The 3 Crucial Rs of PV Panels – Reduce, Reuse and Recycle
Despite solar being among the most environmentally #sustainable and commercially viable clean energy solution, conversations around the potential #solarwaste (60 M tonnes by 2050) in the absence of #recycling mechanisms have bolstered efforts to find ways to make it a truly sustainable renewable energy alternative.
Currently, over 90% of PV panel components – consisting of glass (75%), polymer (10%), aluminium (8%), silicon (5%), copper (1%), small amounts of silver, tin, lead, and other components – can be extracted and reused. Extracting hazardous materials like lead from the panel is critical as disposing it off in the landfill can be catastrophic for the environment.
The solar and battery industry has been making rapid progress and creating positive ripples in the energy sector in the last decade. The significant investments being made in R&D for designing high-value integrated recycling systems and repurposing solar panels are sure to soon find sustainable solutions for recycling and solar waste disposal that are also commercially viable for the industry.
