Giving solar panels a second life
Writing in the Royal Academy of Engineering‘s magazine Ingenia, Stuart Nathan, our Research and Impact Fellow Diego Bermudez, PhD and Professor peter hopkinson, with thanks to Ananda Nidhi, explore how reuse, repair, and advanced recycling can unlock greater value from solar technologies and support a more circular, resilient energy system.
Giving solar panels a second life
As solar energy continues to scale globally, a new challenge is emerging: what happens to solar panels at the end of their first life?
With the UK expected to generate significant volumes of solar panel waste in the coming years, the article highlights the urgent need for better systems, smarter design, and data‑enabled approaches to keep materials in use for longer.
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