The second phase of the End of Renewable Asset Life Decisions (ERALD) research partnership between Bluefield and Lancaster University has delivered a roadmap to creating a more circular solar industry
Last year, Bluefield entered into a research partnership with Lancaster University geared towards developing solutions for end-of-life practices within the solar industry and creating greater circularity therein.
This was the genesis of the End of Renewable Asset Life Decisions (ERALD) research partnership, which has been led by Group Senior ESG Analyst Georgia Whitehouse and has been partially funded by the Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF), of which Bluefield Partners LLP act as investment manager.
Phase one of this project, known as ERALD I, focused on applying the concept of materials passports to a new build solar farm within BSIF’s portfolio and can be read about here. This project was recently recognised at the Environmental Finance Sustainability awards, winning the ‘ESG Innovation of the Year (research)’ award.
The second phase of the project, ERALD II, was announced earlier this year with the expressed aim of analysing existing industry practises, in relation to circularity, with a view to developing an industry roadmap for future research, innovation, and policy engagement.
Here, we are delighted to unveil the roadmap for the photovoltaic (PV) industry, which includes ten recommendations to address the challenges of panels reaching their end-of-life phase:
The roadmap above provides a summary of the recommendations from the whitepaper, highlighting the circular economy cycle for materials while emphasising the importance of remanufacturing using recycled materials and minimising waste whenever possible.
The yellow lines illustrate the critical role of data transparency and accountability in guiding decisions during the material lifecycle. In white are potential reuse cycles for PV panels, while the light blue dashed lines indicate the necessity of recycling all PV panels that are lost throughout the supply chain.
To download the full roadmap, which includes details on each recommendation, their rationale, and desired outcomes, please click here: ERALD II: Roadmap for the photovoltaic industry.