U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information
Design for Recycling Principles Applicable to Selected Clean Energy Technologies: Crystalline-Silicon Photovoltaic Modules, Electric Vehicle Batteries, and Wind Turbine Blades
Journal Article·· Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy
The global growth of clean energy technology deployment will be followed by parallel growth in end-of-life (EOL) products, bringing both challenges and opportunities. Cumulatively, by 2050, estimates project 78 million tonnes of raw materials embodied in the mass of EOL photovoltaic (PV) modules, 12 billion tonnes of wind turbine blades, and by 2030, 11 million tonnes of lithium-ion batteries. Owing partly to concern that the projected growth of these technologies could become constrained by raw material availability, processes for recycling them at EOL continue to be developed. However, none of these technologies are typically designed with recycling in mind, and all of them present challenges to efficient recycling. This article synthesizes and extends design for recycling (DfR) principles based on a review of published industrial and academic best practices as well as consultation with experts in the field. Specific principles developed herein apply to crystalline-silicon PV modules, batteries like those used in electric vehicles, and wind turbine blades, while a set of broader principles applies to all three of these technologies and potentially others. These principles are meant to be useful for stakeholders—such as research and development managers, analysts, and policymakers—in informing and promoting decisions that facilitate DfR and, ultimately, increase recycling rates as a way to enhance the circularity of the clean energy economy. The article also discusses some commercial implications of DfR.
Norgren, Alex, et al. "Design for Recycling Principles Applicable to Selected Clean Energy Technologies: Crystalline-Silicon Photovoltaic Modules, Electric Vehicle Batteries, and Wind Turbine Blades." Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy, vol. 6, no. 4, Dec. 2020. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40831-020-00313-3
@article{osti_1730973,
author = {Norgren, Alex and Carpenter, Alberta and Heath, Garvin},
title = {Design for Recycling Principles Applicable to Selected Clean Energy Technologies: Crystalline-Silicon Photovoltaic Modules, Electric Vehicle Batteries, and Wind Turbine Blades},
annote = {
Abstract
The global growth of clean energy technology deployment will be followed by parallel growth in end-of-life (EOL) products, bringing both challenges and opportunities. Cumulatively, by 2050, estimates project 78 million tonnes of raw materials embodied in the mass of EOL photovoltaic (PV) modules, 12 billion tonnes of wind turbine blades, and by 2030, 11 million tonnes of lithium-ion batteries. Owing partly to concern that the projected growth of these technologies could become constrained by raw material availability, processes for recycling them at EOL continue to be developed. However, none of these technologies are typically designed with recycling in mind, and all of them present challenges to efficient recycling. This article synthesizes and extends design for recycling (DfR) principles based on a review of published industrial and academic best practices as well as consultation with experts in the field. Specific principles developed herein apply to crystalline-silicon PV modules, batteries like those used in electric vehicles, and wind turbine blades, while a set of broader principles applies to all three of these technologies and potentially others. These principles are meant to be useful for stakeholders—such as research and development managers, analysts, and policymakers—in informing and promoting decisions that facilitate DfR and, ultimately, increase recycling rates as a way to enhance the circularity of the clean energy economy. The article also discusses some commercial implications of DfR.
Graphical Abstract
},
doi = {10.1007/s40831-020-00313-3},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1730973},
journal = {Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy},
issn = {ISSN 2199-3823},
number = {4},
volume = {6},
place = {United States},
publisher = {Springer Science + Business Media},
year = {2020},
month = {12}}
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