Rethink*Rotor

rethink*rotor is a CreativeLab of OX2architekten GmbH, Aachen and the Department of Architecture of Darmstadt University of Applied Sciences. We ensure that the knowledge and grey energy contained in each wind rotor blade is not lost for good, but is reused in the "second live". In the cross-sector reuse of the blades, rethink*rotor combines creative energy, new technologies and sustainability goals. The aim is to promote cross-sector cooperation in order to develop effective solutions for climate neutrality and the circular economy. With a particular focus on the areas with the greatest potential to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and accelerate the transition to a circular economy - energy and construction! Enormous CO2 savings or CO2 sequestration can be achieved if the EoL rotor blades could continue to be used in other applications (repurpose). In view of the large volumes of material involved, applications in the construction industry are particularly suitable. At the same time, rethink*rotor supports the way out of the recycling dilemma facing the wind energy industry: a rotor blade consists of a mix of materials that can hardly be broken down into its components. The result is downcycling through costly, environmentally harmful, CO₂-intensive recycling processes. The "second life applications" of the complex geometries of the rotor blades are supported by the beauty of the parts, but require a whole range of creative and constructive ideas in order to guarantee their use in new applications. rethink*rotor provides high-quality, yet simple solutions for the complex task of giving the disused rotor blades a "second life" in the construction sector.