Embedding Sustainability Competencies in Renewable Energy Engineering Curricula: A Gap Analysis of UNSW SOLAAH and SOLABH Programs against the Planetary Boundaries Framework

Chirag Dagar

Abstract: As global photovoltaic (PV) deployment accelerates toward terawatt-scale, the engineering curricula preparing future practitioners must evolve beyond technical performance to encompass full-lifecycle sustainability thinking. This paper presents a systematic gap analysis of sustainability-related competency coverage within two UNSW undergraduate engineering specialisations-SOLAAH (Photovoltaics and Solar Energy) and SOLABH (Renewable Energy Engineering)-using a structured curriculum-mapping framework derived from Wiek et al. (2011) and Brundiers et al. (2021). Seven sustainability competency dimensions are assessed across all core and elective courses in both programs using a three-tier coding scheme (Strong/Partial/Absent). Findings reveal that while both programs exhibit strong technical sustainability foundations, critical competencies-particularly normative/ethics, systems thinking within the planetary boundaries context, and integrated multi-criteria assessment-are either absent or confined to elective courses. The study identifies seven targeted micro-project interventions that can be embedded within existing courses with minimal curriculum disruption. This work contributes a reproducible, evidence-based methodology for sustainability curriculum audit and a set of actionable, PV end-of-life-focused teaching modules aligned with the planetary boundaries framework.

Keywords: sustainability competencies, planetary boundaries, circular economy, curriculum mapping, life cycle assessment, engineering education, photovoltaics