Date: August 28th, 2025 | Time: 11:30 AM | Location: Macdonald Engineering Building- MD 267
Clean energy technologies are at the heart of the global transition toward decarbonization. Yet, their sustainability depends not only on renewable energy generation but also on the responsible use of materials, system design, and end-of-life strategies.
This talk will explore how circular economy principles can be integrated into solar photovoltaics and battery systems—two technologies increasingly deployed together. Drawing from policy developments, European R&D initiatives, and practical case studies, I will present current challenges and opportunities in design for recyclability, life cycle assessment (LCA), and extended producer responsibility.
The seminar will also highlight emerging tools, such as a PV Recyclability Index, and discuss how academia, industry, and government can co-create more circular and sustainable energy systems.
Dr. Nieves Espinosa Martínez
Dr. Nieves Espinosa Martínez is a Ramón y Cajal Researcher at the University of Murcia (Spain), specializing in circular economy, eco-design, and life cycle assessment (LCA) applied to clean energy systems. Her current research focuses on sustainability metrics for photovoltaic and battery technologies, with special attention to recyclability and EU policy integration.
She collaborates with the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA PVPS Task 12), focusing on the sustainability of photovoltaics and battery technologies. She has led and supported various EU-funded projects and actively contributes to international dialogue on sustainable energy innovation.
During her visiting stay at McGill University, she collaborates with the ETAPA group on solar + battery LCA and circularity approaches for integrated energy systems.