Proposing a master’s programme on participatory integrated assessment of energy systems to promote energy access and energy efficiency in Southern Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 622-641 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cheddi Kiravu ◽  
François Diaz-Maurin ◽  
Mario Giampietro ◽  
Alan C. Brent ◽  
Sandra G.F. Bukkens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Southern Africa ◽  
Integrated Assessment ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Transdisciplinary Approach ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Multi Scale

Purpose This paper aims to present a new master’s programme for promoting energy access and energy efficiency in Southern Africa. Design/methodology/approach A transdisciplinary approach called “participatory integrated assessment of energy systems” (PARTICIPIA) was used for the development of the curriculum. This approach is based on the two emerging fields of “multi-scale integrated assessment” and “science for governance”, which bring innovative concepts and methods. Findings The application of the PARTICIPIA methodology to three case studies reveals that the proposed transdisciplinary approach could support energy and development policies in the region. The implementation of the PARTICIPIA curriculum in three higher education institutions reveals its ability to respond to the needs of specific contexts and its connection with existing higher education programmes. Practical implications Considering energy issues from a transdisciplinary approach in higher education is absolutely critical because such a holistic view cannot be achieved through engineering curricula. Deliberate and greater efforts should be made to integrate methods from “multi-scale integrated assessment” and “science for governance” in higher education curricula to train a new breed of modern-day energy planners in charge of coming up with solutions that are shared by all relevant stakeholders. Originality/value This paper presents an innovative higher education curriculum in terms of the attention given to energy access and energy efficiency that affect the southern Africa region and the nature of the methodology adopted to face these issues.

A cost-minimizing approach to eliminating the primary sources of greenhouse gas emissions at institutions of higher education

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
David S. Timmons ◽  
Benjamin Weil
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ◽  
Greenhouse Gas ◽  
Dynamic Pricing ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Renewable Electricity ◽  
Gas Emissions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Marginal Costs

Purpose Many institutions of higher education have committed to carbon neutrality. Given this goal, the main economic issue is minimizing cost. As for society as a whole, dominant decarbonization strategies are renewable electricity generation, electrification of end uses and energy efficiency. The purpose of this paper is to describe the optimum combination of strategies. Design/methodology/approach There are four questions for eliminating the primary institutional greenhouse gas emissions: how much renewable electricity to produce on-site; where and at what price to purchase the balance of renewable electricity required; how to heat and cool buildings without fossil fuels; and how much to invest in energy efficiency. A method is presented to minimize decarbonization costs by equating marginal costs of the alternates. Findings The estimated cost of grid-purchased carbon-free energy is the most important benchmark, determining both the optimal level of campus-produced renewable energy and the optimum efficiency investment. In the context of complete decarbonization, greater efficiency investments may be justified than when individual measures are judged only by fossil-fuel savings. Practical implications This paper discusses a theoretically ideal plan and implementation issues such as purchasing carbon-free electricity, calculating marginal costs of conserved energy, nonmarginal cost changes, uncertainty about achieving efficiency targets, and dynamic pricing. The principles described in this study can be used to craft a cost-minimizing decarbonization strategy. Originality/value While previous studies discuss decarbonization strategies, there is little economic guidance on which strategies are optimal, on how to combine strategies to minimize cost or how to identify a preferred path to decarbonization.

scholarly journals The interrelations between competences for sustainable development and research competences

2016 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 776-795 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wim Lambrechts ◽  
Peter Van Petegem
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
Research Competences ◽  
General Perspective

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how competences for sustainable development and research interrelate within a context of competence-based higher education. Specific focus is oriented towards strengthening research competences for sustainability. Design/methodology/approach Following a hermeneutic–interpretive methodology, this paper builds upon a critical literature review to demarcate the theoretical framework and an in-depth analysis of a case study exploring the interrelations between both types of competences. Findings The paper discusses current issues in the integration of competences and explores the contribution of research-based methods to acquire competences for sustainable development. The analysis shows that research skills are often mentioned to contribute to this acquisition, though from a general perspective, or from the sidelines of the learning process. A holistic view on how both concepts are linked is missing. Research limitations/implications First, the complex nature of competences and their integration in higher education could lead to difficulties in interpreting and analysing them. Second, the analysis is based on a single-case study, limiting possibilities to generalise the results. Third, this study is not looking at curriculum practices in these fields. Practical implications There is a need to holistically (re-)frame research competences within the concepts of education for sustainable development and, to a wider extent, sustainable development. Social implications Framing research competences within the concept of sustainable development enables a thorough and “conscious”, rather than coincidental, acquisition of competences for sustainable development. Originality/value The originality of this paper lies in the fact that there is little literature about the interrelations between competences for sustainable development and research competences.

scholarly journals Energy efficiency of higher education buildings: a case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 669-691 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nelson Soares ◽  
Luísa Dias Pereira ◽  
João Ferreira ◽  
Pedro Conceição ◽  
Patrícia Pereira da Silva
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Energy Consumption ◽  
Payback Period ◽  
Academic Community ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Improvement Measures ◽  
The University

Purpose – This paper aims to propose an energy efficiency plan (with technical and behavioural improvement measures) for a Portuguese higher education building – the Teaching Building of the Faculty of Economics of the University of Coimbra (FEUC). Design/methodology/approach – The study was developed in the context of both the “Green Campus – Challenge for Energy Efficiency in Higher Education” and the Energy for Sustainability Initiative of the University of Coimbra, Portugal. An energy audit was conducted based on the analysis of the energy consumption profiles. A monitoring campaign was carried out to measure and disaggregate the electricity consumption. The consumption of natural gas and water were also assessed. The building envelope and the heating and lighting systems were also evaluated. Some patterns of energy-environmental behaviours of the academic community were investigated through a Web-based survey. Findings – The energy efficiency plan contemplates short-term tangible/intangible actions. It also considers the investment and payback period of the tangible measures. The implementation of three improvement measures in the lighting system would lead to a consumption reduction of about 26,123 kWh/year, avoiding the emission of 3,704 KgCO2/year, for an initial cost of 9,920 (payback period of 3.7 years). Research limitations/implications – Results are restricted to the case study and there are limitations in their generalisation outside of their context. However, they show some broadly implications and trends that have relevance for the higher education sector. This paper highlights the importance of engaging students, faculty and technical staff for working together on the assessment of the energy efficiency of the buildings where they study and work. Social implications – The higher education sector holds important functions in educating the next generation of professionals for a sustainable culture. The categories of activities described in this paper are good examples of what can be done within the academic community for acting towards sustainability. The results also pointed out that making users aware of their energy consumption is a priority towards the energy efficiency in higher education buildings. Originality/value – Reductions on energy consumption are expected if the energy efficiency plan would be implemented. The results of the behavioural study were presented to the FEUC’s board of directors to be integrated in the “Good Practices Manual on Water and Energy Management”.

Energy efficiency actions at a Brazilian university and their contribution to sustainable development Goal 7

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 842-855 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bianca Gasparetto Rebelatto ◽  
Amanda Lange Salvia ◽  
Giovana Reginatto ◽  
Rangel Casanova Daneli ◽  
Luciana Londero Brandli
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Education Institution ◽  
Sustainable Development Goal ◽  
Higher Education Institution ◽  
Development Goal ◽  
Content Type ◽  
South Of Brazil ◽  
Internal And External Factors

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse recent actions of energy efficiency implemented by University of Passo Fundo, a higher education institution located in the south of Brazil, and their contributions to Goal 7. Design/methodology/approach The analysis is based on collected energy data and information of energy efficiency actions applied at the university. Findings The paper shows the progress related to the energy practices and discusses opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of applying energy efficiency at universities and its contributions towards sustainable development goal (SDG) 7. Practical implications The findings of this study can inform readers about University of Passo Fundo’s initiatives towards energy efficiency focussed in lightening, photovoltaic solar power generation and free energy market. Readers are able to improve their knowledge with the discussion of internal and external factors related to the initiatives. Originality/value The originality of this paper is connected to the idea of sharing the experiences from University of Passo Fundo, connecting energy efficiency practices at universities to SDG 7 and also exploring opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses of applying these practices in the context of a higher education institution.

Dimensions of service quality in higher education – critical review (students’ perspective)

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 580-605 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pragya Gupta ◽  
Neeraj Kaushik
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Service Quality ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Expert Opinions ◽  
Average Variance ◽  
Quality In Higher Education

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review the dimensions of service quality used in different countries across the world, especially in the higher education sector. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis is used to get a comprehensive insight of the studies accumulated from some of the selected databases such as Emerald Insight, Ebsco ABI/inform, etc. All these studies are related to the measuring of service quality in higher education. Findings The result of this paper reveals that SERVQUAL is the most widely accepted scale which has its dominance in the higher education setting. The paper focuses on revealing the dimensions which are used in the past studies. The paper notices a huge variation in the items as well as constructs while exploring the dimensions. Further, it is observed that many of the studies considered in this paper picked dimensions from other studies, expert opinions and factor analysis. In addition to this, it is found that different scales are proposed and checked for their reliability and validity through the confirmatory factor analysis. Few studies confirm the validity using average variance extracted (AVE), model fit values and correlations. Practical implications The study will help other researchers to get a summarised form of different dimensions used in the higher education setting. It also points out the essential and common dimensions of similar studies. Further, with different samples and geographical location, it can help us to identify how the dimension varies as we move from one part to another around the globe with different samples. Further, it formulates directions to pick correct combination of scale, administration and methods that are useful in collecting the data and getting the inference out of it under correct settings. Originality/value The summarisation of different studies will help the researchers to have a holistic view of the important studies that took place in the higher education setting.

A capacity needs assessment to integrate MOOC-based climate change education with the higher education institutions in Europe and developing countries in Asia: findings of the focused group survey in PCHEI under the BECK project

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malith Senevirathne ◽  
H.A.C. Priyankara ◽  
Dilanthi Amaratunga ◽  
Richard Haigh ◽  
Nandasiri Weerasinghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Capacity Development ◽  
Infrastructure Development ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Literacy ◽  
Project Objectives

Purpose The extreme climatic events are a result of modern human lifestyles and activities. Climate literacy is one of the significant factors to redefine aggravated human behaviours related to climate change and energy efficiency. Therefore, education relevant to energy efficiency and climate change is identified as a vital requirement in the present education sector. This study aims to identify existing capacity needs for integrating massive open online courses (MOOC)-based climate education in the partner institutions education systems. Design/methodology/approach The integrating education with consumer behavior relevant to energy efficiency and climate change at the Universities of Russia, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh (BECK) project funded by the Erasmus+ programme aimed to address this research gap by introducing new harmonized MOOC modules to the higher education curricular of four European, five Russian and five Asian higher education institutions (partner country higher education institutions). A series of focus group surveys and workshops were carried out to identify the present capacity development needs relevant to the subject topic. Findings Accordingly, infrastructure development, awareness-raising, curricular development, capacity building, integration and networking, research and development and financial needs have been identified as the key areas requiring capacity development to integrate energy efficiency and climate change into the higher education curricular. The results have recognized that a MOOC system in curricular will allow better opportunities for research, awareness and capacity development initiatives. Research limitations/implications The relevant European best practices can be adopted into the Asian education systems to allow more opportunities in infrastructure, research and networking development. The project continues to implement the MOOC modules in the partner institutions following a contextual research study and a cross-institutional module sharing assessment. Originality/value The research outcomes identify the significant facts for formulating the BECK project objectives, which provide wider opportunity for climate literacy improvements and education initiatives in the partner countries.

A comprehensive model for assessing the quality in higher education institutions

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Nidal Yousef Dwaikat
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Academic Programs ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Comprehensive Model ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Quality In Higher Education

PurposeThis study aims to propose a comprehensive model for assessing the quality of academic programs in higher education institutions (HEIs) by adopting the TQM philosophy.Design/methodology/approachBased on a sample of 377 responses from higher education academics, experts and professionals in Sweden, partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) technique was used to empirically test the proposed hypotheses and validate the model.FindingsThe model reveals that the input-based factors have a stronger impact on the process-based factors; while process-based factors have less impact on the output-based factors. The input-based factors: adoption of international pedagogy standards (IPS), education infrastructure (EDI), and work/study environment (WSE) through the process-based factors quality of students (QOS) and quality of faculty staff (QFS) is found to have a significant impact on output-based factor quality of academic programs (QAP).Research limitations/implicationsThis study has been conducted in Sweden. Inclusion of other countries provides opportunities for further analysis by conducting cross-comparison between different cultures in higher education, and including additional stakeholders such as policymakers, parents and students.Practical implicationsThis research also contributes to practice by providing an in-depth understanding of the relationships among variables that affect the quality of academic programs in HEIs, and provides insights to internally assess the quality levels of their academic programsOriginality/valueThis study contributes to the knowledge by providing a holistic view in which it integrates input, process and output perspectives in a conceptual model to assess the quality of academic programs at the higher education level.

Using the private finance initiative for energy efficiency projects at the urban scale

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto De Marco ◽  
Giulio Mangano ◽  
Fania Valeria Michelucci ◽  
Giovanni Zenezini
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficiency ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Light Emitting Diode ◽  
Project Finance ◽  
Private Finance Initiative ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Light Emitting ◽  
Alternate Forms ◽  
Private Investors

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to suggest the usage of the project finance (PF) scheme as a suitable mechanism to fund energy efficiency projects at the urban scale and present its advantages and adoption barriers. Design/methodology/approach – A case study is developed to renew the traffic lighting system of an Italian town via replacement of the old lamps with new light-emitting diode (LED) technology. Several partners are involved in the case project to construct a viable PF arrangement. Findings – The case study presents the viability of the proposed PF scheme that provides for acceptable financial returns and bankability. However, it also shows that the need for short concession periods may call for a public contribution to the initial funding to make the project more attractive to private investors. Practical implications – This case study is a useful guideline for governments and promoters to using the PF arrangement to fund energy efficiency investments in urban settings. It helps designing an appropriate PF scheme and understanding the advantages of PF to reduce risk and, consequently, increase the debt leverage and profitability of energy efficiency projects. Originality/value – This paper contributes to bridging the gap about the lack of works addressing the implementation of the PF mechanism in the energy efficiency sector in urban areas. The importance of this paper is also associated with the shortage of traditional public finance faced by many cities that forces to seek for alternate forms of financing.

scholarly journals A Review of Energy Communities in Sub-Saharan Africa as a Transition Pathway to Energy Democracy

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 2128
Author(s):  
Amollo Ambole ◽  
Kweku Koranteng ◽  
Peris Njoroge ◽  
Douglas Logedi Luhangala
Keyword(s):  
Stakeholder Engagement ◽  
Energy Systems ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Energy Access ◽  
Energy Projects ◽  
Global North ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Energy Justice ◽  
Design Proposal ◽  
Ssa Countries

Energy communities have received considerable attention in the Global North, especially in Europe, due to their potential for achieving sustainable energy transitions. In Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), energy communities have received less attention partly due to the nascent energy systems in many emerging SSA states. In this paper, we argue that these nascent energy systems offer an opportunity to co-create energy communities that can tackle the energy access challenges faced by most SSA countries. To understand how such energy communities are realised in the sub-region, we undertake a systematic review of research on energy communities in 46 SSA countries. Our findings show that only a few energy projects exhibit the conventional characteristics of energy communities; In most of these projects, local communities are inadequately resourced to institute and manage their own projects. We thus look to stakeholder engagement approaches to propose co-design as a strategy for strengthening energy communities in SSA. We further embed our co-design proposal in energy democracy thinking to argue that energy communities can be a pathway towards equity and energy justice in SSA. We conclude that energy communities can indeed contribute to improving energy access in Africa, but they need an enabling policy environment to foster their growth and sustainability.

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