405: Solar waste or Second life?? Refurbish & Recycle with Janette Freeman of Fabtek Enterprises

Solar Module Recycling and Refurbishing is a critical (if often overlooked) element of our green, clean energy future.Janette Freeman is passionate about saving the landfill from the millions of solar panels which will be coming to end-of-life in the years ahead. She is the Director of Business Development for FabTech Solar Solutions, which does solar panel refurbishing and recycling; giving panels a second life or a proper cremation.As we've discussed here before, the solar industry has a problem that many are only just becoming aware of...end of life. What do we do with all these solar panels when they are "used up"? What about when they break? Most solar panels have a life span of 20-30 years, and many of the early projects are starting to reach their end of useful life. In fact, by 2050, The International Renewable Energy Agency projects that up to 78 million metric tons of solar panels will have reached the end of their life, and that the world will be generating about 6 million metric tons of new solar waste annually! (*thanks to today's guest, Janette for these facts!)Not sure what "Circular economy" means? Wondering what are the key reasons that lead to addressing this end-of-life discussion? What are the common concerns folks have, and what prevents us from taking action today? How much does this actually cost?I dig into all these questions and more today with Janette, and she graciously provides detailed insights all the way down to how much to budget in your disposal and refurbishing budget! I've never had anyone go into such detail, and I love how she ties it back to economic principles like Circular Economy for us.There's a lot to dig into today, so sit back and enjoy When it's done, I'd love if you'd leave us a 5 rating & review (if you haven't already), or find me on Linkedin and let me know what you thought of this episode! (http://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus) If you want to connect with today's guest, you’ll find links to his contact info in the show notes on the blog at https://mysuncast.com/suncast-episodes/.SunCast is proudly supported by Trina Solar.You can learn more about all the sponsors who help make this show free for you at www.mysuncast.com/sponsors.Remember, you can always find resources, learn more about today’s guest and explore recommendations, book links, and more than 650 other founder stories and startup advice at www.mysuncast.com.Subscribe to Valence, our weekly LinkedIn Newsletter, and learn the elements of compelling storytelling: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/valence-content-that-connects-7145928995363049472/You can connect with me, Nico Johnson, on:Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/nicomeoLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickalus