Palletized photo voltaic modules await recycling in a SolarCycle warehouse.
At this time, SEIA has unveiled a brand new roadmap to implement a round economic system strategy all through the U.S. photo voltaic and storage business. As photo voltaic and storage account for a majority of the brand new energy on America’s electrical grid, this plan lays out a strategic imaginative and prescient to organize the business for the problem of responsibly managing the rising quantity of kit reaching the top of its service life.
The round economic system is a mannequin of useful resource manufacturing that decouples financial progress from useful resource consumption. Embracing the round economic system positions the photo voltaic and storage business for long-term, sustainable progress by decreasing reliance on new uncooked supplies, mitigating dangers posed by a linear economic system, and chopping prices by means of useful resource effectivity. By extending the lifetime of merchandise and recovering beneficial supplies, the business can scale extra affordably, strengthen native economies, and improve U.S. power safety.
Titled “A Vision for Implementing the Circular Economy in the Solar and Storage Industry,” the roadmap particulars how the business will cut back waste, strengthen provide chains and prolong the life of unpolluted power merchandise — all whereas driving job creation and financial progress.
“Because the business continues to broaden, it’s essential that we implement methods that stretch the lifetime of our merchandise whereas decreasing waste to unlock financial alternatives and a more healthy setting. That’s what the round economic system is all about,” stated Abigail Ross Hopper, SEIA president and CEO. “This roadmap outlines the on a regular basis options for turning our imaginative and prescient into actuality — by offering a concrete motion plan to develop nationwide requirements, create demand for recovered and recycled supplies and cut back waste in landfills.”
This primary-of-its-kind roadmap contains an motion plan for the photo voltaic and storage business — in partnership with stakeholders, in addition to federal, state and native governments — to:
- Develop nationwide requirements for recycling, decommissioning, and reuse of photo voltaic and storage tools
- Present help and technical help to producers with a purpose to create demand for recovered uncooked supplies
- Assist present and new analysis & improvement workstreams to supply options to limitations to implementing a round economic system
- Develop contract language to fulfill monetary assurance necessities for undertaking decommissioning
- Develop zero waste-to-landfill greatest practices
- Develop mannequin siting and dealing with pointers for PV recycling services
- Craft a framework for a nationwide community of photo voltaic and storage tools assortment websites that enhance logistical efficiencies
- Convene a first-of-its-kind sustainability convention for our business within the U.S.
- Advocate for laws and regulatory necessities on the native/state/federal ranges to make useful resource restoration simpler and cheaper than land disposal.
- Assess and develop suggestions for additional requirements that help profitable allowing of tasks
The roadmap additionally features a timeline for execution of the motion plan, with key requirements anticipated to be in place by 2026. SEIA will work intently with corporations within the photo voltaic and storage business, authorities companies, the strong waste business, academia, nongovernmental organizations and all members within the worth chain to convey this imaginative and prescient to life.
Because the photo voltaic and storage business continues to develop, SEIA’s Round Financial system Roadmap gives a imaginative and prescient for the way forward for the business that mitigates uncertainty available in the market, bolsters home manufacturing and provide chains and promotes financial progress by means of circularity.
View the full Circular Economy Roadmap here.
Information merchandise from SEIA
