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Circular Economy

Heather Alvis

Founder of Electra Network, closing the end-of-life gap in renewable energy

Electra Network

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Heather Alvis
LFA Fellow

Heather Alvis launched Electra Network out of the LFA Yaks 2023 cohort. The company addresses a concrete gap in the solar industry: what happens to solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and tires at end-of-life. Her platform connects manufacturers, installers, O&M companies, utilities, and non-profits to make reuse and recycling more efficient. The goal is to conserve 100 million acres of natural landscape by 2070.

"LFA gave me the scientific grounding and community I needed to move from concern to action. By speaking up, doing the readings, and letting peers challenge my thinking, I developed an idea around a real-world, unaddressed problem (solar panel circularity) that became my company, Electra. The Fellowship rewards participation. If you lean in, it informs you deeply about the intertwined climate issues, it changes what youre capable of building, and connects you with people who can help."

Since launching, Electra has received four prizes and nearly $300K in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and NASA, and recently partnered with ReVolt Energy on PV recycling.

Heather shares about her LFA experience: "LFA gave me the scientific grounding and community I needed to move from concern to action. By speaking up, doing the readings, and letting peers challenge my thinking, I developed an idea around a real gap in the renewable energy supply chain."

Heather built Electra Network because she saw a problem that no one had solved. The funding and recognition since suggest she was right about the gap.

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