Engineering Papers⌕ Search
Home/Archive/DOE OSTI

DOE OSTI · 1889667

De-Risking the Energy Transition with Module Reliability

Ovaitt, Silvana (ORCID:000000030180728X)·Mirletz, Heather (ORCID:0000000250584804)·Barnes, Teresa M. (ORCID:0000000231540558)
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

This presentation, part of PV Module Tech in June 2022, discusses de-risking the energy transition with module reliability.

Explore related subjects

circular economyde-riskingenergyENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY,SOLAR ENERGYmoduletransition

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

Ovaitt, Silvana (ORCID:000000030180728X), Mirletz, Heather (ORCID:0000000250584804), Barnes, Teresa M. (ORCID:0000000231540558). 2022-09-21. De-Risking the Energy Transition with Module Reliability. https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1889667

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related reports

DOE OSTI2026

Techno-Economic and Life Cycle Assessment of Chemical Recycling and Upcycling of Mixed Plastics Waste Containing Poly-vinyl-chloride

Developing technologies that completely remove chlorine from plastic waste can allow its chemical recycling and upcycling with catalytic methods. Here, this study compares eight processes involving different dechlorination methods (absorption columns, adsorption in beds of zeolites, catalytic dechlorination, and dissolution in ionic liquids) and chemical conversion technologies (incineration, pyrolysis, hydrogenolysis) to upgrade mixed plastics waste to various products (e.g., electricity, fuels, virgin polymers, and lubricant oil). The analysis determines that the absorption of chlorine in columns with basic aqueous solutions is limited to plastics waste with PVC concentrations below 0.1%. Dissolution in ionic liquids is not cost-competitive. On the contrary, two-step processes with catalytic dechlorination followed by thermochemical catalytic depolymerization, either pyrolysis or hydrogenolysis, significantly improve process economics and emissions. The most economically viable alternative is hydrogenolysis for producing lubricants, while the technology with the lowest global warming potential is chemical recycling via catalytic pyrolysis.

circular economy↗
DOE OSTI2025

Challenges in Tracking Waste Reduction Performance Improvement in Manufacturing Plants

The recently released Circularity Gap Report 2023 by the Circle Economy Foundation states that the circularity score for the global economy is declining. The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) tracked municipal solid waste from 1960 to 2018 and found that 50% of the waste was destined for landfills. EPA estimates that US industry is responsible for 2.7 Gt of solid nonhazardous waste annually in the US mostly linear economy model. The circular economy framework aims to decouple economic value generation from the extraction of virgin materials from nature. The linear model of material extraction and disposal at the end of life is highly unsustainable. Manufacturing companies are adopting ambitious waste reduction targets to achieve sustainability. Through the Better Plants program, US DOE has established the Waste Reduction Network, which offers technical assistance to partners to achieve their ambitious waste reduction goals. Basic requirements of establishing a target include identifying a baseline, quantifying waste performance, and measuring progress over time. One problem faced by industry is unstandardized metrics for quantifying waste performance that may not be well suited to demonstrate progress. This paper studies traditional methods used to measure waste performance and highlights advantages, disadvantages, and limitations of each method. It also examines the suitability of applying the methods in different manufacturing circumstances. Finally, the paper presents a case study of a large manufacturer that faced inconsistencies in its tracked measurement metric. A solution was proposed and implemented to alter the methodology to enable more accurate waste performance tracking against a baseline.

circular economy↗