3 research outputs found
Comparative Analysis of Supply Risk-Mitigation Strategies for Critical Byproduct Minerals: A Case Study of Tellurium
Materials criticality assessment
is a screening framework increasingly
applied to identify materials of importance that face
scarcity risks. Although these assessments highlight
materials for the implicit purpose of informing future action, the
aggregated nature of their findings make them difficult to use for guidance in developing nuanced mitigation strategy and policy response.
As a first step in the selection of mitigation strategies, the present
work proposes a modeling framework and accompanying set of metrics
to directly compare strategies by measuring effectiveness of risk
reduction as a function of the features of projected supply demand
balance over time. The work focuses on byproduct materials, whose
criticality is particularly important to understand because their
supplies are inherently less responsive to market balancing forces, i.e., price
feedbacks. Tellurium, a byproduct of copper refining, which is critical
to solar photovoltaics, is chosen as a case study, and three commonly
discussed byproduct-relevant strategies are selected: dematerialization
of end-use product, byproduct yield improvement, and end-of-life recycling
rate improvement. Results suggest that dematerialization will be nearly
twice as effective at reducing supply risk as the next best option,
yield improvement. Finally, due to its infrequent use at present and its dependence upon long product lifespans, recycling end-of-life products
is expected to be the least effective option despite potentially offering
other benefits (e.g., cost savings and environmental impact reduction)
Portfolio Optimization of Nanomaterial Use in Clean Energy Technologies
While engineered nanomaterials (ENMs)
are increasingly incorporated
in diverse applications, risks of ENM adoption remain difficult to
predict and mitigate proactively. Current decision-making tools do
not adequately account for ENM uncertainties including varying functional
forms, unique environmental behavior, economic costs, unknown supply
and demand, and upstream emissions. The complexity of the ENM system
necessitates a novel approach: in this study, the adaptation of an
investment portfolio optimization model is demonstrated for optimization
of ENM use in renewable energy technologies. Where a traditional investment
portfolio optimization model maximizes return on investment through
optimal selection of stock, ENM portfolio optimization maximizes the
performance of energy technology systems by optimizing selective use
of ENMs. Cumulative impacts of multiple ENM material portfolios are
evaluated in two case studies: organic photovoltaic cells (OPVs) for
renewable energy and lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) for electric vehicles.
Results indicate ENM adoption is dependent on overall performance
and variance of the material, resource use, environmental impact,
and economic trade-offs. From a sustainability perspective, improved
clean energy applications can help extend product lifespans, reduce
fossil energy consumption, and substitute ENMs for scarce incumbent
materials
Challenges in Validation of Sustainable Products and Services in the Green Marketplace
<p>As consumer awareness of sustainability increases, companies are spending more time and money claiming their products or services are more environmentally friendly than other similar products on the market. However, a substantial number of those claims used for advertising and marketing purposes may be misleading or false. While there are organizations that currently provide environmental claim validation services to increase trust in the green marketplace, the challenges in validation of these environmental claims have not been comprehensively examined. This paper explores three major challenges in validating sustainable products and services: 1) the risk of validating erroneous environmental claims, 2) the difficulty of balancing the trade-offs in multi-attribute environmental claim validations, and 3) the challenge of developing protocols for innovative claims within a reasonable time frame. The authors use three real-world examples – evaluation of a longevity claim (and associated reduced environmental impacts) of a product, development of a multi-attribute standard, and construction of test procedures in the absence of an existing standard. Results demonstrate that validations and certifications by dedicated third parties may effectively improve perceptions of trust in greener product claims. These initial findings aim to inform a variety of policy decision-making and potentially help to lay the foundation for establishing rules and regulations for environmental claims in green markets.</p