Renewable Resource Reaches Another Level as Company Extracts Recyclable Materials from Dead Solar Panels

According to a new analysis released this week, recyclers will hopefully be able to mine recycled materials from defunct solar panels worth billions of dollars in the coming years.

That should make solar panels themselves more sustainable and a renewable resource while also reducing bottlenecks in the solar panel supply chain.

Diversion from Landfills

At the moment, the majority of dead solar panels in the US are simply destroyed or thrown into landfills.

Simply put, the economics don't favor recycling.

A salvaged panel's value hasn't been high enough to justify the expense of transporting and recycling it.

But according to a recent analysis by the research company Rystad Energy, that is expected to change.

According to Rystad, the value of recyclable solar panel materials will increase dramatically over the coming years, rising to $2.7 billion in 2030 from just $170 million this year.

That's because there's more demand for solar energy, and there won't be as many materials available to make solar panels, which is good news.

The ability to extract more valuable materials from old panels is becoming easier, thanks to technological advancements, which increase the financial benefits of recycling and using renewable materials.

Solar Energy

Currently, just over 3% of the world's electricity is produced using solar energy.

However, a major transformation is currently underway to bring more renewable energy online in the world's energy systems.

The Paris climate agreement binds nations to cooperate to stop emitting greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels over the course of the next few decades.

Solar power could supply up to 40% of the world's energy to achieve that goal.

In most of the world, solar power is now more cost-effective than coal or gas as a source of electricity, which is also helpful.

Reusable Materials

Even so, there are some clouds in the otherwise sunny solar energy forecast.

More materials are needed to construct more solar panels.

These materials are currently mined and processed primarily in a small number of nations. As a result, the solar industry's supply chain is now highly susceptible to errors and fraud.

Human rights violations that occurred when the raw materials for solar panels were being mined have been documented by the nonprofit Business & Human Rights Resource Centre.

Additionally, the energy-intensive process that produces the polysilicon used in solar panels has been linked to forced labor.

Sanctions have been placed on some Chinese-made solar products as a result of these revelations.

Recycling will contribute to the diversification of those supply chains. It might also reduce the damage mining does to the environment, the health of its workers, and the welfare of neighboring communities.

Recycled Solar Panels

More components used to create new solar panels in the future are probably going to be recycled solar panels.

According to Rystad, the recyclable materials that can be sold for the most money are recovered silver, polysilicon, copper, and aluminum.

Regrettably, in today's recycling practices, solar-grade silicon is frequently not separated from silver.

Along with the rest of the panel, it is frequently shredded and sold as crushed glass.

Fortunately, new studies into how to salvage the most valuable materials inside photovoltaic panels suggest that recycling will soon become more sophisticated.

The first significant wave of discarded solar panels is currently happening because solar first gained traction in the 2000s and has a lifespan of about 25 years.

That trash has the potential to turn into a treasure if handled properly, The Verge reported.