The Looming Challenge of Solar Waste
Solar customers, particularly early adopters, want confidence that the disposal of solar panels will adhere to a philosophy of reduce, reuse, and recycle. However, there isn’t a capability in the U.S. to handle very much of the projected solar waste from existing panels. The projected growth of residential solar applications is likely to create even greater volumes of solar waste in the future that will need to be removed, transported, recycled, or stored.
“Solar IQ” is a joint effort of DEFG and Questline to provide ongoing research and customer-facing content aligned with the solar customer journey. Solar IQ research was conducted to better understand the challenge of solar waste.
There are obstacles that must be overcome before there is a process ready for the impending volume of panels.
Karen Lefkowitz, lead analyst of the research and CEO of Sunset Energy
Sunset Energy conducted this research that points to a growing problem of what to do with solar technlogies when it is time to remove the systems from customers’ property. The existing 375 MW of installed residential solar panels roughly translates in to 1,500,000 rooftop panels which, ultimately, will equate to 30,000 tons of solar waste. There are obstacles that must be overcome before there will be a process ready for the impending volume of panels. The reports sets forth several of the issues that must be tackled.
Thanks for the article. Note that the 375MW of installed PV (resi only) doesn’t have to translate to 30k tons of waste if much of it is reused. Our nonprofit, Good Sun, accepts donations of used solar panels in exchange for a tax deduction. The used PV modules go back into service for a secondary life, supporting charitable projects such as solar installs on schools, shelters, and low-income households.
Thanks, Eric, for starting a discussion. Readers of this comment may be interested in DEFG’s work in 2018 on low income community solar projects. (http://defgllc.com/publications/community-solar/) The next phase of work has begun!
Eric –
Great to hear that your organization is working on this problem. I agree that some of the used panels continue to have useful life. But there is also a significant number of panels that are damaged and would likely not be eligible for re-installation. Hope you have lots of success at Good Sun!