Waste management, cradle-to-cradle

To ensure our wind and solar projects generate the maximum amount of clean energy, we replace items that become damaged or exhibit degraded performance. This includes repowering older wind projects by retrofitting the site with turbines that produce more power.

While it is possible to recycle a high percentage of the materials used in both wind turbine blades and solar panels, the infrastructure necessary to do so cost-effectively and at scale are still being developed across the US. Creating sustainable, cradle-to-cradle supply chains that prioritize resource recovery and waste minimization is a priority for the clean energy industry, and Clearway is actively pursuing avenues to increase the amount of project-related waste we recycle.

Clearway seeks to maximize the sustainability of our growing fleet of solar projects and minimize waste from panels damaged during construction or operations by recycling and reusing modules wherever possible throughout the project lifecycle and ensuring component extraction before disposal. We are also actively engaged in efforts with the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the American Clean Power Association(ACP) to advance material extraction processes so that they reach commercial scale 10-15 years from now when the solar panels in use today begin to reach the end of their useful life. Clearway is committed to ensuring that the disposal of solar panels installed at our sites follows procedures that are fully compliant with or exceed national and state requirements​.

In 2023 we introduced a new requirement to our standard engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract template that obligates EPC providers to recycle any solar panels that sustain damage from shipping or during installation. As a result, any damaged panels at projects that were constructed in 2023 were diverted from landfill and recycled.

Economically viable options for economic solar panel recycling are expected to grow significantly over the next few years. We’re proud to have contracted with several module recyclers located near our projects that prioritize a sustainable and circular approach to recycling and re-using the critical materials recovered from panels, making it possible to divert damaged panels from disposal in landfills.