Circularity Applications in Renewable Energy Technologies
Source: https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/circularity-applications-in-renewable-energy-technologies/ Parent: https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/our-courses/
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- Assess material needs in renewable technologies
- Apply circularity principles to renewable systems
- Compare circular strategies across RET types
- Synthesize the concepts of rethink, reduce, reuse and recycle applying them to renewable energy technologies, while considering technical feasibility and economic viability to enhance circularity
Start date Apr 21, 2026
Free
- Type Course
- Location Online
- Pacing Starts anytime / Self-paced
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Discover how circular economy strategies can make renewable energy systems more sustainable. This course dives into wind, solar, bioenergy and battery technologies to explore real-world material challenges, critical raw materials (CRMs), and solutions like reuse, recycling, and substitution.
The global transition to renewable energy is not only about replacing fossil fuels – it is also about rethinking our use of materials. Renewable energy technologies (RETs) such as wind turbines, solar panels, batteries and bioenergy systems rely on significant amounts of materials, including scarce and critical raw materials (CRMs). As demand for these technologies accelerates, so do concerns about risks to supply, environmental impact and material circularity.
This course explores the intersection of application in renewable energy and the circular economy. You will learn how circular strategies, such as reuse, recycling, material substitution and design for disassembly, can reduce dependency on critical materials and contribute to a more sustainable energy system. We will examine real-world case studies across four key RETs: wind, photovoltaics (PV), bioenergy and batteries. In each case, you will gain insight into component-specific challenges, current end-of-life practices, and innovative circular solutions.
Designed by TU Delft experts in renewable energy and circularity, the course combines academic insights with applied knowledge. You will engage in video lectures, reflective exercises, peer discussions and expert interviews to understand both the technical and systemic characteristics of circularity. You’ll be encouraged to assess local contexts and reflect on global strategies, building skills that are relevant across industry, policy and research.
Whether you are a consultant, entrepreneur, policymaker, engineer, or simply interested in sustainable energy, this course will help you:
- Evaluate material criticality across technologies
- Apply the R-ladder and other circularity tools
- Understand trade-offs in reuse and substitution
- Contribute to meaningful discussions about energy innovation and policy
- Details
##### Course Syllabus
Week 1 – Introduction to Circularity and RETs
- Refresher from Circularity Principles for Renewable Energy Technologies on Planetary boundaries
- An energy system based on renewable energy technologies
- Refresher from Circularity Principles for Renewable Energy Technologies on Circularity strategies and CRMs
- Self-reflection: circularity in RETs vs consumer products
Week 2 – Wind Energy
- Wind turbine components and their material demands
- CRM use in permanent magnets and steel structures
- National and global circularity strategies
- End-of-life scenarios and design-for-disassembly
Week 3 – Photovoltaics (PV)
- Material demands and CRM challenges in PV
- Substitution strategies: replacing silver, indium
- Lifetime extension and reuse
- End-of-life management and recycling fractions
- Country-specific rules and peer learning forums
Week 4 – Bioenergy
- Combustion of Biomass/waste historical perspective
- Biomass resources: generations, feedstocks, pros and cons
- Circularity and material relevance in combustion systems
- Circular strategies across biogas/syngas systems
- Material and efficiency trade-offs in fuel conversion
Week 5 – Batteries
- Battery technologies, chemistries and CRM hotspots
- Challenges to battery material demands
- Criticality and environmental impact of materials
- Reuse at cell and device level
- Recycling pathways, statistics, and disassembly
- Future outlook: design for circular batteries
- Qualifications
Chartered Engineering Competences\ All our online courses and programs have been matched to the competences determined by KIVI’s Competence Structure, a common frame of reference for everyone, across all disciplines, levels and roles.
These competences apply to this course:
- A1: Extend your theoretical knowledge of new and advancing technologies.
- Admission
This course is recommended to professionals and students from any background, including policy, business, engineering, and social sciences.
This is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that runs on edX.\
##### Prerequisites
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None
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Course format: MOOC
This course is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Our MOOCs are delivered on edX.org and are open to all. They include video lectures, readings, assignments, and community discussions. Content is free, with optional certificates and additional exercises available for a fee.
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