Future of Solar: Value of Dead Solar Panels Increasing Rapidly

According to a new analysis, recyclers should be able to extract billions of dollars of materials from old solar panels in the next few years. This should reduce bottlenecks in solar panel supply chains and make the panels more sustainable.

Most dead solar panels in the US are currently cut into pieces or thrown into a landfill. Recycling is not economically viable. It’s not possible to get enough value from a salvaged panel to cover the costs of transporting it and recycling it. According to Rystad Energy’s analysis, this trend is on the verge of changing, helping panels be more sufficient.Rystad predicts that the value of solar panels made from recyclable materials will grow rapidly over the next few years. It is expected that it will reach $2.7 billion by 2030, up from $170 million in this year. This is due to the growing demand for solar and the expected pinch in materials required to make panels. Technology advancements make it easier to extract valuable materials from older panels, which makes recycling even more attractive financially.

Solar energy currently makes up less than 3% of global electricity mix. The world’s energy system is about to undergo a major overhaul in order to provide more renewable energy. The Paris climate agreement commits countries to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding burning fossil fuels in the coming decades. Solar could contribute up to 40% to the global power supply in order reach that goal. Solar panels are also becoming more affordable than gas or coal, making them a better source of electricity.

Despite the sunny outlook for solar energy, there are still clouds. You need more materials to build more solar panels. Right now, the only countries that are capable of mining and processing these materials are a few. The result is that the solar supply chain has been exposed to disruptions, and is prone to abuse. The human rights violations during the mining materials for solar panels have been documented by the non-profit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre. The energy-intensive process used to make the polysilicon in solar panels has been linked to forced labor. These revelations led to sanction on certain solar products manufactured in China.

These supply chains will be diversified by recycling. It could also reduce the impact of mining on the environment, and the health of workers as well as the communities.

Re-hashed panels will likely be used more often to make solar panels in the future. The most money can be made from recycled silver, polysilicon and copper as well as aluminum. Today’s recycling methods don’t allow for the separation of silver and solar-grade silicone. It is often cut up with the rest of a panel and sold as crushed glasses. Thanks to new research on how to salvage the most valuable material from photovoltaic panels, recycling will soon become more sophisticated.

The 2000s saw solar take off and we are now nearing the first wave of discarded panels. It could be treasure if it is properly treated.