The second phase of the End of Renewable Asset Life Decisions (ERALD) research partnership between Bluefield and Lancaster University has delivered a roadmap to advance 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 Adviser.
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 practices and the latest available research, in relation to end-of-life options for solar assets and circularity, with a view to developing an industry roadmap for future research, innovation, and policy engagement.
Here, we are delighted to unveil the white paper and roadmap for the solar photovoltaic (PV) industry, which includes ten recommendations to address challenges associated with the end-of-life phase of PV panels and unlock circularity within each stage of the value chain.
The roadmap provides a summary of the recommendations from the whitepaper, highlighting where opportunities to adopt the concepts of circular economy exist. For instance, the re-manufacture of PV panels using recovered materials is emphasised, as well as life extension strategies during the operational phase to extend the useful life of materials and minimise waste.
The yellow lines in the diragram illustrate the crucial role of data transparency and accountability in guiding decisions throughout the lifecycle of a PV panel. The white lines represent potential reuse pathways, while the light blue dashed lines indicate opportunities to recycle materials from manufacturing processes or early loss PV panels at each stage of the supply chain, maximising resource efficiency and embedding circularity within the system.
The white paper, produced by Lancaster University, provides further detail on each recommendation, its rationale, and next steps.
Please view the full white paper below: