Vol. 68, No. 3 * Pages 118–180 * July 2023

Numerical weather predictions (NWP) provide key input information for estimation of solar and wind energy production. In spite of the continuous model developments the direct forecast model outputs are imperfect and contain some errors. However, these errors can be reduced by post-processing the raw forecasts of those meteorological variables, for which time series of good quality measurements are available. Multiple parametric and machine learning based statistical post-processing methods have been elaborated for operational forecasts of the AROME NWP model at the Hungarian Meteorological Service in order to improve the raw predictions of the global horizontal irradiance and 100-meter wind speed variables.

The utilization and wide spread of renewable energy is essential in mitigating the consequences of climate change, mitigating its negative eff ects, and creating sustainable energy production. The world is experiencing rapid technological development aimed at exploiting weather-dependent renewable energy sources. We can read about numerous innovations and novel solutions in trade magazines and media, and in many cases, the developments strive to drastically reduce or replace the use of fossile fuels by using solar and wind energy together. We collect some examples of these in our article.

Climate change has an increased impact on inner city areas. The heat island eff ect can be mitigated by restoring the ecosystem. The use of green structures in the settlement, around and inside buildings has a positive impact. They reduce summer heat loads and provide shading, thus reducing the energy needed to operate buildings. They also reduce air pollution and retain a signifi cant portion of precipitation. Types and building construction solutions of green roofs and green facades are presented.

In recent years, the study of apiaries and the adaptation of honey bees (Apis mellifera) to changing environmental conditions has become a major concern for society. Their existence is of particular importance as they represent a large part of pollination. When studying them, it is striking that their adaptation is extremely rapid and making them indicators of the environment around them. In this article, we provide a longer overview of the complex relationship between the nectar gathering activity of bees and the weather situations. We then briefl y present our primary domestic results based on a database from a Debrecen apiary.