By 2050, around 80 million metric tons of solar photovoltaic (PV) modules will reach the end of their life globally (according to NREL). 10 million metric tons will be in the United States. But this is not an issue for a far-off future. As we transition to renewable energy, we create a massive volume of waste just from manufacturing and transporting batteries and solar panels. So, what can we do to improve this process now, rather than in 25 years?
Kelly Weger, the Director of Sustainability for North America at Qcells takes us through their plan to reduce embodied carbon across the entire supply chain—from manufacturing to end-of-life recycling.
Expect to learn:
This conversation lays out the proactive steps any organization can take to mitigate environmental impacts. A circular economy is not a far-off pipe dream, but to get there, we’ll need to be far more intentional with how we build.
If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.
SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.
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697: Chris Nelder is Mobilizing an Army for Clean Energy
696: Manufacturing Ground Mounts In The U.S. For The Same Cost as Abroad? FTC’s Solar’s Eric Frazier
695: ‘Digital Owner’s Manuals’ for installers with Illu co-founder Sierra Fan
694: LG Proves There’s More Than One Home Battery That’s Easy, Effective & Elegant
693: Off-Grid Solar Products As A Form Of Wealth Delivery And Value Creation, with Amped Innovation’s Andi Kleissner & Kurt Kuhlmann
692: Hydrogen's Role in New York's Green Future with Haiyan Sun of NYSERDA
691: Adding Storage to Solar is Harder Than We Thought! Leigh Zanone managed 8Minute/Avantus’s Portfolio & Shares His Insights
690: Can We Squeeze More Power Through The Existing Wires? AES says Yes; Alexina Jackson, VP of Strategic Development
689: O&M: How to Keep Existing Solar Projects Producing for Decades to Come with Renewable Energy Veteran & Founder, Josh Fraughton (FSLR, NOVA, R7/RNWBL)
688: Debunking Myths About Solar's Resilience in Extreme Weather; Lightsource BP’s Kevin Christy and Dave Martin
687: Are Diversity and Efficiency being downplayed in the Clean Energy Revolution? Paula Glover of The Alliance to Save Energy gives advice from the front lines
685: How this Zillow-like Software Simplifies the Land Permitting Process for Large-Scale Solar; Robin Laine, CEO of Transect
684: Why Can't We Immediately Decommission Natural Gas? National Grid’s Caroline Hon explains
683: Will Maryland Fail To Meet Their RPS Targets? What Other States Can Learn, with Stephanie Johnson, President of Maryland Renewable Energy Alliance
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682: When Will These Domestic Battery Factories Actually Be Online? Joan White of SEIA
681: Nextracker’s secret marketing strategy is hard to copy, Kristan Kirsh
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