Critical sustainability issues in the production of wind and solar electricity generation as well as storage facilities and possible solutions

• DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.130720
• Publication Date: 2022-01-29T07:36:57Z
• Authors: Sophie Theresia H...; Karl W. Steininger
• Keywords: 0202 electrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineering; 02 engineering and technology

Extended implementation of renewable energy technologies is vital to limit global warming. However, there are critical sustainability issues connected the production wind turbines, solar photovoltaic modules, electric vehicles and lithium-ion batteries. These include use conflict minerals, toxicity, finite availability or supply chain governance risks rare earth elements, cobalt, lithium, that need be taken into consideration. "Conflict minerals" refer tantalum, tin, tungsten gold, their current mining frequently linked human rights violations financing violent conflicts. This article focuses on one mineral used in panels, three elements praseodymium, dysprosium neodymium, mainly permanent magnets employed turbines motors vehicles, lithium as they needed batteries for technologies, vehicles. Focusing these we identify unfavorable implications using including lacking transparency violations, toxicity availability. Alleviating measures reviewed past contributions well future potential reduce risks. analyzing according ethical standards, extending regulations beyond scope looking possible minerals component substitutes, somewhat diverse across fields, increasing minerals' recycling rates.