Z-LAB ENERGY TRANSITION

Introduction & Overview of the Course During this week’s lesson, students will be introduced to the general overview of the course which is structured into phases considering the objectives of the course. Phase I: This part exposes students to the types of literature review, purposes of Literature Review and how they are conducted, the tools (Rayyan, Elicit, Litmaps and others) used to conduct reviews and how to identify research gaps. Using various scientific documents as cases, we will identify and learn the various types of gaps and which ones are the most suitable for which review. Phase II: This part delves into Energy literature to help understand the various gaps in both the Global North and South countries. The themes and patterns pertaining to the literature will also be identified. Furthermore, an in-depth overview of Energy Transition and its associated and related aspects. The topic of this week is Energy as an Academic Discipline.

Introduction to Literature Review This week introduces students to the various types of literature review. Systematic Review, Scoping Review, Bibliometric Review, Meta-Analyses, Bibliometric Review and Literature Review. Tools, databases, materials and methods used to conduct these reviews. Activities planned for this phase: Use scientific documents and materials in class and explore the types of reviews and how they are conducted. Explore how to use the most prominent databases: Scopus and Web of Science and acquire some of these documents from the databases. Carefully analyse the materials & methods session as well as the results of the documents in relation to the course objective.

Introduction to Literature Review In this lesson, students will focus on delving deeper into conducting a literature review for a scientific paper, thesis or a review using tools such as Litmaps that aid in mapping out the most relevant and related papers and references suitable for an area. In this phase, it will be essential to gather information on conducting: Desk research: to analyze existing sources and consolidate available data The activities for this phase include: Explore the specifics involved in conducting literature Keyword setting and how to search using keywords in the databases Cleaning the data: use the inclusion and exclusion criteria Manual cleaning or using Rayyan to assist in refining the data Creating the PRISMA framework Final documents to be used in identifying the research gaps.

Identifying Research Gaps In the third lesson, students will be guided in identifying and extracting gaps such as knowledge gaps, theoretical gaps, solution gaps, etc. After the gaps are identified, emerging themes and patterns that could emerge as solutions and new areas of research. The main topics addressed will be as follows: Research Gaps: Knowledge gaps Theoretical gaps Solution gap Emerging themes and patterns Planned Activities: Apply and explore some of the tools and how they are used to identify the gaps and themes. Division of students into ad hoc groups focused on a specific area of analysis. Group work aimed at identifying the gaps and themes and formulating research objectives or topics.

Introduction & Overview of Energy Transition In this session, the primary goal is to expose and dig deeper into the matter of energy transition, SDG 7 and other goals, and energy justice. During this phase, the following activities will take place after the overview of the topic: Team Comparison and Feedback Sharing: Students will be arranged in groups and practice reviewing the literature with the databases and tools on the topic studied for the day. Synthesis of Ideas: The teams will then synthesize the various documents and extract the gaps they have identified and discuss this together with the class. Critical Reflection: Students will be guided to reflect critically on the gaps and propose solutions and recommendations to address these gaps. Students will leave this session with a clearer understanding of the direction they need to take for the next stages of the project, ensuring that their work is well aligned with both the practical and theoretical aspects of the challenge.

Just Transitions: Challenges and Opportunities Together with students, the energy literature will be explored and using a PESTEL or SWOT analysis, we will consider the strengths and weaknesses as well as the threats and opportunities that the transition offers for various economies: developed and developing. The opportunities and challenges identified will pave way for the other topics of the following weeks. Explore conceptual frameworks and policies related to this Investigate just transition principles

Innovation for Energy Transitions In this lesson, students will explore innovation opportunities and the future of energy systems such as hydrogen and clean biofuels. Overview of technologies and models for energy and mobility: During this phase, students will have the opportunity to examine the main technologies and models for energy production and consumption, as well as mobility. The most promising hydrogen solutions will be explored, comparing the latest innovations, scalability opportunities, and technical challenges. The integration of various models will also be discussed, along with how they can contribute to the transition toward a sustainable future by analyzing the economic, environmental, and social implications of the different technologies. Exploring Additional Hydrogen Applications: The lesson will begin with an in-depth exploration of various sectors that could benefit from hydrogen technologies. Students will learn how hydrogen can be applied in industries such as steel production, shipping, aviation, and even residential energy solutions. These sectors, while not necessarily the focus of students' projects, could benefit from hydrogen in different ways. For example, hydrogen could be used to decarbonize heavy industries that rely on fossil fuels, or it could be applied in the production of green ammonia for agriculture. By understanding these applications, students will gain a broader view of the impact of their work and how hydrogen could revolutionize various industries. Students will learn about different hydrogen technologies that exist beyond transportation, such as hydrogen-powered microgrids and off-grid solutions, which can provide clean energy to remote areas or communities not connected to the grid. Integration with Other Renewable Technologies: A key discussion will focus on how hydrogen can be integrated with other renewable energy technologies, such as solar, wind, and geothermal. Students will see how hydrogen can act as an energy storage medium, improving the efficiency and sustainability of renewable energy systems, especially in areas where energy demand is variable. This part of the lesson will focus on the concept of hydrogen economy, where hydrogen serves as the link between energy production, storage, and consumption, integrating into a broader, more sustainable energy system.

Technology Transfer for Energy Transition (International & Intranational) In the eighth lesson, students will have the opportunity to explore the technology transfer literature, specifically the energy area to understand the trends and patterns, how technology transfer has accelerated the energy transition in emerging emerging economies, how technology transfer has proven to be beneficial in transforming partnerships, cooperation and development and reducing energy poverty while promoting environmental preservation. It will further focus on analyzing global and local trends, highlighting how technological innovations emanating from technological transfers and transformations may influence the future of these critical sectors. The main objective will be to identify the gap with technological management (adoption, diffusion and transfer) within the energy sector and proposed solutions to the most recent technological developments and market trends, ensuring that the ideas developed are not only innovative but also capable of addressing future challenges. The lesson will focus on how to optimize projects so they are resilient, adaptable, and transferrable while anticipating changes that may alter the energy landscape. Expected Activities: Analysis of country and industry trends and clues about the future of energy: During this phase, students will explore future developments through case studies and research reports, examining key indicators that suggest how these sectors will evolve in the coming years. Technological, economic, and regulatory factors that could impact the energy landscape will be analyzed. Optimization of expert feedback: The focus will be on integrating suggestions to improve the approach and optimize solutions, making them more robust and future ready. Areas such as sustainability, efficiency, scalability, and adaptability of the solutions will be worked on. Preparation of solutions ready for the future: Students will be encouraged to reflect on how their proposals can evolve to remain relevant and innovative in an advanced technological world. They will work to identify possible development, transfer, evolution, and integration scenarios for the proposed solutions, also evaluating strengthen collaborations with other players, such as universities, government bodies, and innovative companies.

Financing the Energy Transitions Lesson nine will explore and focus on the comparison of the various financing solutions available within the energy literature and after conducting the planned activities which is synthesis and aggregation, identify the emerging trends and patterns to develop new sources of financing energy projects. The session further explores which finance mechanisms works best for developing and developed economies since most of the one-size-fits-all approaches have not been helpful enough. Also, the session further investigates how developing countries can self-fund and finance energy projects and design suitable financial policies for energy transition programmes. From a developed economy perspective (EU), additionally, we will explore how to access European research and innovation funding, a key aspect for advancing technologies related to energy and mobility. The discussion will focus on how to structure funding applications in response to European calls, analyzing the opportunities offered by different funding lines and how these can accelerate the technological progress of the proposals. Planned Activities: Defining Financial Models for Formal and Informal economies: We will explore the most suitable financial tools and policies that can be designed for the energy sector, focusing on how to further use and manage natural and renewable resources, time, and activities effectively to achieve project objectives. More importantly, the financial model should be designed to make it easily integrated into systems: developed and developing countries, thus factoring in the structure of their economies, current energy structure as well as existing policies in line with energy and energy transition. Financial investments and future trends evolved of support schemes and auctions worldwide.

Governance Models for Energy Transitions (quintuple helix) In this lesson, students will deepen their understanding of governance and polycentrism and how it can shape energy transition efforts, mechanisms and strategies within industries and economies in ways that may not have been considered during the development of their projects. Through the document analysis of studies and emerging trends, students will be encouraged to think creatively about how the various actors can play different roles from their usual ones and can be well integrated into various sectors to promote sustainability, innovation, and economic growth while fostering energy transition. The session commences with history and the institutional context of energy transition. -current state of Energy Transition in the Global North and Global South, the role of state actors and the public sector in the transition process. -the role of private actors in the transition process and how to create checks and balances while exploring options of green hydrogen (competition in energy market: renewable energy sources topics) -the role of knowledge actors through research and development activities to accelerate the energy transition process (hydrogen, thermal and more). -the role of civic actors (NGOs, CSOs, non-state actors such as religious groups and bodies as well as communities and citizens and the media) in helping this process-Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) -meeting targets of the transition process and an overview of the state of the environment, climate change and biodiversity in the Global North & Global South.

International policies and regulatory frameworks and its influence on Energy Transition This part of the course will expose students to carbon markets: carbon pricing, the EU emission trading systems (EU ETS), and Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) International Carbon Credits & International Carbon policies- Carbon Taxes and Trading Emission Systems in Asia & Africa. Policies on Renewables – Analysing cases from different countries apart from the EU. Planned Activities: Extract the relevant documents from databases using the keyword search. Analyse the documents and identify the recurrent gaps as well as conduct an analysis to identify the emerging themes and patterns. Propose a solution

Final Submission & Pitching PoCs Pitching: Presentation of solutions in-house and peer-review. Students will present the gaps they identified, the methods and process of review they used, their findings and present suggested solutions effectively by structuring their final presentations, improving their scientific writing and public speaking skills. The goal is to provide them with the necessary tools to communicate their ideas clearly both verbally and written, convincingly, and professionally. The focus will be on clarity and conciseness, ensuring that each student can present their proposal in a brief yet complete manner. Public Speaking Exercise: A crucial part of the preparation will be dedicated to improving public speaking skills. Each student will have the opportunity to perform a pitching trial in front of their peers and mentors, receiving immediate feedback on how to improve their message and approach. Preparation of Visual and Support Materials: Alongside verbal preparation, students will also work on the visual and support materials that will accompany their presentations. They will learn how to create compelling slides that are not overloaded with information, supporting and reinforcing their message both in the scientific paper and in slides. The importance of using graphs, charts, and images to explain complex concepts while maintaining the audience's attention will be discussed. Practical tools will be provided to design visuals in a simple and effective way, using presentation software and exploring creative solutions to make presentations more engaging.