SOLARIS is a HORIZON Coordination and Support Action (CSA) project, funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation program under Cluster 5 - sustainable, secure and competitive energy supply (Grant Agreement N° 101235545).
As photovoltaics are projected to become the cornerstone of the global energy system by 2050, it is vital to understand technological advances, supply chains, material flows, resource needs, life-cycle impacts, and circular economy potential for Europe. The SOLARIS project will provide guidance to achieve this vision. By integrating technology and market scenarios - from raw material extraction to end-of-life - it delivers insights into future resource requirements and recycling strategies across the PV value chain. SOLARIS also assesses environmental and social impacts, identifying opportunities to minimize ecological footprints and reduce resource criticalities, paving the way for a sustainable and resilient solar industry.
SOLARIS aims to make Europe’s photovoltaic industry sustainable and circular by optimizing resource efficiency, recyclability, and carbon footprint. The project focuses on developing design and process guidelines for silicon, thin-film, and perovskite PV systems across the full lifecycle, supported by advanced LCA tools and policy recommendations to strengthen supply chains, minimize environmental impact, and promote energy independence.
SINTEF Industry lead Work-package 3 on life cycle inventory framework and initial data collection, in the whole PV value chain from production, installation and use, to end-of-life phases. SINTEF will also mainly contribute to Work-package 4 “Status and development of PV production”, lead tasks on ‘PV value chain’ and ‘eco-design strategies’.