Where are those damaged panels going now? With no dedicated national program or requirement to safely dispose of solar panels, some unfortunately find their way to landfills. If the system owner is green-minded and has the money, panels may get shipped to a recycling facility. Other industry players are warehousing damaged or old panels until a practical recycling program is established. On-line news publication OZY recently took a look at the potential waste solar panels will generate if we don’t implement a plan of action today.
According to a report by the United Nations International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), an estimated 60 million tons of cumulative solar photovoltaic waste will build up by 2050. That equals to about 150 Empire State Buildings worth of PV panels, cites OZY. The average American produces 4.4 pounds of waste every day, so it would take more than 37,000 years for one person to produce that amount. And solar is by far the fastest-growing renewable energy: In 2017, its growth topped that of all other renewable energies combined. PV panels, the ones that line rooftops and farm-size utility installations, have a lifespan of about 30 years. So a panel installed today would need to be replaced around 2048, or earlier if damaged.
Yes, solar panels can be recycled as they are made up of primarily glass and aluminum. But they can’t be placed in a recycling bin because of inherent elements such as silicon, silver and copper that require specialty recyclers who know how to extract those elements. The U.S., India, and China, says OZY, where most of the 60 million tons of solar waste will end up, have no widespread recycling programs to deal with this issue.
OZY spoke with Evelyn Butler, senior director of codes and standards at the U.S. industry group Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA), who said she knows of about a dozen organizations across the country accepting panel waste. SEIA is trying to encourage more such recycling outfits by connecting solar firms with recyclers. States are still writing their own solar waste policies, Butler said, and until those are done, firms are less likely to enter into the recycling business.
There is also the issue of cost. One recycler who spoke with OZY got into accepting panels but says the economics are proving quite challenging. He charges $18 per panel to recycle and another $7 or $8 in transportation costs. “The biggest issue is the misconception the recoverable materials are worth a lot,” he says. “We can pull out about 94% of the materials — but the market rate is $3.50 [per panel].” Most of that value is in silver. He thinks recycling costs could come down with scale, but the difficulty, he says, is “jump-starting the process.” Europe’s experience with mandating recycling with dedicated funding could be a guide.
A 2012 update to European Union electronics rules included specific regulations for solar panel recycling. As a result, EU countries have a more robust recycling program. This year, France opened what’s believed to be the first plant dedicated solely to recycling solar panels.
Why we should care
OZY points out that avoiding a giant pile of solar panel waste 30 years from now depends on actions taken today.
In addition to making renewable energy more sustainable, there’s huge potential in recycling. IRENA estimates those 60 million tons of waste could be recycled into 2 billion new panels and represent $15 billion of total value in raw materials, not counting the development of new industries.
The best time to be a solar panel recycler could be much earlier than 2050. Butler says that manufacturers are using less silver than they did even a few years ago. As panels become cheaper and more effective in converting sunlight into electricity, large installers may want to swap out panels early. Recyclers could set up a PV program now to take advantage of that.
“If they’re a known resource for recycling in five to 10 years when some of those panels with more silver [come offline], it would be good for them,” Butler says.
The reuse-and-repurpose ethos that other recycling programs espouse makes sense for solar panels. Even at the end of 30 years, Butler says, most panels will still have some effectiveness — as much as 50% — and can be used for off-the-grid application.