SERI (Sustainable Electronics Recycling International) says that the R2 Technical Advisory Committee is considering a formal proposal to add photovoltaic (PV) panels to the R2 Standard.
The R2 Standard is focused on the effective recycling of electronics products. SERI anticipates incorporating PV panels into the standard would require at least two years of development, public review and comment, and revision before it would be adopted.
“The PV industry is extremely progressive,” said SERI executive director Corey Dehmey. “With much foresight, they took the initiative to create a sustainable plan for when solar panels are removed from use. There are hundreds of R2 Certified facilities in 33 countries around the world who currently do, or could relatively easily, add PV panels to their service offering. We see this as a great way to quickly build reuse and recycling infrastructure for the environmentally sound management of PV panels.”
A workgroup of 24 volunteers from the solar industry met over six months to assess the suitability of including PV panels in the current version of the R2 Standard.
Related Stories
| May 10, 2012
Chapter 6 Energy Codes + Reconstructed Buildings: 2012 and Beyond
Our experts analyze the next generation of energy and green building codes and how they impact reconstruction.
| May 10, 2012
Resilience should be considered a sustainability factor
Since a sustainable building is one you don't have to rebuild, some building sustainability experts believe adding points for "resilience" to storms and earthquakes to the LEED sustainability rating tool makes sense.
| May 10, 2012
University of Michigan research project pushes envelope on green design
A research project underway at the University of Michigan will test the potential of intelligent building envelopes that are capable of monitoring weather, daylight, and occupant use to manage heating, cooling, and lighting.
| May 10, 2012
Fire suppression agents go greener
Environmental sensitivity is helping to drive adoption of new fire suppression agents.
| May 10, 2012
Industry groups urge Congress to leave contracting decisions to agencies
An organization of several industry groups urged Congress to leave many contracting decisions to the discretion of individual agencies by avoiding blanket mandates.
| May 10, 2012
OSHA proposes new rule to have employers find and fix hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a new regulation, Injury and Illness Prevention Program, or I2P2, which would compel employers to find and fix safety hazards.
| May 3, 2012
Stay current on green codes at AGC Environmental Conference
Keep abreast of market trends such as 2012 changes to green standards and codes at the AGC Contractors Environmental Conference, June 7-8, 2012 in Arlington, Va.
| May 3, 2012
OSHA reduces fines in Cincinnati casino collapse
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has reduced the number of violations from four to two against four firms it cited earlier this month in the collapse of a casino under construction in Cincinnati.
| May 3, 2012
New York City implements controversial crane licensing requirements
New York City officials announced strict new licensing and testing requirements for all crane operators in New York City to raise safety standards.