Emerging Roles of Higher Education Institutions as Sustainable Energy Communities: Taxonomy and Perspectives from an Irish Case Study

EU member states are required to facilitate the participation of their citizens in the clean energy transition. Local Energy Communities (LECs) in the EU are legal entities that facilitate collaboration on shared energy goals and citizen participation in energy markets. LECs are expected to play an important role in future clean, secure, and equitable energy systems. However, multiple obstacles and challenges exist to citizen groups' full active participation in the energy transition. In Ireland, there are just five LECs, but over 1000 Sustainable Energy Communities (SECs), voluntary initiatives to encourage communities and groups of citizens to understand their energy needs by learning together and co‐designing local energy solutions without necessarily participating in energy markets. SECs are expected to create a pathway to develop LECs. Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) have a unique position given their research and education remits to foster and support renewable and sustainable energy activities including the evolution of LECs. However, the remit of a HEI may limit the activities it can perform. In this perspective paper we reflect on the role, activities and goals of a HEI SEC positioning its activities in an overarching sustainability framework to better understand the role HEI SECs can play. We argue that the HEI SEC activities contribute to the HEI's sustainability reputation and can simultaneously support community engagement in the energy transition through sharing knowledge and expertise, and awareness building. This article is categorized under: Sustainable Development > Goals Policy and Economics > Energy Transitions