paper was to analyse the wind power market in Poland by reviewing the factors that shape and influence its current state and the possible development prospects. The paper was focused on legislative, environmental, manufacturing, sociocultural and economic factors. Barriers to the development of onshore wind power market and the expected development of wind energy in Poland in the years 2017-2020 were identified and measured based on a survey. The review of individual factors and the study performed present that legislative barriers and the introduction of the ‘distance act’ are factors with the biggest influence on the current stagnation of onshore wind energy sector. A review of the recommendations concerning the distance (from protected areas and housing) required to build wind farms set forth in literature shows that Poland is the only country with such harsh restrictions. With its good environmental conditions and technical capacities, Poland can become a European leader in the production of energy from wind. The only barrier is the legislative environment and political instability on the national level. Without improvements in this sector, there is no chance for new wind projects, as these factors are crucial for development of this type of energy