Interdisciplinary research on solar energy implementation in the context of circular economy

Abstract

The interdisciplinary research conducted in this paper covers all processes from the moment of production of photovoltaic panels, through the processes of transformation of solar energy into electricity, to the decomposition of all used materials, or parts, in the context of circular economy. The goal was to use all materials or parts that remain as excess in the process of producing electricity from solar, as a resource in another process at the right time, and to reuse them to the level of zero waste. In this way, new, increased costs of electricity production from solar panels are achieved. The author calculated and named them as environmental protection costs and sustainability costs. The costs are expressed in €c/kWh. Environmental protection cost and sustainability cost should be added to technology costs in all optimizing analysis. Environmental protection costs include all costs arising from all mitigation measures of direct environmental impact in the process of electricity production from solar energy. What is called sustainable costs in this paper includes all the additional costs of decomposing all used materials and reusing them to the level of zero wastes. The electric power system of Serbia was a case study to which the previous principles were tested and calculated, giving a comparison of technology, environmental and sustainability cost.