Electroplatings Prospects in Renewable Energy Technologies

Abstract

The field of renewable energy technologies greatly benefits from the use of environmentally friendly electroplating. Advanced electroplating techniques have the potential to significantly increase the longevity and efficiency of a variety of renewable energy systems, such as wind turbines and solar panels, more efficient photovoltaic cells to be able to capture more solar energy at a reduced cost can be produced utilizing advanced electroplating materials.The wind energy industry is one that can significantly benefit the sector through advanced electroplating materials that help to increase efficiency and improve durability in wind turbines. Electro plating’s role in renewable energy goes beyond improving existing technologies; it also involves innovating and making new technologies possible. Lighter, more robust, and more efficient renewable energy components are becoming possible thanks to developments in electroplating techniques like composite plating and selective plating. When considering electro plating’s future in relation to renewable energy technologies, there are a lot of opportunities for development and innovation

Introduction

1. Overview of Electroplating in Renewable Energy

Electroplating plays a vital role in enhancing the efficiency, durability, and sustainability of renewable energy technologies, such as wind turbines, solar panels, and energy storage systems. Once used mainly for decorative purposes, electroplating now supports the global shift towards clean energy by enabling more resilient and high-performance components.

2. Environmental Concerns

Traditional electroplating methods use toxic chemicals like hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) and cyanide-based solutions, which pose serious health and environmental risks. Additionally, the process consumes large amounts of energy, often derived from fossil fuels, adding to its environmental footprint.

3. Eco-Friendly Electroplating Techniques

To align with sustainability goals, new methods are being developed:

• Non-toxic alternatives: Trivalent chromium (Cr(III)), non-cyanide solutions.

• Closed-loop recycling systems: Recover over 80–90% of metals.

• Advanced methods: Pulse plating, ionic liquids, and environmentally safer materials.

• Reduced energy use and waste: More efficient bath chemistry and process control.

4. Electroplating in Wind Turbines

• Protects metal components from corrosion, wear, and harsh environments, especially offshore.

• Common coatings include nickel, zinc, and aluminum-based layers.

• Increases the lifespan and reliability of components like gears, bearings, and turbine blades.

5. Electroplating in Solar Panels

• Used to apply thin metal contacts (traditionally silver) onto photovoltaic cells for efficient electron collection.

• Copper is emerging as a sustainable, cost-effective alternative to silver.

• Precision electroplating improves conductivity while minimizing material use and cost.

6. Electroplating for Energy Storage

• Enhances battery electrode performance by increasing conductivity and surface area.

• Promising integration of materials like graphene could revolutionize energy storage for electric vehicles and grid systems.

• Enables smaller, faster-charging, and longer-lasting batteries.

7. Use of Advanced Electroplating Materials

• Focus on nanomaterials, 2D materials (e.g., graphene), and composite coatings.

• These advanced materials improve:

  • Corrosion resistance

  • Wear resistance

  • Electrical conductivity

• Research is ongoing into new electrode materials that are safer, more efficient, and environmentally friendly.

8. Future Trends and Outlook

• Integration of automation, AI, and real-time monitoring to improve efficiency and consistency in electroplating processes.

• Increased demand from emerging sectors: electric vehicles, wearable tech, IoT, and nanoelectronics.

• Emphasis on coatings for extreme environments, such as offshore wind farms.

• Continued shift toward greener materials and energy-efficient processes in response to global sustainability goals.

Conclusion

Future developments in electroplating for renewable energy technologies are probably going to concentrate on creating plating technologies that are more effective and sustainable. By reducing hazardous waste and increasing resource efficiency, the electroplating industry must adjust to the growing demand for cleaner energy solutions.The environmental impact could be greatly decreased by innovations such as the recycling of metals from used components and the use of nontoxic solvents. Furthermore, by using real time monitoring and control systems, the incorporation of smart technologies into electroplating could optimise production processes, resulting in lower error rates and higher quality coatings. Because of this, electroplating in renewable energy technologies appears to have a bright future ahead of it, with the potential to make major contributions to energy security and environmental sustainability. Electroplating helps achieve the larger environmental objectives of lowering carbon footprints and encouraging sustainable industrial practices by making it possible for more resilient, efficient, and sustainable energy solutions. This helps to support the expansion of renewable energy.

References

[1] ProPlate. (n.d.). The future of electroplating in renewable energy technologies. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.proplate.com/the-future-of-electroplating-in-renewable-energy-technologies/ [2] Mordor Intelligence. (2025). Electroplating market—Growth, trends, and forecast (2025–2030). Retrieved from https://www.mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/electroplating-market [3] Lucintel. (2024). Electroplating market report: Trends, forecast and competitive analysis to 2030 [Market research]. Retrieved from https://www.lucintel.com/electroplating-market.aspx [4] Global Industry Analysts. (2025, February 4). Electroplating market to reach USD 26.0 billion by 2030 [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.giiresearch.com/report/go1648899-electroplating.html [5] Industry ARC. (2024). Electroplating market projected to reach USD 24.8 billion by 2030 at 3.6% CAGR [Social media post]. Retrieved from https://t.ly/XFgg- [6] Gugua, E. C., Ujah, C. O., Asadu, C. O., Von Kallon, D. V., & Ekwueme, B. N. (2024). Electroplating in the modern era, improvements and challenges: A review. Hybrid Advances,7,100286. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773207X24001477?via%3Dihub [7] Sadeghi, E. (2019). Advances in corrosion-resistant thermal spray coatings for renewable energy power plants: Part II—Effect of environment and outlook. Journal of Thermal Spray Technology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11666-019-00938-1 [8] Bellani, S., Petroni, E., Del Rio Castillo, A. E., Curreli, N., Martín-García, B., Oropesa-Nunez, R., … Bonaccorso, F. (2019). Scalable production of graphene inks via wet-jet milling exfoliation for screen-printed micro-supercapacitors. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/1903.08965 [9] Dai, C. (2020). Recent progress in graphene-based electrodes for flexible batteries. InfoMat. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/inf2.12039 [10] Wise, J. P. Jr., Young, J. L., Cai, J., & Cai, L. (2022). Current understanding of hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)]: Neurotoxicity and new perspectives. Environment International, 158, Article 106877. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041202100502X?via%3Dihub [11] European Federation of Corrosion (EFC). (2022). Corrosion challenges towards a sustainable society[White paper]. Retrieved from https://efcweb.org/efcweb2019_media/Documents/WCO%2B_%2BEFC%2BWhite%2BPaper2022%2B_%2BMaterials%2Band%2BCorrosion-p-2134.pdf [12] Islam, M. S., Hasan, M. J., Poroma, P., & Akter, S. (2024). A review on the environment friendly electroplating of Cr(III) & Cr(VI). Journal of Science and Engineering Papers, 1(1), 31–39. https://jsciengpap.com/a-review-on-the-environment-friendly-electroplating-of-cr-iii-cr-vi/ [13] Cannon Industrial Plastics. (n.d.). Revolutionizing metal finishing with eco-friendly electroplating. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://cannonindustrialplastics.com/blog/eco-friendly-electroplating/ [14] Giurlani, W., Pappaianni, G., Biffoli, F., Mariani, E., Bonechi, M., Giliberti, L., … Innocenti, M. (2024). What is the current state of sustainability in the decorative electroplating industry? Sustainability, 16(13), 5821. https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/16/13/5821 [15] Costa, J. G. d. R. d., Costa, J. M., & Almeida Neto, A. F. d. A. (2022). Progress on electrodeposition of metals and alloys using ionic liquids as electrolytes. Metals, 12(12), 2095. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4701/12/12/2095 [16] Chandrasekar, M. S., & Pushpavanam, M. (2008). Pulse and pulse reverse plating—Conceptual, advantages and applications. Electrochimica Acta, 53(8), 3313–3322. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013468607014065?via%3Dihub [17] Gurreri, L., Tamburini, A., Cipollina, A., Micale, G., & Ciofalo, M. (2020). Electrodialysis applications in wastewater treatment and resources recovery. A Systematic Review on Progress and Perspectives. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0375/10/7/146 [18] Kim, J., Yoon, S., Choi, M., Min, K. J., Park, K. Y., Chon, K., & Bae, S. (2022). Metal ion recovery from electrodialysis-concentrated plating wastewater via pilot-scale sequential electrowinning/chemical precipitation. Journal of Cleaner Production, 330, 129879.. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S095965262104049X?via%3Dihub [19] Guo, S., Wang, H., Liu, X., Zhang, Z., & Liu, Y. (2024). Approaches for the treatment and resource utilization of electroplating sludge: A review. Materials, 17(7), 1707. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/17/7/1707 [20] Marinova, N., Urbegain, A., Benguria, P., Travé, A., & Caracena, R. (2022). Evaluation of anticorrosion coatings for offshore wind turbine monopiles for an optimized and time-efficient coating application. Coatings, 12(3), 384. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/12/3/384 [21] Juhl, M., Hauschild, M. Z., & Dam-Johansen, K. (2023). Sustainability of corrosion protection for offshore wind turbine towers. Progress in Organic Coatings, 186, Article 107998. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0300944023005945?via%3Dihub [22] Momber, A., Marquardt, T., & Plagemann, P. (2011). Corrosion protection systems for offshore wind power structures. International Journal of Corrosion, 2011, 1–17. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/230263739_Corrosion_and_corrosion_protection_of_support_structures_for_offshore_wind_energy_devices_OWEA [23] Arrow Electro-Plating. (n.d.). Electro-chemical metallizing process for wind turbines. Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.arrowelectroplating.com/WIND_TURBINES.html [24] Wind Systems Magazine. (2024). Why not go tank plating? Retrieved August 19, 2025, from https://www.windsystemsmag.com/winding-down-maintenance-costs/ [25] Rana, Z., Zamora, P. P., Soliz, A., Soler, D., Reyes Cruz, V. E., Cobos-Murcia, J. A., & Galleguillos Madrid, F. M. (2025). Solar panel corrosion: A review. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 26(13), 5960. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/26/13/5960 [26] Zeng, Y., Peng, C.-W., Hong, W., & Wang, S. (2022). Review on metallization approaches for high-efficiency silicon heterojunction solar cells. https://journal.hep.com.cn/transtju/EN/10.1007/s12209-022-00336-9?utm_source=chatgpt.com [27] Hatt, T., Fecioru-Morariu, M., Kluska, S., & Reineke-Koch, R. (2021). Stable copper plated metallization on SHJ solar cells & process notes (Fraunhofer ISE conference paper / report). https://www.ise.fraunhofer.de/content/dam/ise/de/documents/publications/conference-paper/38th-eupvsec-2021/Hatt_2DV3.pdf? [28] Sphinxsai. (2016). A review on black coatings for solar energy storage: selective coatings via electroplating. Sphinxs AI, 9(3), 589–596. Retrieved from https://www.sphinxsai.com/2016/ch_vol9_no3/2/(589-596)V9N3CT.pdf [29] Graphene-Info. (2024, July 4). Graphene batteries: Introduction and market news. Retrieved from https://www.graphene-info.com/graphene-batteries [30] Bongu, C. S. (2024). Graphene/2D composite materials for lithium batteries and hydrogen storage and production applications. Sustainable Energy & Fuels, d4se00497c. https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/se/d4se00497c [31] Lavagna, L. (2020). Graphene and lithium-based battery electrodes: A review. Energies, 13(18), 4867. https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/18/4867 [32] Zhu, J. (2014). The application of graphene in lithium ion battery electrode materials. SpringerPlus, 3, 585. https://springerplus.springeropen.com/articles/10.1186/2193-1801-3-585 [33] Egorov, V., Gulzar, U., Zhang, Y., Breen, S., & O\'Dwyer, C. (2019). Evolution of 3D printing methods and materials for electrochemical energy storage. arXiv. https://arxiv.org/abs/1912.04400

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Renu Rastogi. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.