Lost in transition. The burden of material resources for renewable energy sources

Although wind and photovoltaic (PV) systems will inevitably be the corner- stone of the European ecological transition, being the more advanced and widespread technologies, some issues about the related material supply chain and End of Life management must be addressed. Considering the future pervasive presence of these renewable energy sources, questions on how sustainability patterns can merge energy and material resources preservation arise. The contribution depicts the current obstacles emerging in the wind and PV systems material demand and waste management, highlights the related main criticalities, and outlines an overview of current studies and research that aim at overcoming such known issues. At first, it will identify the materials required in both the supply chain and production of renewables systems, with a focus on critical raw ones and rare earth elements. It will later examine the current waste management patterns, to highlight the technical, economic, and environmental obstacles which reveal how the sustainable management of wind and PV systems should be significantly improved. Three main areas of interest for future implementation will then be identi- fied, and suggestions for sustainable improvements through both existing and missing lines of research are discussed. These latter addresses design strategies, material efficiency, and policy.