The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO) aims to reduce the environmental impacts of solar energy. This plan outlines research activities that can enable safe and environmentally sound handling of PV EOL materials. Actions taken now will improve the likelihood that supporting technologies will be developed to handle PV EOL volumes safely, responsibly, and economically, allowing for greater deployment and safe and socially responsible supply chains.
SETO plans to address PV EOL issues through stakeholder outreach activities, data gathering, research, and analysis. SETO aims to better understand the state of EOL through the development of a database that tracks the materials, quantity, age, location, cause of EOL, and EOL handling for modules. In addition, it will support hardware research to reduce the environmental impacts of EOL and reduce the cost of module recycling by more than half by 2030.
Solar Energy Technologies Office Photovoltaics End-of-Life Action Plan
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