| Title | PV in the circular economy, a dynamic framework analyzing technology evolution and reliability impacts |
|---|---|
| ID_Doc | 20906 |
| Authors | Ovaitt, S; Mirletz, H; Seetharaman, S; Barnes, T |
| Title | PV in the circular economy, a dynamic framework analyzing technology evolution and reliability impacts |
| Year | 2022 |
| Published | Iscience, 25, 1 |
| Abstract | Rapid, terawatt-scale deployment of photovoltaic (PV) modules is required to decarbonize the energy sector Despite efficiency and manufacturing improvements, material demand will increase, eventually resulting in waste as deployed modules reach end of life. Circular choices for decommissioned modules could reduce waste and offset virgin materials. We present PV ICE, an open-source python framework using modern reliability data, which tracks module material flows throughout PV life cycles. We provide dynamic baselines capturing PV module and material evolution. PV ICE includes multimodal end of life, circular pathways, and manufacturing losses. We present a validation of the framework and a sensitivity analysis. Results show that manufacturing efficiencies strongly affect material demand, representing >20% of the 9 million tons of waste cumulatively expected by 2050. Reliability and circular pathways represent the best opportunities to reduce waste by 56% while maintaining installed capacity. Shorter-lived modules generate 81% more waste and reduce 2050 capacity by 6%. |
| http://www.cell.com/article/S2589004221014590/pdf |
Similar Articles
| ID | Score | Article |
|---|---|---|
25467
|
Mirletz, HM; Ovaitt, S; Ribo, MM; Sridhar, S; Barnes, TM Measuring Sustainability of PV in Energy Transition: Mass, Energy, and Circularity(2023) | |
| 4907
|
Mirletz, H; Ovaitt, S; Sridhar, S; Barnes, TM Circular economy priorities for photovoltaics in the energy transition(2022)Plos One, 17, 9 | |
| 1889
|
Mirletz, H; Ovaitt, S; Sridhar, S; Barnes, TM Prioritizing circular economy strategies for sustainable PV deployment at the TW scale(2024) | |
| 1620
|
Ovaitt, S; Mirletz, HM; Hegedus, A; Gaulding, A; Barnes, T PV Evolution in the light of Circular Economy(2021) | |
| 25848
|
Khalifa, SA; Mastrorocco, BV; Au, DD; Barnes, TM; Carpenter, AC; Baxter, JB A Circularity Assessment for Silicon Solar Panels Based on Dynamic Material Flow Analysis(2021) | |
| 4471
|
Khalifa, SA; Mastrorocco, BV; Au, DD; Ovaitt, S; Barnes, TM; Carpenter, AC; Baxter, JB Dynamic material flow analysis of silicon photovoltaic modules to support a circular economy transition(2022)Progress In Photovoltaics, 30, 7 | |
| 3870
|
Bartie, NJ; Cobos-Becerra, YL; Fröhling, M; Schlatmann, R; Reuter, MA The resources, exergetic and environmental footprint of the silicon photovoltaic circular economy: Assessment and opportunities(2021) | |
| 11128
|
Bartie, N; Cobos-Becerra, L; Fröhling, M; Reuter, MA; Schlatmann, R Process simulation and digitalization for comprehensive life-cycle sustainability assessment of Silicon photovoltaic systems(2021) | |
| 8601
|
Romel, M; Kabir, G; Ng, KTW Prediction of photovoltaic waste generation in Canada using regression-based model(2024)Environmental Science And Pollution Research, 31.0, 6 | |
| 21920
|
Tan, J; Jia, SY; Ramakrishna, S End-of-Life Photovoltaic Modules(2022)Energies, 15.0, 14 |