Sustentabilidade energética: o processo de destinação das placas fotovoltaicas - um estudo na região de Uberlândia

Abstract

The growth of photovoltaic energy imposes the challenge of sustainable disposal of end-of-life (EOL) or early-discarded panels. This research examines how the principles of Short Supply Chains (SSC) can be mobilized to structure regional reverse logistics and enable the reuse of photovoltaic waste in the context of Uberlândia (MG). An exploratory qualitative approach was adopted, comprising 15 qualitative interviews with integrators, distributors, waste managers, and recyclers, analyzed through content analysis. The results indicate that traditional reverse logistics faces severe bottlenecks, such as the geographic dispersion of systems, high transportation costs, and a lack of initial economic attractiveness, leading to waste accumulation and environmental risks from heavy metals. As the main theoretical contribution, the study expands the SSC concept—historically restricted to the agri-food sector—to the management of technological waste and high-value-added reverse logistics. As a practical contribution, a framework was developed, consisting of a Transition Matrix and proposed Strategic Actions that guide companies and public policies in structuring profitable regional business models. This framework focuses on the regionalization of recycling, the use of mobile units, functional/energetic reuse, and the integration of local markets. Practical implications demonstrate that SSCs drastically reduce the total cost of ownership in disposal, eliminate long-distance freight, and enable a viable regional recycling ecosystem. In conclusion, SSCs constitute an indispensable operational and economic mechanism to strengthen the circular economy and prepare the studied supply chain for the exponential growth in discards predicted for the coming decades.