About the Book
While the world is transitioning to clean energy, we need to accept a genuine and hard truth that solar panels, inverters, and other system components do not last forever.
The book MegaWatts to Mega Recycling by Emilie O’Leary plunges into this matter with urgency and transparency. It provides a practical, honest roadmap that describes the state of the solar industry waste and leads the industry into full-scale sustainability.
Key Topics Covered:
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The solar waste problem nobody talks about.
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How to create a circular economy in renewables.
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Real-world case studies and best practices.
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Workforce, policy, and ESG opportunities.
“Clean energy is not truly clean unless we manage its waste responsibly.”
About the Author
Emilie O’Leary
Emilie O'Leary is the CEO and founder of Green Clean Solar, a woman-owned solar waste management company based in Marietta, Georgia.
Career Highlights:
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Over a decade in the solar industry
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Led mechanical installations for Amazon, Target, Blue Cross Blue Shield, L’Oréal, military bases, and universities across the nation
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Led decommissioning projects for Duke Energy
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Cleaned up thousands and thousands of broken solar panels from natural disasters
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Former CEO of a mechanical installation company, which she sold in 2020.
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Named one of Atlanta’s 50 Most Powerful Women in ATL+ Magazine.
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Licensed general contractor in North Carolina.
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WBENC certified
Emilie launched Green Clean Solar with the aim of being the best solar waste recycling service provider in the nation. The company diverts it from landfills with exceptional crews and supporting recycling vendors. Her mission is to change the perception of solar and wind waste to sustainable solutions.
Table of Contents and Covered Objects
1. The Solar Boom and Decommissioning Implications
How today’s growth leads to tomorrow’s waste challenge.
2. Current State of Waste Management and Recycling
What happens to the solar waste, and what is broken?
3. Driving a Circular Economy and Recycling Solar Materials
Strategies for reuse, recovery, and designing for the lifecycle.
4. The Problem Exacerbated: The Island Effect: Renewable Waste Management
Why remote solar projects are harder to recycle and clean up.
5. Opportunities — Workforce Development, Job Growth in Solar & Recycling
A look at how solar recycling can grow green jobs nationwide.
6. Best Practices for Solar Professionals Dealing with Solar Waste Management
Field-tested solutions for clean, compliant waste removal.
7. A Higher Calling — Solar Leaders Adopting Circular Economy Practices Ahead of Mandates
How leaders are acting early to build responsible energy.
8. Future Trends of Recycling and Renewable Energy
What's coming next for policy, tech, and closed-loop design?
Why You Should Read This Book
This is not a solar guide but a clear call to action for industry changemakers.
Solar developers, asset owners, EPCs, and power companies that are managing site operations.
Sustainability and ESG teams that are looking for measurable
Investors and financiers who are evaluating risk and lifecycle ROI.
Policymakers and regulators who are formulating clean energy policies.
Solar professionals and engineers who are working in the field.
Recyclers and waste managers who are building next-gen infrastructure.
What Will You Learn?
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Why the solar industry faces a looming waste crisis
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How to reduce landfill impact through smart planning
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Steps to implement recycling and diversion protocols
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Where ESG and circularity create new business value
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What the future holds for solar reuse and closed-loop systems
Sample Reading: Preface Excerpt
“As we celebrate solar power, how will we manage the eventual waste from these panels?… It’s time to pay attention to the mess we are creating.”
This preface sets the stage for the book’s bold argument: that real sustainability goes beyond clean generation—it requires responsible endings.
Testimonials
It’s inspiring to connect with Emilie, who shares my commitment to quality of life for future generations
Jennifer Quas
CPS America
A guiding light for a renewable, sustainable future.
Mary Ellen Barker,
Solar Land Agent, LLC
A no-nonsense approach to solar recycling. A call to action for all of us.
Dan Shugar
CEO, Nextracker
