What if we could build solar panels using materials that aren’t supply-limited and with a lower carbon process? As well as achieving higher efficiencies at the same time? Perovskite solar panels have been promising that future for some time now, but where are they? And are they the future of solar panel technology?

Let’s explore Perovskite solar panels and how they might energize our future.

 

Full text and sources:
https://undecidedmf.com/episodes/perovskite-solar-cells-may-be-the-future-of-energy

Original video author:
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Solar 3.0: This New Technology

This video takes an inside peek into the world’s fastest-improving new solar technology, as well as an exclusive peek inside the lab of a team working on this ground-breaking material.

Original video author: Electric Future

In video: circular economy explained

“As explained in our triple bottom line video, the economy is part of society which is part of the environment.

Now, let’s look at the economy! We can split into two categories the things that we need to run into closed loops: technical and biological materials. Technical materials have this typical life cycle: raw materials are mined, the product is manufactured, then it is transported, then it is used until the end of its life.

We often tend to think about the end of life and the importance of recycling and this is true. But for our economy to be a circular economy, there are many things we can do before the end of life. It starts with using resources that are already extracted.

Two transition strategies can be very helpful as we are trying to create a circular economy: substitution and dematerialization.

Circular economy strategy:

Substitution is about using different resources to achieve the same goal. For instance, the world is running out of lithium so unless we can recycle lithium batteries more efficiently, Sodium-Ion batteries might be a better option for car manufacturers in the future.

Dematerialization refers to using less of a resource to serve the same economic function in society.

For instance, Interface is the world’s largest designer and maker of commercial modular carpets. But they don’t sell the carpet anymore, their customers buy the service of having carpet on their floor. The interface is in charge of maintaining and repairing the carpet and they do that very efficiently because it is their specialty and they control the entire process. Using tiles, they can replace only the ones that need replacing. The old tiles go back to the factory to be recycled where new tiles are made with 98% recycled or bio-based content. How is that for almost circular?”

More at Sustainability Illustrated @YoutTube

What is an example of a circular economy?

1: Kalundborg Symbiosis – the world’s first working industrial symbiosis
An industrial symbiosis, where a by-product of one enterprise is used as a resource by another enterprise.

2: A circular subscription concept
VIGGA was born as a circular concept. The idea was to create a new way of consuming.
Sharing and circulating high-quality products. 

3: A circular travel solution
A service that enables drivers to invite people for a ride on an already planned journey. This increases the number of people in cars and reduces the number of cars on the streets, making car trips more efficient and better for the environment. It is a travel solution which is cheaper for both the car owner and the passenger. 


More at stateofgreen.com


Learn more about the concept of SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN ABSOLUTE FORM

Topic: Circular economy and sustainability