Recycling Clean Energy Technologies

This is a blog series examining current challenges and opportunities for recycling of clean energy technologies.

Argonne National Laboratory/Flickr

December 22, 2022

Want Clean Energy? Then You Also Want Battery Recycling.

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

Dan Lundberg/Flickr

December 22, 2022

Challenges and Opportunities in Mining Materials for Energy Storage Lithium-ion Batteries

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

An example of microgeneration via a micro-grid in Cape Verde, using small wind turbines, solar PV and energy storage to power a community.

Munro89/Wikimedia Commons

December 22, 2022

How Are Lithium-ion Batteries that Store Solar and Wind Power Made?

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

A rare earth mine in Xinjiang, China.

Peter Chou Kee Liu/Flickr

December 12, 2022

Just and Sustainable Solutions for the Mining and Recycling of Rare Earth Elements in Wind Turbines

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

Wind turbine blades being transported by train through Denver.

Dennis Schroeder/NREL

December 12, 2022

What Happens to Wind Turbine Blades at the End of Their Life Cycle?

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

Workers watch installation of wind turbine blades.

Dennis Schroeder/NREL

December 12, 2022

How Are Wind Turbines Made?

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

A worker from PHILERGY, a German-Filipino supplier and installer of solar energy, carries a solar panel during a home installation.

IMF Photo/Flickr

October 19, 2022

Solar Panels Should Be Reused and Recycled. Here’s How.

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

solar panels being manufactured

Solar Giga/flickr

October 19, 2022

How Are Solar Panels Made?

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

row of solar panels with mountain backdrop

October 19, 2022

Mining Raw Materials for Solar Panels: Problems and Solutions

Charlie Hoffs
Former UCS Fellow

US Department of Energy

October 30, 2020

Cracking the Code on Recycling Energy Storage Batteries

James Gignac
Midwest Policy Director

US Department of Energy

October 30, 2020

Wind Turbine Blades Don’t Have To End Up In Landfills

James Gignac
Midwest Policy Director

Mike Blake/REUTERS

October 30, 2020

Solar Panel Recycling: Let’s Make It Happen

James Gignac
Midwest Policy Director

Ed Suominen/Flickr

October 30, 2020

Introducing: A Blog Series On Recycling Clean Energy Technologies

James Gignac
Midwest Policy Director

RainerPlendl/iStockphoto

August 24, 2020

What is Lightweighting and How Does it Improve Fuel Economy in Vehicles?

UCS Science Network

Gereon Meyer/Wikimedia Commons

May 27, 2020

The Second-Life of Used EV Batteries

Hanjiro Ambrose
Former Contributor

battery pack in an electric vehicle

Hanjiro Ambrose/UCS

February 28, 2020

A Quick Guide to Battery Reuse and Recycling

Hanjiro Ambrose
Former Contributor

San Juan Citizens Alliance/EcoFlight

June 1, 2018

Who’s Interested in the Trump Coal Bailout?

Mike Jacobs
Senior Energy Analyst

June 22, 2016

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Biodiesel (Charts and Graphs Included!)

Jeremy Martin
Director of Fuels Policy

November 30, 2015

So Electric Cars Are Better—Now What?

Rachael Nealer
Former Contributor

November 12, 2015

Gasoline vs Electric—Who Wins on Lifetime Global Warming Emissions? We Found Out

Rachael Nealer
Former Contributor

September 8, 2015

Fascinating New Book on Solar Energy: Harness the Sun

John Rogers
Associate Director, Energy Analytics

September 18, 2014

How Clean are Electric Cars? A Life Cycle Assessment of Advanced Vehicle Technologies

Rachael Nealer
Former Contributor

May 14, 2014

Creating Order in Chaos, Or Why I Study EV Battery Recycling

UCS Science Network

December 18, 2013

What is Lifecycle Assessment—and Why Does it Matter?

Rachael Nealer
Former Contributor