For many of us one of the objectives of moving to solar is to do our bit for the environment and to move towards a greener lifestyle by using green power.
Yes solar power goes some way towards reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and reducing the amount of ugly black smoke being pumped into the environment by power stations. It allows us to become more independent and to decentralize our power generation, reducing the amount of materials that are required for the transmission of power to our homes and businesses.
What we don’t realise though is that we are going to be causing a possible environmental problem in the future as the panels that are being installed now outlive their usefulness and degrade. What will happen to those panels in 20 years, once they are no longer producing at the efficiency that makes them financially viable? Estimates are that these panels will account for between 300,000 to 450,000 tonnes of waste by the year 2040.
Luckily for consumers some solar panel manufacturers are beginning to realise this and are implementing a cradle-to-cradle strategy to deal with this, and there are now certifications for the manufacturers that recognise this.
So what is Cradle To Cradle Design?
Cradle To Cradle Design or Manufacturing is a concept inspired by nature with the aim of minimising the negative impacts of the products that we use and leaving a positive ecological footprint. The results of this are products, processes, buildings, and cities that are safe for humans, healthy for the environment, and are also successful for businesses.
It is however up to us as the consumers to start choosing to use brands that support this philosophy, and encourage recycling and sustainability.
Sources:
Plan to create solar panel circular economy
Sun Power – Our Progress Towards Building a Circular Economy