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The European Union called for the need to change the current model of production and consumption. From the linear model it seeks to move to the circular economy model. In this model traditional “take-make-use-dispose” approach is replaced by a reduction in input raw materials, a product durability, reusability, upgradability and reparability and waste reduction. The EU “circular economy package” adopted in 2018, brings specific requirements in the area of waste management. It requires an increase in recycling and a reduction in landfilling. The Czech legislation, following EU scheme, took into account the requirements of the circular economy in the “waste package” approved in December 2020.

The aim of case study of Pilsen is to assess what is the level of implementation of new ecohydrological management trends of cities in the Czech environment. There was used comparison with the development system of the concept „Water sensitive cities“ for the assessment of history, current status and future of ecohydrological management of the city of Pilsen. A more detailed discussion, what categories of ecohydrological tools are currently in Pilsen preferred, was made the analysis of the results of the expert´s assessment of the environment the city of Plzeň in the preparation of the strategic plan of the city. Analysis shows that the city administration provides water management to the level required to quality of life, is aware of the risks (e.g., an accident on the main source of water or flood risk) and trying to respond to the global challenge of adaptation to climate change. However, there is no simple structure, how to reconcile the splintered competative positions of municipal organizations with a share of the ecohydrological management of the city into a single concept.

The present chapter addresses means of thermal energy storage using physical phenomena. Fundamental properties that a suitable material used in such applications must show are given along with some examples from research and industrial practice. Phase-change materials appear to be suitable in intermittent storage of thermal energy owing to their high values of phase change enthalpy, e.g. the enthalpy of fusion/solidification.

The paper demonstrates the results of a biogeographic model of climatic conditions of vegetation zones in the landscape of Czechia. The model uses climatological prediction data of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute for the time period 2010–2100 according to the SRES A1B scenario and geobiocoenological characteristics of vegetation zonation of the landscape from the Register of biogeography. According to the model, the projected trends in climatic conditions of vegetation zones will be demonstrated by a substantial improvement in the conditions suitable for xerothermophilous Ponto-Pannonian biota in Czechia (the area of the 1st vegetation zone will increase). On the contrary, the size of the area with climatic conditions of the 6th to 8th vegetation zone will decrease. The model allows an algorithmization of specific climatic growing conditions of individual biological species.

The presentation focuses on design of apparatus for testing of catalytic filters. Catalytic filters enable simultaneous cleaning of flue gas from particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and organic compounds (as well as chlorinated organic compounds such as polychlorinated dibenzodioxines and dibenzofuranes). This technology could be suitable for small waste-to-energy plants because of small capital costs and small or no production of wastewater.

Unburned carbon (UC) in six different combustion residues from solid biofuels has been examined using several methods of analysis, such as Loss On Ignition (LOI) and Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA). Most of the samples came from the heating plants and local heat utilities in the Czech Republic. The amount of unburned carbon in the residues varied widely over an order of magnitude and in several samples accounted for about 7% of the ash mass. Experimental results have shown that LOI overestimated unburned carbon in nearly all samples. Some of these findings can be associated with previously identified thermal decomposition of minerals present in ash. Volatile organic compounds also appear to play a role in the final UC value. Out of TGA methods, first, we used strongly endothermic Boudouard reaction method as an advanced TGA method. However, this reaction was affected by the high potassium content in the samples which could cause incomplete conversion of carbon during Boudouard reaction, because of sintering and formation of the deposits of glass at high temperatures. The second method was a simple TGA method with a controlled atmosphere of nitrogen or air. For ashes, which tend to form a glassy coating and undergo a sintering process, it is not suitable to carry out the measurement at high temperatures, because the Boudouard reaction does not proceed entirely. For these types of samples, it is more appropriate to use TGA methods with a controlled atmosphere of nitrogen or air.

Paper summarises new finds, total distribution and ecology of three species of Euphorbia from the subgenus Chamaesyce E. humifusa, E. maculata a E. prostrata) in the Czech Republic, where these species belong to neophytes and they started to considerably spread as a consequence of climate chage.

This paper discusses the possible cause of the lack of moisture in the CZECH REPUBLIC due to a massive installation of wind farms for the production of electricity on the northwest coast of Europe, which reduce the kinetic energy of the damp sea air, flowing regularly from the Atlantic Ocean to the central Europe.

The article reports the experience with long-term operation of a cogeneration unit of 100 kWe. Wood chips are dried in integrated dryer and used as a fuel for downdraft gasifier. Raw gas with an average LHV of 6.0 MJ/m3 contains a small amount of dust solid particles. Impurities are removed by a hot filter (dust) operated in range 390-500°C and scrubber (tar) with an organic medium operating in a closed cycle. The electrical efficiency is about 24 %, total is about 75 %. The CHP operates since 2009 and has logged more than 15,000 hours of operation.

The development of wind energy in the Czech Republic is significantly delayed compared to most European countries, and the current construction of wind turbines is characterized by marked regional differentiation. Differences in the rate of project implementation cannot be explained just by the physical-geographic and infrastructural conditions of the given territories, but are also related to different levels of social acceptance by politicians and local residents. The aim of the article was to find out, on the basis of statistical analysis of the data, what environmental and socio-economic factors affect the regional differences in the implementation of wind energy projects. The analysis revealed that wind energy is probably perceived more positively and accepted as an alternative to fossil fuels in environmentally-affected industrial regions. At the same time, in economically and socially depressed areas the economic motivation (money for municipalities) has a bigger effect, and local opposition is less mobilized due to lower civic engagement.