Autonomous power systems serving remote areas with weather stations with small settlements are characterized by a fairly high cost of generating electricity and the purchase and delivery of fuel. In addition, diesel power plants require regular maintenance, have a relatively short service life during continuous operation and produce a large amount of emissions into the environment. This article discusses various methods of placing solar panels in the space for the autonomous power supply of weather station equipment. The principles of these methods are described and their advantages and disadvantages are outlined. The optimal algorithms of functioning for photomodules are described and their comparison regarding the main, significant parameters is carried out. The choice of the most effective algorithm for use at a weather station is made. The effective positioning of solar panels is also calculated, and positioning conditions are determined depending on the territorial location and various environmental conditions. Simulation of the power supply system of a weather station consisting of solar panels, batteries and inverters is performed. As a result, a practical example of the application of the method of selecting the optimal composition of equipment for a hybrid power system of a weather station territorially located in Siberia with different configurations of equipment is considered. In numerical terms, it was possible to reduce the cost of power equipment operation by more than 60% with a fairly low payback period of 5.5 years and an increased reliability of the power system, which is very important for autonomous power systems of northern weather stations.

The requirements to a desired level of thermal protection of outer walls of buildings have been analysed. The relation between such requirements and social factors of a country was shown. Comparison data regarding heat releasing surface area of outer walls and windows and heat losses per person have been received for variable residential density of apartments. The authors have shown international practices and the needs for transition to construction of buildings with a higher level of thermal protection of outer walls. Since cold generation is 3-5 times as expensive as heat generation for many buildings, the transition was made from ventilation of the naturally driven type to controlled and mechanical one providing heat recovery of exhaust air. It was suggested that problem of energy-saving in the sector of construction and housing and communal services could be solved providing a desired life of outer walls and costs of current and major repairs required for projected lifetime of a building.

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This article reports on a new composite gypsum binder (CGB) with nanostructured silica-based admixture (NSS). NSS is obtained by a wet ultrafine milling of quartz sand resulting in the formation of an inorganic polydisperse binding system, which has a high concentration of active nanoscale phase (about 10%). Developed CGB contains hemihydrate gypsum and nano-component based on quartz sand. It is observed that the addition of 15–20 % of NSS improves the rheological properties of gypsum systems through the formation of solvate shells hindering the access of water to gypsum particles; this process also retards the setting of binder.The experimental program used infrared IR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to reveal the contribution of NSS. The porosity of CGB is analyzed by the kinetics of water adsorption and BET. The XRD and IR investigations determined the formation of a new sulfosilicate phase, hydroxyellestadite during the hydration of CGB. With the addition of NSS an overall reduction in pore volume, as well as the shifts in macro-, meso- and nano- porosity values are observed.Analysis of CGB microstructure reveals that in the presence of the NSS the size and morphology of crystals are changed contributing to the formation of dense fine-grained structure. Experimental studies have demonstrated that the composite gypsum binders with NSS are characterized by reduced water absorption and increased density, as well as improved mechanical performance especially, higher compressive strength.

Critical risks of ecosystem identity violation in the structure of landscape-recreational formation of the environment of cities and small settlements are identified. The dependence of the functional load of urban areas with industrial and civil facilities and the ability to restore the ecosystems of the adjacent small rivers and reservoirs is established. The necessity of modeling urban areas based on the “attraction zone” and “exclusion zone”, the verification of technical solutions for engineering systems of water protection complex harmonized with the natural environment is substantiated. A conceptual model for controlling of the risks of developing urban areas is proposed, that is focused on the mechanism for managing water body renovation programs taking into account risk factor analysis. A technique has been developed for restoring water bodies to the level of harmonized functioning by means of anticipatory diagnosis of risk-failures of the danger of environmental disruption. The introduction of digital indicator that determines the level of harmonized stability of functioning of engineering systems of water protection complex in the environment as an additional indicator of the economic and environmental activities of the regions will improve the accuracy of assessing environmental benefits and losses in planned projects.