End-of-life considerations for renewable energy assets

Understanding disposal and recyclability for renewables and batteries

Renewable energy components such as solar, wind and battery are critical to accelerating a sustainable future. Managing their end-of-life disposal and recyclability is complex and challenging, but also presents key opportunities to create a more circular economy within the renewables sector. Here’s what you need to know:

By the numbers:

• By 2030, IRENA estimates that more than 78 million metric tons of solar panels will reach end of life.¹
• The global volume of end-of-life batteries from electric vehicles is expected to reach 2.1 million tons annually by 2030.²
• As of 2023, only about 10% of solar panels are recycled globally, with the majority still ending up in landfills.³
• The recycling rate for lithium-ion batteries in the U.S. is only approximately 12% as of early 2024.⁴
• More than 11 million tons of waste is projected to be generated from wind turbine blades by 2030.⁵

Capitalizing on the opportunity

A global leader in applied safety science, UL Solutions provides a comprehensive portfolio of services- including testing, assessment, inspection and certification, along with software products and advisory offerings, to support the energy transition across multiple industries worldwide. Leverage our offerings and insights to meet your business challenges.

We help our customers innovate, launch new products and services, navigate global markets and complex supply chains, and grow sustainably and responsibly into the future. Our science is your advantage.

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