New Circular Solar Power Systems Roadmap points the way to a future-proof industry

In early November, the "Circular Solar Energy Systems Roadmap" was officially launched. This roadmap provides a clear strategic framework and practical tools to make the Dutch solar energy sector future-proof and economically resilient, with a focus on security of supply and circularity. Find out in this article why the roadmap is needed, how it came about and what opportunities it offers entrepreneurs.

A path to security of supply and reuse

The number of solar panels in the Netherlands continues to increase. According to the Central Bureau of Statistics, the total capacity will rise to 28.6 gigawatt peak by 2024 - a new record. Circular Manufacturing, in their roadmap news release, indicates that the number of panels in the Netherlands, now around 100 million, will be as much as three to six times higher by 2050.

This is good news for the transition to renewable energy, but on the other hand, the production of solar panels also requires a lot of raw materials and critical materials, which greatly affects security of supply. And a new issue is coming up: what do we do with all the discarded panels later on? How do we ensure that they do not end up in landfills, but instead are processed in a circular way?

The collaborative approach of government and business

To provide answers to these questions, bridge the gap between ambition and implementation, and give companies in the sector direction on innovation, collaboration and policy, the "Circular Solar Power Systems Roadmap" has been developed.

This roadmap was commissioned by the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth (KKG), in collaboration with the Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ), developed by a broad-based product team with experts from the sector and government, with guidance from Circonnect and Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) and review by key players in the sector.

Road maps point the way to future-proofing

In addition to the solar PV sector, roadmaps for several other product groups are being developed in the Netherlands. Indeed, the Dutch industry faces major challenges in terms of security of supply. Increasing geopolitical tensions make it necessary to accelerate the transition to a circular, strategically open and autonomous economy - an economy in which the earning capacity of industry is maintained as well as growing.

Roadmaps are a tool that give direction to the transformation of sectors to a circular economy. They offer a shared perspective, ensure that noses are pointed in the same direction, enable practical choices, create overview and stimulate cooperation and new projects. Circonnect supports the development of these roadmaps by guiding product teams in various sectors with an integrated approach.

Circonnect as facilitator

As facilitator, Circonnect guides the process and provides substantive support with knowledge and working methods with the Roadmap approach. For example, during the development of the Roadmaps, several of Circonnect's Transition Tools are worked through in seven clear steps.

These Transition Tools help determine the route of a product group or sector towards security of supply and circularity, and translate it into concrete follow-up steps. This creates a widely supported and aligned project portfolio that further shapes a product group's innovation agenda.

The Role of CIRCO Chain Tracks.

Another activity that contributes to the future vision from the Roadmap in which we process and reuse materials from old systems in a high-quality way are the CIRCO Chain Tracks. These bring together the right players from a product chain - from commercial teams to technical experts and product developers - to jointly set up return and reuse systems.

In this way, we prevent products from ending up in landfills and ensure that they are processed in a circular way. Three Chain Tracks have now been organized for solar PV, both on the solar panels themselves and on the mounting frames and PV inverters. Read more about the most recent CIRCO Chain-Track around PV inverters.

The vision of the future

In the future vision of the Roadmap Circular Solar Power Systems, solar power systems are fully circular. They are developed without harmful substances, with minimal environmental impact and critical resource use, and are designed for repair, reuse and high-value recycling. The roadmap outlines the steps needed to achieve this ambition and focuses on five key points:

• Cleaner production, with lower CO₂ emissions, resource efficiency and the phasing out of toxic substances.
• Sustainable use, where solar panels and components last longer and reuse becomes more attractive.
• High-quality processing so that materials from old systems can be optimally reused.
• A strong European manufacturing industry, with more production within Europe and less dependence on a few suppliers.
• A fair chain, working safely and responsibly worldwide, with respect for people and the environment.

Coming soon: Transition Tools

In the coming months, Circonnect will make the Transition Tools from the Roadmap Approach available step by step. These tools help to determine the route of a product group or sector to supply security and circularity and to translate it into concrete follow-up steps. Subscribe to the newsletter or follow us on LinkedIn not to miss it.