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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Recurso digital |
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Zenodo
2023
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20121453 |
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Table of Contents:
- <p>Synergies between technology flows is essential to balance the consumption of their related critical materials and promote a sustainable green economy transition. Using dynamics modelling, a comprehensive analysis of <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/silicon">silicon</a> flows applied in green energy technologies such as <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/materials-science/photovoltaics">photovoltaic</a> (PV) solar panels and lithium-ion batteries (LiBs) is provided. The results show that appropriate allocation of the circular flows of different <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/grade-silicon">silicon grades</a> can become an effective global solution for saving material, energy and water as well as mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. About 15 % of required global silicon could be provided by secondary production from end-of-life green energy technologies by 2030. Recovering metallurgical, solar and electronic grades of silicon from global end-of-life PVs compared to its <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/primary-production">primary production</a> will lead to savings of 3.5 billion GJ of energy, 3.1 million m<sup>3</sup> of water and over 65 Mt CO<sub>2</sub> eq of GHG emissions globally by 2030. Also, synergies between material flows from PVs waste to advance LiBs production aims to save around 38 M GJ of energy and 0.01 million m<sup>3</sup> of water and mitigate 4 Mt CO<sub>2</sub> eq of GHG emissions through secondary production practices by 2030. The findings outline a systematic solution for environmental <a class="topic-link" href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/environmental-impact-assessment">sustainability</a> of recycling by suggesting optimized integrated material flows of recovery of 50 % metallurgical, 25 % solar and 25 % electric grades of silicon from global end-of-life PVs.</p>