The National Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Research (NICER) program says in a new report that the UK solar industry could generate 1.2 million tonnes of waste by 2050. It calls for circular economy measures to meet net zero emissions and solar deployment targets.
A new report urges the… United Kingdom‘s solar industry to begin implementation circular economy measures to ensure the country meets its net zero targets.
The report, “From linear to circular: evidence from the UK solar sector,” says the grow of the UK solar industry led to an estimated 152,523 tonnes of aluminium, 8,745 tonnes of copper and 667,947 tonnes of glass material embedded in UK solar installations by the end of 2023.
pv magazine
The bumper party edition of pv magazine presents this year pv magazine Prize winners, recaps the events of a tumultuous year for solar and storage, considers another record year for French PV, and analyzes what Trump’s impending second presidency could mean for the US solar and battery industries.
It says this could become “a problematic waste stream in the future” and adds that the transition to a circular economy is “necessary” to align with the UK’s net zero target and target of 70 GW of solar by 2035 to use energy.
Ananda Nidhi, co-author of the report, says that by adopting the principles of the circular economy, the UK solar industry could tackle the estimated 1.2 million tonnes of solar energy waste that could be generated by 2050 generated by retaining more than $2 billion worth of aluminum, copper and silver. embedded in in-use solar energy, while generating an estimated $0.46 billion from higher recycling rates.
“A circular economy also has the potential to boost economic growth by creating new jobs and promoting business development in the repair, renovation and recycling sectors,” Nidhi said.
A shift to a circular economy requires a rethink of product design, material use and end-of-life management across the solar value chain, NICER said. It highlighted the opportunities and challenges associated with implementing circular economy principles across the solar value chain and provided details on existing initiatives implementing circular economy measures.
One of the examples is a project that investigates the use of recycled carbon black from used car tires in applications such as PV. The research team has discovered that carbon black from used tires can match or even exceed the performance of pure materials, offering a circular alternative to incineration or landfill.
Another example is London’s Hammersmith & Fulham council’s partnership with Cornwall-based start-up Re-Solar to reinstall solar panels. The panels in question, which remain operational for more than a decade, were sent to Ukraine to help provide the country with decentralized power.
NICER cited the main barriers to circularity in the solar sector as a lack of end-of-life policies, design limitations and data gaps. It said that stakeholders should adopt halogen and lead-free designs, invest in recycling infrastructure, exclude solar panels from WEEE regulations and enable the use of second lives for products within the Microgeneration Certification Scheme.
“The time to do this is now. The UK solar sector is at a critical juncture, with substantial growth while operating on a linear model,” said Nidhi. “By implementing the recommendations from this report, Britain can take the lead in creating a resilient and sustainable solar industry.”
NICER developed the report together with academics from the University of Exeter.
The United Kingdom revealed last week released its Clean Power 2030 Action Plan, which targets 30 GW of solar capacity in the generation mix by the end of the decade.
This content is copyrighted and may not be reused. If you would like to collaborate with us and reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
