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Ireland’s Transition towards a Low Carbon Society: The Leadership Role of Higher Education Institutions in Solar Photovoltaic Niche Development

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  • William Horan

    (Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland)

  • Rachel Shawe

    (Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland)

  • Bernadette O’Regan

    (Centre for Environmental Research, Department of Chemical Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, Faculty of Science & Engineering, University of Limerick, V94 T9PX Limerick, Ireland)

Abstract

Ireland is currently considered a laggard within Europe in relation to decarbonisation of its society, with future projections estimating increases in greenhouse gas emissions up to and beyond 2030. To accelerate Ireland’s transition towards a low-carbon society, there is a need for leadership in deployment and experimentation of low carbon technologies. As Higher Education Institutions (HEI) currently play a major role in generation of human capital and the associated impact on societal development, HEIs are ideal locations to focus resources in terms of deployment and experimentation of decarbonisation technologies to demonstrate best practice for further replication within wider society. To guide Irish HEIs in this regard, a novel integrated approach titled ‘Higher Education Accelerating Development for Sustainability’ (HEADS) has been developed and applied to the sector. The HEADS approach utilises the perspectives of quantitative systems analysis, sociotechnical analysis, and living lab learning to inform HEIs of their potential roles within national sustainability transitions. Applied to solar photovoltaic transitions in Ireland, the HEADS approach has identified HEIs as vital locations to deploy low-carbon technologies due to their amplification effect in signalling to wider society the attractiveness of these technologies.

Suggested Citation

  • William Horan & Rachel Shawe & Bernadette O’Regan, 2019. "Ireland’s Transition towards a Low Carbon Society: The Leadership Role of Higher Education Institutions in Solar Photovoltaic Niche Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(3), pages 1-12, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:11:y:2019:i:3:p:558-:d:199734
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Miguel Carvalho Oliveira & João Proença, 2025. "Sustainable Campus Operations in Higher Education Institutions: A Systematic Literature Review," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 17(2), pages 1-34, January.
    2. Amila Omazic & Bernd Markus Zunk, 2021. "Semi-Systematic Literature Review on Sustainability and Sustainable Development in Higher Education Institutions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(14), pages 1-45, July.
    3. Muhammad Umar Afzaal & Intisar Ali Sajjad & Ahmed Bilal Awan & Kashif Nisar Paracha & Muhammad Faisal Nadeem Khan & Abdul Rauf Bhatti & Muhammad Zubair & Waqas ur Rehman & Salman Amin & Shaikh Saaqib , 2020. "Probabilistic Generation Model of Solar Irradiance for Grid Connected Photovoltaic Systems Using Weibull Distribution," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(6), pages 1-17, March.
    4. Lazaroiu, Alexandra Catalina & Panait, Cornel & Serițan, George & Popescu, Claudia Laurenta & Roscia, Mariacristina, 2024. "Maximizing renewable energy and storage integration in university campuses," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 230(C).
    5. William Horan & Bernadette O’Regan, 2021. "Developing a Practical Framework of Sustainability Indicators Relevant to All Higher Education Institutions to Enable Meaningful International Rankings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-15, January.
    6. Eugénia de Matos Pedro & João Leitão & Helena Alves, 2025. "Students’ satisfaction and empowerment of a sustainable university campus," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 27(1), pages 1175-1198, January.

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