Solar Decathlon events involve large casts of stakeholders. This section identifies the stakeholders of this project and their respective relationship with Solar Decathlon AFRICA 2019. These stakeholders include university students, university faculty, government agencies, and potential industry sponsors. When working on an event of this caliber, it is necessary to consider the effect of the decathlon on the stakeholders. All parties have many opportunities to benefit, including learning experiences, political change catalysts, and local area upbuilding. The following table lists the stakeholders of the Solar Decathlon that are relevant to this project (see Table 2-1, below).
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Table 2-1: Identified stakeholders for Solar Decathlon AFRICA 2019
Stakeholder Group
Interest Assets
University Students
Gaining education and first-hand project experience
Ideas, knowledge, labor
University Faculty/
Administration
Using the Solar Decathlon to bolster curriculum and compliment student work. May also receive grant or research money.
Industry connections, leadership, knowledge
Government Agencies
Supporting solar energy and pushing Morocco toward energy goals
Money, power to change laws and policy, far-reaching communication, expansive networks
Potential Industry Sponsors
Learning more about sustainable technologies, opportunity to advertise and test products, recruit students for employment
Money, connections, power to shape future industry
In the case of the Solar Decathlon AFRICA, university students and faculty on Solar Decathlon teams are the innovators. These innovators aim to make positive advancements in the solar technology and sustainable design fields. Students benefit through their participation by gaining valuable project experience, and the faculty can utilize the involvement to improve curriculum for students (U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon, 2017).
IRESEN needs investors to provide support for niches: markets for sustainable
technologies which sponsors subsidize to encourage growth and innovation (Heiskanen, Nissilä, & Lovio, 2015). For the Solar Decathlon AFRICA, the government will be a key player.
Government agencies and companies can give funding to demonstrations such as the Solar Decathlon. The Solar Decathlon is an opportunity for the government to further support solar technology development (Griffiths, 2017). Investors may include energy companies, construction and architectural firms, banks, and realtors (Moore & Higgins, 2016). A successful
demonstration can promote and legitimize the new technology.
The purpose of the Solar Decathlon is to promote solar technologies and to gain exposure for regional strategies that local communities can adopt. The hope is that public engagement with the models will serve as pilots for new markets (U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon, 2017). Strategic Niche Management (SNM) is a unique approach to the development and incorporation of technologies. The basic principle of SNM is to create a safe space or community to test and run trials on new technologies. Investors are often uncomfortable investing in or exploring a new
19 technology; the technology needs time to develop and prove itself before investment. Niches provide a collaboration space where innovators feel comfortable making mistakes and trying new strategies to advance the technology (Heiskanen, Nissilä, & Lovio, 2015). For example, to
further develop and flourish in the global energy industry, a larger network needs to witness the viability and value of solar technology.
Solar Decathlons provide a platform for showcasing innovative solar technologies. The students drive the competition, the faculty guide the students, and the industry provides the resources to make it all possible. Communicating the objectives and benefits of the Solar Decathlon to these stakeholders is vital to the success of Solar Decathlon AFRICA.
2.4.1 Potential University Involvement
The Solar Decathlon is an international competition, and thus involves universities from many nations and continents. However, since Solar Decathlon AFRICA focuses specifically on the culture and architecture of Africa, involving more African universities will strengthen the competition. Times Higher Education ranked 11 Moroccan universities in the top 200 African universities, showing great potential for Moroccan involvement in the competition (2018). Additionally, Morocco has 332 higher education institutes which include universities and professional training institutes (Moroccodemia, 2016; CA Global Headhunters, 2016). The Moroccan education system operates as follows:
On completion of the secondary school program (baccalaureate/higher secondary certificate), students can pursue their studies in many open-access higher education institutions. They are, however, required to have high baccalaureate grades and take an entrance exam to attend limited-access institutions. Higher schools (grandes écoles) require a further two years of preparatory classes, on top of a secondary-school diploma, for admission. As for private and privately-run higher education institutions, students may be required to sit for an entrance exam/interview, as well as pay registration and scholarship fees. (Moroccodemia, 2016).
These institutes and universities are broken into eight categories (see Table 2, below) (Moroccodemia, 2016).
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Table 2-2: Details on higher education institutes in Morocco (modified from Moroccodemia, 2016)
Number in Morocco
Type of Institute Controlling Department Penetration Level
12 Public Universities Ministry of Higher Education Open + Limited Access
1 Public Universities Run by Other Ministries Limited Access
53 Public Faculties, Schools and Institutes
Ministry of Higher Education Open Access
37 Public Faculties, Schools and Institutes
Ministry of Higher Education Limited Access
26 Public Faculties, Schools and Institutes
Run by Other Ministries Limited Access
2 Privately-run Universities
Private Private Access
5 Private Universities Private Private Access
196 Private Faculties, Schools and Institutes
Private Private Access
The Solar Decathlon does not limit participation to a type or discipline of institute or university (Solar Decathlon AFRICA Request for Proposals, 2018). For example, Middlebury College, a private liberal arts college located in Middlebury, Vermont, USA competed in Solar Decathlon 2011 and 2013. In 2011, Middlebury placed 4th overall and first in three of the contest categories (U.S. DOE Solar Decathlon, 2017). All centers for education can take a part in Solar Decathlon AFRICA.