SunCycle

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Inspiration

In the climate-tech space, there can be a tendency for new technologies to “pass the buck” of environmental responsibility down the supply chain. For example, solar panels are a great source of renewable energy, but not much thought is put into what happens to them after retirement age. Currently, dumping is by far the most popular method of retirement, but if dumped, these panels become extremely harmful due to the leaking of materials such as lead and cadmium into the environment. Adding to this issue is the fact that current methods of recycling are significantly more expensive than the alternative of dumping. So, even though these panels may have a positive environmental impact, there are still concerns that must be addressed as we increase our reliance on renewables.

What it does

At Suncycle, we have identified three key issues regarding solar panel recycling: firstly, the secondary market for recyclable materials lacks consistency in sourcing materials. Following on from this, there are logistical inefficiencies in solar panel recycling, which arise from the complexities of managing solar panels past their operational lifetime, such as the different types requiring different recycling processes.

Our solution to these problems is to create a map to visualise the geolocations of solar panel farms. Through this map, users will be able to search for solar panels by area, material makeup, and recycling method. The attached database records the material makeup of each panel, as well as its working lifetime. By keeping a track of this data, when certain materials become available those who require the materials can plan ahead using our platform, which increases consistency in sourcing recyclable materials. The complexity of recycling different types of solar panels is also reduced, as the database tracks the types within each farm or panel group, and allows for prior planning of the supply flow by recyclers.

How we built it

For the frontend, we used Quasar on Vue to build the web components, along with the Quasar CSS framework. For the backend, we used Springboot on Java connected to MySQL to create a RESTful API to communicate with the frontend.

Challenges we ran into

We decided to split our group into a frontend and a backend team. Whilst this allowed us to have better focus on our tasks, the necessity of good communication between the two teams was difficult, especially considering with the deadline the importance of not having large setbacks. Fortunately, we did not run into any issues that seriously hindered development.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

We’re proud of ideating what we believe is a novel solution to an issue that will become more and more prevalent as time passes. We are confident that the simplicity of our solution also lends itself to a wide range of applications, through refactors and future development.

What we learned

During this hackathon, we learned the importance of good communication between groups or individuals focused on separate tasks - as the deadline approaches, it is important to remember that the project must eventually come together as a cohesive whole.

What's next for SunCycle

We will continue with developing our platform, and pitching to interested parties. We believe that SunCycle offers positive environmental impact at the same time as the opportunity to create a market in a thus undeveloped sector.