NOVO-TECH & SOLAR MATERIALS - Circular Economy in the Renewable Energy Sector

Extending the Material Cycle of Wind Turbines as a Solution

A large share of wind turbines can already be recycled today – however, rotor blades remain a major challenge. Instead of incinerating them in cement plants, mixing them into concrete as a substitute for sand, or – as is sometimes done in the U.S. – burying them in landfills, the German company NOVO-TECH gives them a new purpose.

Using a patented process, residual wood from the regional planing and sawmill industry is mixed with polymers from primary industrial applications and then extruded through a mold at 170°C. In a new material variant called GCC HARZart, part of the raw materials is replaced with synthetic resins that are recycled from dismantled wind turbine rotor blades. The result is durable wood-based products for outdoor use such as decking boards, structural timber, façade elements, or fencing components which, thanks to their exceptional resistance, can even replace tropical hardwoods.

NOVO-TECH’s wood composite GCC is Cradle to Cradle Certified® Gold, meaning it is proven to be safe for human health and designed for circular use. In line with the principles of the circular economy, the decking boards can also be rented for 20 years and then returned to be used as raw material for new GCC products of consistent quality.

By combining this innovative business model with the involvement of diverse societal stakeholder groups, the company achieves a positive circularity performance at Impact Level 3. One drawback remains, however: with a production capacity of up to 43,000 tons per year, NOVO-TECH Circular’s processing facility can recycle only around 1,000 tons per year of additional raw material sources, such as wind turbine components. Given that today’s dismantled rotor blades are typically 20 to 60 meters long, this corresponds to roughly 35 wind turbines per year.

“Production could be increased, but that only makes sense if the circular economy is economically viable. Processing materials must not be more expensive than producing virgin material. Accordingly, companies placing materials on the market that are not yet part of a circular system must also contribute to proper and environmentally sound disposal,” emphasizes NOVO-TECH CEO Holger Sasse.

Resource-Efficient Recycling Without Chemicals in the Solar Industry

With only a very small share of solar modules currently being fully recycled, the solar industry faces similar challenges. A HI ERN study shows that by 2050, millions of tons of waste from end-of-life modules will accumulate in Europe alone materials that are difficult to separate⁶. In this context, the panel structure is both a blessing and a curse: to withstand a wide range of weather conditions for as long as possible, the three layers – glass, a protective plastic film, and the cell surface – are bonded together. As a result, the recycled glass is often contaminated and can then only be used for lower-grade applications⁷.

The German start-up SOLAR MATERIALS is closing the raw material loop in the solar industry. To achieve this, the company largely avoids conventional chemical processes and instead relies on state-of-the-art technology. Using a fully automated recycling line, the modules are dismantled step by step, starting with the junction box, followed by the aluminum frame. In a proprietary process, the glass is then cleanly separated from the plastic film. Two additional process steps recover both the valuable material silver and the critical raw material silicon, allowing both to be reused in high-quality applications.

SOLAR MATERIALS GmbH has therefore developed an innovative solution to close the material loop for solar panels. This enables the start-up to reach Impact Level 1, as waste is avoided through resource-efficient processing.

As shown above, a rapid shift to renewable energy sources is essential. However, to create real planetary value, the entire raw material cycle must be taken into account. NOVO-Tech and SOLAR MATERIALS demonstrate two promising ways of successfully combining environmental protection with resource conservation and provide valuable momentum for the future.