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Poverty_Shoes t1_jc9j5kb wrote

Reply to comment by ShankThatSnitch in Researchers: Floating solar panels could provide over a third of global electricity by TurretLauncher

Is there a way to make solar panel components renewable though? I’m under the impression that panels are currently built using finite metals.

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CoffeeParachute t1_jca4zy1 wrote

Recyclable is the word your looking for. It depends on the solar panel as there are many types now but it is something researchers have been working on.

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ShankThatSnitch t1_jcaheml wrote

Things can be recycled. The difference with solar to fossil fuels, is onelce the thing is made, it just works for many years before needing to recycle. Fossil fuels are vaporized the moment we need them. No getting those back.

Some types of solar arrays are just mirrors that red-light and boil liquid to spin turbines. And I am sure we will come up with many other types of panels as well.

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