A new energy deal will help save the planet while making solar more accessible.
There are millions of homes with solar panels, yet only a fraction of them are recycled. Not only is this disastrous for the planet, as finite materials are sent straight to landfills, but it's no good for the price of solar, either.
To help make solar even more sustainable, energy company Engie and recycling company SolarCycle have partnered to ensure millions of solar panels across the Midwest are properly recycled.
The deal "will help keep 48 million pounds of material out of landfills and cut around 33,000 tons of carbon emissions," per Electrek.
Engie will write recycling standards into its solar policies, and SolarCycle's panel tracking guarantees the panel is properly recycled.
Solar panels are primarily made of aluminum, glass, and silicon. Glass and aluminum are very easily recycled, and can be reused nearly infinitely without a loss of quality. There are precious metals like copper and silver inside the solar cells, but these are harder to recycle, as they must be separated from the silicon.
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One of the main factors of panel price is the manufacturing process, but with more easily sourced materials, solar panels will become increasingly more affordable.
Solar panels can bring your energy bill down to as low as $0, and EnergySage will make the installation process easier than ever. With free tools and resources, like installation quotes and a library of vetted contractors, EnergySage can help you find the perfect system for your home — you could even save up to $10,000 off installation.
Jesse Simons, the co-founder and COO of SolarCycle, believes this new deal sets a fantastic standard of recyclability going forward.
"Engie's precycling provision sets a new precedent for the utility-scale solar industry by proving that circular economy principles can be achieved without complex regulatory intervention and in a way that doesn't require an up-front payment," he said, per an Engie press release.
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"We're happy to work creatively with leaders like Engie to support their commitment to circularity, domestic energy, and sustainability."
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