RECYCLING
Solar panel recycling: not a dark art after all By some predictions, the year 2050 will see 15% of the world’s energy being produced by photovoltaic (PV) cells. While solar panels have a life of several decades, it becomes increasingly impor tant to consider reuse and recycling options as time passes. By Dr Mark Williams-Wynn*
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he uptake of PV technology is being driven by the demand for clean energy tied with the reduced capital and operational costs of the technology. At present, between 90% and 95% of solar panels use silicon-based PV cells that conver t sunlight into electricity. Other solar panels use thin films of cadmium telluride or copper indium gallium selenide to conver t the sunlight to electricity. These chemicals are highly toxic and make the management of these types of panels extremely hazardous. While silicon-based and thin-film PV are currently the only widespread technologies, there are also several nextgeneration technologies that will likely become more widely used by 2050. The average solar panel has a life expectancy of between 20 and 50 years, meaning that panels installed today will only become waste 20 to 50 years into the future. However, the predicted exponential increase in the number of solar panels that reach end-of-life (EOL) will require efficient and cost-effective waste management strategies. The 2014 amendment to the National Environmental Management: Waste Act (No. 59 of 2008) bans all waste electronic and electrical equipment from landfill as of 23 August 2021.
This includes all solar panels. South Africa is yet to see demand for solar panel recycling, but the implementation of the ban together with more solar panels reaching EOL will result in increasing demand for solutions.
The life of a solar panel PV cells degrade slowly over time, resulting in decreases in efficiency. The EOL of a panel is often reached because the efficiency of the panel drops below a cer tain threshold, but other than this, the panel continues to function. For large commercial applications, the panels must be replaced when the efficiency drops to a cer tain level. However, the panels can continue to produce electricity for many more years, albeit at reduced outputs. Strategies for reusing these panels in lessdemanding applications should be developed. Examples of such applications include the electrification of rural areas and schools. These panels could be sold, donated or leased. A major concern with this strategy is ensuring that the panels are managed sustainably when they no longer function. For this reason, leasing may be a better option, as ownership will be maintained by the supplier. The income from leasing panels could be used to cover the EOL recycling costs.
