Waste from Energy Technologies

🌱 Why is improving waste management around energy infrastructure important? To reach its climate targets, the EU aims to “conver[t] its electricity supply system from fossil fuels to mostly low- and net-zero-energy sources”. This transition unsurprisingly involves “a substantial overhaul of infrast

🌱 Why are solar panels scrapped? Solar panels tend to gradually become less efficient over time as their parts degrade. It is therefore usually more cost-effective to replace solar panels with new ones after roughly 25 to 30 years. Additionally, as newer and more efficient models are regularly prod

🌱 How much waste is generated through decommissioned energy technologies in the EU? On 10 January 2025, the European Commission (EC) published a report titled "Circular economy strategies for the EU's renewable electricity supply". According to the report, an estimated 6.2 MT of waste aluminum, cop