Photovoltaics is gearing up among the methods for producing energy from renewable sources. But what happens when the solar panels to complete their cycle of use? Once the "old", will end up in landfill? Emblem of clean technology, may soon become "too much" if you do not know how to dispose of. Born to give breath to the ecological energy production, the panels are likely to add to the tons of waste from industry, the electronics, voted at a level of innovation faster and faster. "It 's time to think of a solution," warns Sheila Davis from Silicon Valley: "We must act responsibly to source manufacturers, so that from the outset provide the ultimate fate of each panel, starting the chemistry of its components. It is the credibility of the green economy. "
solar panels and photovoltaic modules have a lifetime average of at least 20/25 years. This means that most of those installed to date has not yet reached its end. The problem then is not so much the new panels, and those who are aging. Knows the Davis, executive director of the Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition (Svtc), the environmental group in California, long a leader in the management of problems related to e-waste (including those due to environmental hazards caused by disposal of waste in the electronics industry in the Bay of San Francisco). The group decided to focus on solar energy boom in Silicon Valley, creating among other things a list of companies by indicating which of them facilitate its customers in recycling the panels, or which of them take care of the product at the end of its useful life (the so-called takeback).
modules and panels contain some potentially harmful agents characteristic of electronic materials, including silicon tetrachloride, cadmium, selenium and sulfur hexafluoride, transparent and odorless inorganic compound among the most potent greenhouse gases exist. For this they are starting to talk about the responsibilities of producers, in an attempt to avoid the effects of environmental, social and economic waste of resources which may undermine the credibility of the start of the green economy.
That is the source of solar energy available to a greater quantity. Suffice it to say that, according to NASA calculations, every hour the sun radiates energy used by the entire humanity, the Earth during a year. Today, even in the U.S. solar energy from a niche, becoming mass (through incentives, favorable policies and technological development). Not only that, in 2009 Greentech Media has estimated that American demand for solar energy will increase by 50% per year until 2012, bringing to about 2,000 MW of installed capacity at the national level (it would mean more than Germany, currently world leader in solar power), compared to 320 MW in 2008.
The problem is that most companies still see the disposal and recycling as a cost. Dustin Mulvaney, a scientist specializing in issues related to solar energy that works at the University of California at Berkeley, as well as a consultant Svtc, however, has analyzed the panels and modules on the market today, saying at the end of his research that would be extremely advantageous in economic as well as environmental, retrieve the materials of forms, including toxic or potentially.
But how can you put both producers and buyers in a position to recycle once the time, the materials contained in decommissioned? According to Sheila Davis, the trick to lead to "empowerment" of producers, as well as a reduction in the cost of recycling is in the planning stage: "If you look at recycling when designing the product, then it is very difficult to be able to recycle, 'said the director of Svtc, "but if you know that you'll have to take care of recycling at the end of his life, you can make the necessary changes in the design phase of your product to reduce that cost."
And in Europe? The regeneration and collection of plants that produce solar power is still on a voluntary basis, but very promising. In fact, Germany was organized sector industrial recovery, the PV Cycle , which aims to make "doubly green" solar energy "by identifying, collecting and recycling all the PV modules at the end of their useful life." "We were the first to adopt this system," says Karsten Wambach , President of the PV Cycle, "and we think that will be used throughout the world." He added: "I think it's important for modern industry deal with the end of the life cycle of products, especially in the case of mass production." Mass production is getting closer, despite the apparent domain (now no longer undisputed) sources and non-renewable fossil energy.
Andrea Bertaglia
Source: http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it
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