Tetyana Pimonenko

The main goal of the article is the efficiency justification of energy-efficient house (EEH) from the different points of view: economic, ecological and social. In this case, the EEH under the green economy context was considered by the authors. In addition, according to the Ukrainian ongoing condition, the key preconditions of EEH implementation among the Ukrainian households were allocated. Besides, the main approaches to define EEH are analyzed and systematized by the authors. On this basis, the main bullet points and features of EEH were indicated. The authors determined the EEH opportunities for spreading among the Ukrainian households. It should be noted, that the lack of awareness among the civil society provokes the slow temp of the EEH enlarging in Ukraine. At the same time, the European experience showed that the huge part of their households can be characterized as energy-effective. With the purpose of understand the efficiency of EEH, the authors had estimated the economic benefits of installed solar collector in the household as one of the parts of EEH. According to the results, the authors allocate the restraining factors of the EEH spreading in Ukraine. Thus, the great payback period is one of them. In addition, the high level of the currency rate has negative impact on the payback period. From the other side the continuously increasing of the utility bills have been indicated as a negative stimulate factor. In order to increase the awareness of the EEH benefits under the Ukrainian civil society, the main economic, ecological and social benefits of EEH were systematized by the authors.

The main objective of this research is to study the role and impact of fiscal decentralization on the macroeconomic stability of the country. The paper analyzes and systematizes approaches to the definition of ‘macroeconomic stability’ concept. The key factors that impact macroeconomic stability are identified. In the framework of this research, the authors identify fiscal decentralization as one of the factors affecting macroeconomic stability. To determine the strength and statistical significance of the above mentioned relationship, the authors suggest presenting macroeconomic stability as a functional dependency between macroeconomic stability and the level of fiscal decentralization, which is described by the following variables: the growth rate of money supply, investment and openness of the economy, fiscal decentralization. In this case, it is suggested to determine the level of fiscal decentralization in three directions: expenditure decentralization, revenue decentralization and expenditure decentralization simultaneously.

The paper deals with analysis of the mechanism of macroeconomic imbalance estimation and achieving the convergence of national economy. With this purpose the authors summarized the main approaches to define the macroeconomic imbalance. In addition, the main indicators which influence macroeconomic imbalance are allocated. On the basis of obtained results, the authors offer to employ the macroeconomic imbalance procedure which is used in EU countries for investigation. In order to achieve this external, internal and employment indicators in EU were analyzed by authors. Besides, with the purpose to indicate Ukrainian place comparing with EU, in particular with Visegrad Countries, the main indicators of MIP for Ukraine were calculated by the authors. According to the results, the authors made conclusion that the Ukrainian economy can be characterized as not stable (as in Bulgaria, Hungary and the Slovak Republic). Moreover, the authors allocated for the future research the necessity to understand the power of countries impact to each other with the purpose to achieve and save the convergence of national economy.

The paper deals with analysis of the preconditions of alternative energy market development in Ukraine. In this case study, the authors analyzed the EU experience. The results of analysis showed that the leader of the EU countries in renewable energy has already achieved the target (20%), which had been indicated. In addition, the findings showed that the share of renewable energy in gross final energy consumption has been increasing from year to year. The authors allocate that, according to the Ukrainian potential, biogas is the most perspective one among alternative resources. Moreover, results of analysis showed that Ukraine has the huge potential of agricultural sector. In this direction, the authors allocated the main types of the agricultural activities, which have the highest potential of biogas production: sugar factories, corn silage and poultry farms. The authors underlined that biogas spreading is restrained by the stereotypes that green investments are not attractive for investors. In order to analyze the economic efficiency of investments to the biogas installation, the authors calculated the profit from the biogas installation for poultry farm. The authors made two scenarios for calculation. The first – the whole volume of energy, which was generated from the biogas unit, will be sold with feed-in tariff. The second – the farm covers its own needs in electricity, the rest will be sold with feed-in tariff. The findings showed that the first scenario is more attractive. Moreover, the farm could receive higher profit if it installed the biogas in 2016, not in 2017. In addition, based on the EU experience and features of farm functioning, the authors approved that the biogas installation has not only the economic effect (profit and additional profit) for company, but also ecological and social effects for rural area, where this farm was located.

The paper deals with the analysis of methodology of Environmental Performance Index. The authors analyzed and systematized the main existing integrated indices, which were used for evaluation of environmental, social and economic situation in the countries. The authors allocated the environmental performance index as a basis for analyzing the environmental policy of the country. In this direction, the authors analysed the main features, structure and indicators of environmental performance index. The authors allocated the world-leader countries with huge level of CO2 emissions. According to the results, the authors aproved that these countries should improve their environmental policy. Accordingly, they occupied less position in environmental performance index. For the purpose to analyze the relation between ecological, social and economic welfare, the authors analyzed score of sustainable development goal index, social progress index and gross domestic product per capita. The comparison analysis of findings showed that countries with good position on environmental performance index have the strong position on sustainable development goal index and social progress index. The authors suggested that Ukraine should orient to the EU countries with purpose to improve the environmental policy.

This paper examines the economic relationships between oil price volatility and socially-economic development of 14 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) using the annual panel data for the period 1990–2014 obtained from the World Bank (WB) statistical data sets. Hausman specification test has been performed to choose the method of panel data analysis, and the results were in favor of fixed effects estimation. The main findings indicate the direct relationship between economic growth and oil price volatility. The research supports the hypothesis that an increase in crude oil prices is positively related to GDP, and a 10% increase in oil prices correlates with 0.6-4% GDP improvements. Structural changes in employment in favor of service sector are negatively correlated with GDP per capita. Changes in GDP structure in favor of oil rents on 10% lead to the shrinking of GDP on 1%. Life expectancy at birth, as an indirect indicator of health, positively influences the economic growth indicators and an improvement in life expectancy on one percentage leads on average to 1% growth in GDP and 0.5-1.33% growth in GDP per capita. Energy efficiency improvements are positive drivers of GDP values at OPEC, and our findings suggest that a 10% increase at GDP per unit of energy use leads to 3% increase of GDP itself. The study recommends investing in energy efficiency, human capital, and capital formation to guarantee long-run economic development and prosperity of OPEC counties.