On 18 November 2026, the EERA Joint Programmes on clean Energy tranSition for Sustainable Society (JP e3s) and Photovoltaic Solar Energy (JP PV) will come together for a joint workshop entitled “Sustainability and Circularity Strategies of End-of-Life Management of Energy Systems: PV and Wind”, hosted by CIEMAT in Madrid, Spain. The workshop will be held in a hybrid format, allowing participants to attend either in person or online.

The workshop will address one of the key challenges of Europe's energy transition: ensuring the sustainable management of photovoltaic and wind energy technologies at the end of their operational life.

As renewable energy deployment accelerates across Europe, increasing volumes of end-of-life equipment are expected in the coming decades. These technologies contain valuable resources, including critical raw materials, rare earth magnets, silicon, silver, copper and composite materials, whose recovery and reintegration into industrial value chains are essential for strengthening resource efficiency, supply security and industrial resilience.

Bringing together researchers, industry representatives and experts from across the renewable energy sector, the workshop will explore innovative approaches to recycling, material recovery, circular design and sustainability assessment, while addressing the technological, economic and environmental challenges associated with end-of-life management.

Three thematic sessions

The workshop programme will be structured around three interconnected thematic sessions:

1. Challenges for the European Industry

This session will examine the technical, economic and environmental challenges facing the European recycling sector, with a focus on innovative recycling technologies, AI-assisted processes, techno-economic assessments and life cycle approaches. A dedicated roundtable will explore the question: “Can Europe build a competitive renewable energy recycling industry?”

2. Advanced, Critical and Strategic Raw Materials

The second session will focus on the recovery and valorisation of critical and strategic materials, exploring innovative solutions such as recycled silicon, graphene-based materials and circular-by-design technologies. Discussions will also address how circularity can contribute to securing Europe's access to strategic resources.

3. Eco-design for Circular Strategies

The final session will explore how sustainability and circularity principles can be integrated into the design of next-generation photovoltaic and wind technologies. Particular attention will be given to recyclable materials, reuse strategies, and environmental and economic life cycle indicators supporting eco-design decisions.

Connecting research, industry and sustainability perspectives

The programme will combine technical presentations, plenary contributions and interactive roundtable discussions, providing opportunities to exchange knowledge and identify pathways towards more sustainable and circular renewable energy systems.

By bringing together expertise from the three EERA Joint Programmes, the workshop aims to strengthen interdisciplinary dialogue and support the development of circularity strategies that address environmental performance, economic feasibility and technological innovation throughout the life cycle of renewable energy technologies.

How to participate

Participants can join the workshop either in person in Madrid or remotely.

• In-person attendance: register here

• Online participation: register here

The deatiled agenda will be available soon