Renewable Energy Financing & Modelling

Abstract

Climate change and renewable energy are known for their complexity. Universities address them in two ways:

To accumulate scientific research in order to estimate the size and scope of the problem, which is multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary, involving technical, economic, social, and political considerations;

Conversely, students from diverse backgrounds, ranging from economics and social sciences to engineering, can acquire a set of renewable energy competencies that range from a thorough understanding of relevant aspects and findings from various fields to the ability to integrate multiple perspectives and manage complexity, uncertainty, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The Erasmus+ DALILA consortium focused mainly on the latter scope, implementing interdisciplinary lectures open to students from economics and engineering-technical faculties. Throughout the course of the project, all participating universities defined the ideal baseline for educational activities aimed at addressing green energy as comprehensively as possible. It is, however, necessary to use a proper teaching method to facilitate the integration of climate change and green energy, so that students are able to (1) understand crucial climatic processes and their various impacts, (2) comprehend the core technical and economic elements of renewable energy, and (3) discuss and even innovate strategies for a variety of stakeholders, labor markets, and local needs.

In a university culture that is organized along disciplinary faculties, implementing interdisciplinary courses proved challenging. In terms of teaching, we observed a high degree of commitment and a propensity for innovation among all the members of the project team.